Removing Light Scratches from Windshield

[Harold]

I have an old squeegee in my daily driver that has a good rubber blade on one side and a metal edge on the other (left over from a plastic scraper  that broke). I was in a hurry this morning and started using the metal edge, which made some light scratches in the windshield glass about 6" long. They're right in my line of sight and visible if the light is right. Most of it doesn't catch my fingernail but one or two small sections do. Is there anything mild I can use to try to lighten the scratches? I've heard of using Bon Ami or toothpaste. Are there any other home remedies to try?

[Bhigdog]

The proper abrasive is cerium oxide. It will not remove any scratches that you can catch. Somewhere, i think in the chrysler forum, i posted a lengthy discussion on removing glass scratches.

If you search Cerium Oxide the post will come up...................bob

Edited December 9, 2022 by Bhigdog (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

The oxide is not expensive. I think Eastwood sells an over priced  kit but you can put together one yourself for a few bucks. It is used wet but will not remove road sand blast pits. I cover it all in my post..........Bob

[Bhigdog]

From 2010................

 

In the interest of sharing knowledge............

I'm finally getting around to installing the glass in the 56 Chrysler. I've been fretting about the windshield and the wiper marks in it for two years now. The "marks" were not quite deep enough to actually "catch" a finger nail but they could be felt. Imported repro glass is available for about $650 without a date code. I'd heard both pro's and cons about polishing out the scratches. I'd heard that it can't be done,  that it would cause distortion because it would leave a shallow hollow where the groove was or heat build up would crack the glass.

Being both a frugal type and having nothing to lose I figured I'd give it a try.

First I needed a polishing "kit". I looked at ready made kits and saw they were nothing more than a hard felt pad and some cerium oxide polishing compound.

So instead of p**sing away $75 bucks on a kit, I cut down an old backing disc from my DA sander to 3 1/2" diameter and epoxied a 3/8" thick pad of hard felt on the bottom. My local glass shop sold me a baby food jar of cerium oxide for $5. So now I had my kit.

The kit sellers say to chuck their pad in a drill to polish out the scratches. I figured that was the cause of the distortion problem. Folks were using the pad like a disc sander and concentrating on the scratches. To get around that I mounted my pad on my DA sander and used it only on the orbital mode. Also, instead of concentrating on the scratches I evenly buffed the glass and only gave the scratches a bit of extra buff time.

I'd also heard that the glass could crack from heat build up. Not true. I mixed the cerium oxide with water to make a loose paste. Wet the pad, spread a bit of paste, and started buffing VERY slowly and lightly. As long as everything is wet there in no heat build up. I kept a spritz bottle of water close by and just kept spritzing, buffing, pasting, spritzing buffing and checking.

In about an hour all traces of the scratches were gone, there was no distortion, and I'd saved almost enough to pay for the new tires for the 56 that I need to order. The whole project took a morning to do including making the polishing pad.

If you decide to try this here's few hints. The hard felt is available from McMaster-Carr by the square foot. Or, I have have enough left over to cut a disc for someone or two or three. Keep the glass wet and keep the orbital speed about mid way. Draw a line  under the scratches, with a magic marker, on the back side of the glass. That way you can find them and you only have to wipe a small area clean to check your progress. Do not let the pad get dry. It will pack dried oxide into the micro pits that are in every used windshield and you will spend an hour with soapy water and a tooth brush getting it out. Do not ask how I know this last............Bob

Edited December 9, 2022 by Bhigdog (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

The attached is how to polish scratches from the 1969 Fisher Body Manual:

 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[JACK M]

Question,

I have some very stubborn water spots.

Is this stuff a good solution for hard water spots.

I have tried steel wool, to no avail.

 

When I was a kid I had a job at a dealership that had me doing some detailing.

I got pretty good with a buffer and still have a good buffer that I use on occasion, Not to wander from my question.

I recall a paste like stuff that we put on the glass while we buffed and that made it easy to clean the glass after.

If I recall it was a yellow past and it dried to where it would wipe off easily. I do not recall having to mix it myself, but it was in a catsup type squirt bottle, so someone might have mixed it and put it in there.

[Leif in Calif]

Retired glass person here, including owning an auto glass business and working in a technical sales capacity for the company formerly know as Libby Owens Ford (LOF). You absolutely can crack the glass if it gets too hot, and ANY scratch can be polished out, but with the products described here, it might takes days. That's why it's rarely done.  You are removing the surface of the glass down to the depth of the scratch, so (obviously) it's not going to be flat anymore and there will therefor be distortion.  

[Harold]

Thanks for all the responses.  I may end up leaving it alone.

[EmTee]

Try Bon-Ami or Barkeeper's Friend for water spots.

[Harold]

I heard that Bon Ami changed its contents and is harsher than it used to be.  There is a classic version of Bon Ami that is still the original formula.  I checked their website and it's known as the '1886 Formula'.

Edited December 11, 2022 by Harold (see edit history)