Window scratch removal products suggestion

J

johnvdub

New member
Hello all,



I have noticed a fine circular scratch in the middle of my rear window of my car and would like to know if it's possible to remove in any way ?

The scratch is very light and my finger does not stop on it but can be seen by inside when looking through rear mirror :nervous:



This must of happened at a car wash with a pebble in wash glove...



I would really want to try to remove or at least make it less obvious from inside the car .

Much appreciated if anyone has an idea or product/tool that i can try myself .



John
 
Eastwood sells a ket to remove scratches from glass. I purchased it about 2 years ago but have been a bit scared to try it. I need to get a scrap windsheild and try it out before I would be comfortable using it on my muscle car.

Has anyone else used this kit that can offer insight?
 
I've used the kit from JCWhitney but it was the same kit I'm sure. A felt pad/mandrel for a power drill and a tub of cerium oxide.

It worked really well on the wife's Camaro windshield but required 45 - 60 min. of polishing to remove the wiper scrapes.

The results were so good I'd do it again - no distortion in the glass either.

Diamondite makes a few kits for scratch removal also.

-John C.
 
My scratches are smack in the middle of the rear window , does this make a difference on the product usage?



I really want to try something but really would like to take all the precautions.



thanks again
 
johnvdub said:
My scratches are smack in the middle of the rear window , does this make a difference on the product usage?



I really want to try something but really would like to take all the precautions.



thanks again
Click to expand...

On the outside right? I don't see a problem with any location on the outside of the glass.



The inside would be very difficult with the heater strip tape but from what I can figure out, yours scratches are on the outside.



Left side, right side, middle, top, bottom - all would be good for the scratch removal kits I've seen.



You'll need a corded electric drill, a cordless won't last long enough.

-John C.
 
John:

Thanks for the reply. I can pull a window out of a car that was donated for a Fire Dept. drill and try it out. If I am comfortable with it I'll try it on my good car. I'll let you know how it all works out.
 
The scratch is on the outside and annoying as I see it when looking in my rear view mirror ( middle top ).

I cannot seem to catch my finger in it and it's circular as a pebble was probably in the glove used to wash the car .

Is there any danger of the glass breaking or becoming hazed or distorted from the polish action if I don't do it correctly ?



Hey 5toclean... Thanks for that help in testing it.
 
johnvdub said:
The scratch is on the outside and annoying as I see it when looking in my rear view mirror ( middle top ).

I cannot seem to catch my finger in it and it's circular as a pebble was probably in the glove used to wash the car .

Is there any danger of the glass breaking or becoming hazed or distorted from the polish action if I don't do it correctly ?



Hey 5toclean... Thanks for that help in testing it.
Click to expand...

No danger.

Cerium oxide is made to polish telescope lenses and they're made out of glass, just like your windshield. The end result will be a super clear and clean window.



It's pretty well impossible to do the job wrong.

Make a thick slurry of the cerium oxide and a little water. Apply it to the scratched area. Polish with the felt pad in the electric drill.

After 5 min, or when the polish seems to get thin and vanish, wipe with a cloth and look at your results.

Repeat until the scratch is gone.

It's that simple.



Caution: The cerium oxide is very, very, very, mildly radioactive, like the glow in the dark watches of the old days. Keep the spare powder on a shelf in the basement between jobs, not in your front pocket.

-John C.
 
Thanks a lot for your advice. Now I only need to decide from which company to order the stuff ... any preferences in regards to quality / price from the above mentioned.



John
 
johnvdub said:
Thanks a lot for your advice. Now I only need to decide from which company to order the stuff ... any preferences in regards to quality / price from the above mentioned.



John
Click to expand...

From what I remember, the Eastwood kit and the JCWhitney kit are virtually identical and the Diamondite kit (from autogeek?) seemed a step above in both materials and cost.

All companies are reputable, so it's a coin toss. Order from whichever you're comfortable with.

Of course, if you want to drive 14000+kms and bring a Molson's or two, we could use my kit and 'get 'er done.'

-John C.
 
JohnZ3MC said:
No danger.

Cerium oxide is made to polish telescope lenses and they're made out of glass, just like your windshield. The end result will be a super clear and clean window.



It's pretty well impossible to do the job wrong.

Make a thick slurry of the cerium oxide and a little water. Apply it to the scratched area. Polish with the felt pad in the electric drill.

After 5 min, or when the polish seems to get thin and vanish, wipe with a cloth and look at your results.

Repeat until the scratch is gone.

It's that simple.



Caution: The cerium oxide is very, very, very, mildly radioactive, like the glow in the dark watches of the old days. Keep the spare powder on a shelf in the basement between jobs, not in your front pocket.

-John C.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm, Since I work with very large quantities of radioisotope every day it will be easy to test how "Active" this material is. I'll let you know when I get back home from this business trip.
 
JohnZ3MC said:
No danger.

Cerium oxide is made to polish telescope lenses and they're made out of glass, just like your windshield. The end result will be a super clear and clean window.



It's pretty well impossible to do the job wrong.

Make a thick slurry of the cerium oxide and a little water. Apply it to the scratched area. Polish with the felt pad in the electric drill.

After 5 min, or when the polish seems to get thin and vanish, wipe with a cloth and look at your results.

Repeat until the scratch is gone.

It's that simple.
Click to expand...



Hello,....just bought a can of Cerium oxide and plannig to remove scratches cause by dirty wiper blade.



Question, What kind of pad should I use with it? Can I use polishing/cutting pad that design for car's paint?
 
opass said:
Hello,....just bought a can of Cerium oxide and plannig to remove scratches cause by dirty wiper blade.



Question, What kind of pad should I use with it? Can I use polishing/cutting pad that design for car's paint?
Click to expand...

The CO will be perfect for you, the same situation I had to deal with.

I'd go with the same type of dense felt pad that comes with the kits listed earlier because I'm thinking only the heavy felt type can give the kind of 'bite' and strength needed for working with glass. The softer foam ones would just wear out and break apart way too soon.

The felt ones are common so you shouldn't have trouble finding one locally.

-John C.
 
JohnZ3MC said:
The CO will be perfect for you, the same situation I had to deal with.

I'd go with the same type of dense felt pad that comes with the kits listed earlier because I'm thinking only the heavy felt type can give the kind of 'bite' and strength needed for working with glass. The softer foam ones would just wear out and break apart way too soon.

The felt ones are common so you shouldn't have trouble finding one locally.

-John C.
Click to expand...



John,



What is CO? Are you refering Country Orange pad?



Can I buy felt pad at Home Depot, Ace....etc.?
 
opass said:
John,



What is CO? Are you refering Country Orange pad?



Can I buy felt pad at Home Depot, Ace....etc.?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I was getting lazy and did CO instead of 'cerium oxide'.

The pads are circular, like a hockey puck, about 2/5 - 3 inches in diameter and about 2 inches thick. There is a metal shaft for chucking it into an electric drill.

You fellows from the USA are lucky to have really comprehensive tool and accessory shops so I'd head for the polishing section and see what they have to offer.

Probably Home Depot or maybe a big hardware/tool store. We have something called 'House of Tools' here and they have them.

-John C.
 
Hey John,



I'm ordering the JCWhitney kit like yours and i hope it does the trick ...

Let me know of any other tips.



Thx
 
johnvdub said:
Hey John,



I'm ordering the JCWhitney kit like yours and i hope it does the trick ...

Let me know of any other tips.



Thx
Click to expand...

You'll be happy with that kit, it'll do many, many windshields over the years. Future waterspots a problem? No more with that kit.

I guess the two biggest tips I can offer is to not give up too early, and don't let the slurry dry out on the windshield. When it gets nearly dry, stop, inspect your progress, and add more slurry.

Heat builds up when it's dry and you don't want your glass to get really hot.

Let us know how it turns out.

-John C.
 
Ok; I finally did it. When I got home from work today I dug out the Eastwood kit I bought 2 years ago and decided to put it to use. I was still a bit apprehensive and skeptical so i tried it on my Jeep first since I didn't care if I screwed the window up on it. after trying it on the Jeep without ruining the window I decided to go for it.

Alls I can say is WOW, why didn't I do this sooner! I did not have deep scratches to contend with just 21 years of haze and water spots that nothing else I have ever tried would remove but this kit is so effective my windows look like new now.

The only thing that i can offer on the way of advice is this, instead of using my standard drill I used my Milwaukee 3/8" right angle drill. Using the right angle drill allowed me to have better control and it took about an hour to do the rear window, two opera windows and the door windows.

This kit really worked great.
 
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