Old Glass

anotheridiot

anotheridiot

Member
Anyone use any of these products to dehaze or get scratches out of old glass. Had 4 windshields shipped to me, all were broken either before they went in the box, or during shipping. Got a PGW from a warehouse closeby, its ok, but I could do without china glass. Trying to clean up the rear window, used some worn down trizak pads and it seemed to remove some of the haze from the aluminum molding, but just made the scratches even look deeper. Just trying to clean up the rear window and door glass to look presentable.
 
You got scratches or hazing/fogging? If it's just scratches provided they are not too deep the glass buffing products work quite well. If the glass is hazed/foggy around the edges that is where it is beginning to delaminate, not really anything that can be done about that afaik..
 
started out with hazing. Got some of those cerium oxide grains that you mix with water to create a slurry that is supposed to polish glass. Was working really slow. Saw it was 2400 grit or 0.7 micron, so I took a 3000 trizak to work that slurry and seemed to remove the haze. Around the perimeter where the aluminum molding goes there were some heavier oxidation lines. Most seemed to go away, but when the haze was gone and the glass was cleaned there are some really heavy scratches that showed up. Just working it by hand, havent had the courage to put the pad on a DA..
 
I bought a kit from Eastwood a couple years ago for some windshield wiper marks. It was a waste of time. Threw it all in the garbage after a few hours of trial and error. Then bought new glass.

Glass guy I use said none of that stuff works. He's been at it a long time so it's all I needed.

What products are you using Chris?
 
I've been using this from Caswell Plating: http://www.caswellplating.com/buffin...shing-kit.html Main thing to look for is Cerium Oxide. That is what does the polishing. My cousin who has worked for Safelite for years got me some stuff that they use and it works well too. I think the key is patience. It takes a decent amount of time to remove scratches with the compound, It took me more than 30 minutes to remove a few scratches that are just barely able to be caught by your fingernail. If the scratching is extensive it's probably better to replace but for minor scratching it will work.....just takes time. Use a high speed drill or even a die grinder once you get the feel of it. Works better the faster the tool spins. Make the powder a slurry paste and keep it wet. Be prepared to do it for a while over the same area.:)

If you think about it anything can be polished just about. Jeweler's polish stones including diamonds so logic would say that you can polish auto glass. Just because someone says it can't be done or shouldn't be done, doesn't necessarily stop me anymore. Lots of people in various trades stop trying to learn once they get comfortable in their work. Think about how many old bodyguys say that the only way to apply filler is over metal. I like to find out for myself.

One more thing, wear a mask with the powder as I don't think inhaling the stuff in powder form is very healthy.
 
I have a lot of stuff from Caswell so I order some next time I buy. The Eastwood kit sure didn't do anything. It wouldn't polish hazy glass that didn't even have scratches.

I buy new glass when It's available but sometimes you can't. Thanks for the tip.
 
glass is definitely getting clearer. I bought the Cerium oxide thru McMaster a few years ago when our glass etched when we left the car in the plating shop uncovered. Went 3000 and 5000 and the scratches got more noticeable as the glass gets clearer. Actually just went to a 2000 disc and just started sanding it. I have it on the 3M backing pad insert so it isnt a hard cut, but as soon as the sanding starts the water starts clouding so something is happening. Right now I am down to the ones you can see but can hardly feel with the fingernail so there seems to be some movement.

I am just tired of this glass. Clear reproduction glass is not readily available and another 3 tries to maybe get a good piece of china glass is just got me going on this until I fix it or ruin it. I am just concerned what this made in china glass does when it does break in an accident.
 
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