how to polish windshield?

K

kepani

New member
i've been noticing that my windshield seems to have quite a bit of nicks and pits from daily driving as well as frequent HPDE's (high performance driving events) on the road courses.



are there any well known techniques and/or products that can be used to remove the marks from the windshield?



thanks!



kepani
 
if they really are nicks/pits in your windshield i dont think youll be able to remove them... seeing how pieces of your windshield had separated from where they used to be.best thing would be to just replace your whole windshield if you permanently want to be rid of them..JMHO
 
I guess the only thing I can think of is to have the pits/chips filled in by a glass repair shop...your insurance might pay for this, as the pits may start a crack, causing them to have to pay for a full windshield replacement (if they cover that on your car, mine does.)
 
the nicks and spots on the windsheild aren't deep to the point of them running a crack along the windshield. they are more like little "specs". i really notice them after giving the car a nice wash. in the daylight when driving, i notice the "specs" all over the screen.



any sort of filler or polish that will "buff" this out? i know that the windshield is not all glass. the outer (and inner?) layer is some sort of laminate that won't shatter when impacted.



any other possibilities?



kepani
 
It might just be some water etching. Try some Isoprpyl(sp?)/water, 50/50 mix and spray your windows down with a spray bottle. If it doesn't work, I think you can use like #000 steel wool or something to polish it a little too. I've never used the steel wool, so research it before trying it.
 
you can use #000 steel wool...
Click to expand...



That's #0000 steel wool. I used that on a car when I worked at a body shop, and it scratched the glass. I may have been doing something wrong, cuz plenty of people here use it on glass, but I'm positive that I scratched it. Maybe there was something else stuck in the steel wool. :nixweiss
 
kepani said:
the nicks and spots on the windsheild aren't deep to the point of them running a crack along the windshield. they are more like little "specs". i really notice them after giving the car a nice wash. in the daylight when driving, i notice the "specs" all over the screen.



any sort of filler or polish that will "buff" this out? i know that the windshield is not all glass. the outer (and inner?) layer is some sort of laminate that won't shatter when impacted.



any other possibilities?



kepani
Click to expand...



If you machine buff it, the specs will become more visible (I use a PC w/ Zaino Glass Polish- purchased to try to buff them out). I had my windshield replaced by insurance becasue they were so bad. I don't think anyone has found a way to get rid of the 'specs' except for replacement. One thing I do notice, though. They are a lot more visible from the inside of the car vs. the outside, so although not attractive, only you and your passengers see the full horror.:scared
 
I tried the Diamondite system available through Autogeeks. Although I can still see all those specks in sunlight directly through the windshield, in all other situations they are greatly lessened.





Tom
 
Anyone ever tried something like Barkeeper's Friend (K-Mart, Wal-Mart, etc.) to polish the glass? I have a 2000 BMW with similar spots, and the Barkeeper's Friend was recommended to me by someone. Seems a bit harsh to me, that's why I haven't tried it yet.
 
~One manâ€â„¢s opinion / observations~



Polishing Glass Surfaces:

Methodology:

·Clean glass to remove dirt, dust or road grime from surfaces (also see note 1)

·Apply a quarter size amount of Autoglym Car Glass Polishâ„¢ or Iz Einzette Glas Polish to a damp cutting / polishing foam pad (LC Orange or White) attached to a Porter Cable random orbital buffer set at speed # 4.

·Apply to half of the windshield, polishing first in an up and down motion then in a left-to-right motion and then repeat on the other side, proceed to other glass surfaces.

·Go over the glass several times in each direction, glass will polish virtually residue free.

·Wipe off any residue, and polish with a clean dry 100% cotton Microfiber cloth.

·Inspect glass for clarity and smoothness. Repeat if necessary.



Notes:

1.Do not use abrasive glass polish on after market-tinted glass or you will probably scratch the surface

2.For deeply etched water spots' or pits (caused by sand or road stones) in the glass surface, do not attempt to polish them out, consult an automotive glass vendor as glass used on later model cars is soft and thin (this may vary by manufacturer) due to weight / cost savings by vehicle manufactures and polishing could cause glass to crack.

3.Some windshields and mirrors have a tinted plastic coating or a blue tint that will scratch or be damaged, only polish or use synthetic wool on uncoated glass.



Barkeepers Friend is a good glass cleaning product (used with / without #oooo synthetic steel wool)



~Hope this helps~



Knowledge unshared is experience wasted [each one / teach one]

justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ JonM
 
Does anybody know if you can polish your glass with DACP or any other abrasive cleaner?



What makes a glass polish so different from a paint polish?
 
I have seen windows polished to have scratches taken out before and they used a special type of rouge, It looked like jewelers rouge and he used a special polisher and buffing head. there is a down side of doing/having this done you WILL distort the window.

ex: ever look of to the side of a window that curves around to meet the pillar post and you see the distortion caused be the curvature of the window? you will see this every where you have had the polish done to remove the defect.



just my 2 cents worth.
 
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