LIVE Detailing Class - Polishing GLASS to remove Pits, Wiper Marks & Scratches

[Mike Phillips]

LIVE Detailing Class - Polishing GLASS to remove Pits, Wiper Marks & Scratches (https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/live-detailing-classes-how-to-videos-with-mike-phillips-and-yancy-martinez/127457-live-detailing-class-polishing-glass-remove-pits-wiper-marks-scratches.html)



How to machine polish glass to remove pits, wiper marks and scratches



https://youtu.be/t15n7ATZpVs



Remember - we do these LIVE classes every Thursday at 3:00pm Eastern Time


YouTube (https://youtu.be/6M-UUDPejP8) - You can interact LIVE via the comments section

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/autogeek) - You can interact LIVE via the comments section

Autogeek.com (https://www.autogeek.net/live-detailing-classes.html) - The products showcased are also on this page





Or watch right here on the forum in this thread or the bottom of the forum homepage

Simply refresh your screen at 3:00pm



Here's what we'll be using and showcasing!

You can use dang near any polisher that will make a pad go a round and a round....

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_13.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_12.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_11.JPG



LINKS to get the stuff I used in the video


CarPro Ceriglass Glass Polish 150 ml (https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-ceriglass-polish.html) - little bottle

CarPro Ceriglass Glass Polish 500 ml. (https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-ceriglass-500ml.html) - BIG bottle - this is what I was using

CarPro Rayon Glass Polishing Pad (https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-rayon-glass-polishing-pad.html) – 5 Inch 2 Pack

Griots Garage BOSS 5.5 inch Innerflex Pad (https://www.autogeek.net/griots-boss-5-inch-innerflex-pad.html)



:buffing:

[Mike Phillips]

More info....


Here's our training car with scads of wiper marks over the entire windshield. This is a 2004 Toyota Corolla LE

I've polished a lot of glass in my life and while this might not be the worst windshield I've worked on it's definitely in the running.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_01.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_02.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_03.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_04.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_05.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_06.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_07.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_08.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_09.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_10.JPG


I'll be showing how to remove the scratches with the following tools,


Rotary Polisher
Short stroke polisher
Long stroke polisher
Gear-driven polisher




Most important - I'll share the Number #1 Safety Tip I have when it comes to polishing scratches out of glass.


Tune in at 3:00pm Thursday, September 3rd


:)

[Mike Phillips]

bump:

All set-up and ready to go live in 30 minutes.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200903/85e95b70529494586ab228c35070e904.jpg


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200903/6ffbc7597f391f7d1795fffc4b978ef4.jpg


:)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mike Phillips]

More...


Here's a close-up of the before and after along the tape-line.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_20.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_21.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Polishing_Glass_Scratches_21c.JPG



And that tape-line is pretty much right through the middle of the section you see here with the florescent tube lights reflecting in the glass.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200903/6ffbc7597f391f7d1795fffc4b978ef4.jpg



Now follow me....

In the video I said that normally I would buff each quadrant HARD for around 30 minutes. That means 2 HOURS minimum to buff out 4 quadrant or the entire windshield.

How difficult and how long it takes depends on HOW DEEP the scratches are. And when it came to this specific windshield the scratches were deep and everywhere. In fact I said that in the first post of this thread before we started.





I've polished a lot of glass in my life and while this might not be the worst windshield I've worked on it's definitely in the running.




I buffed the section for 20 minutes - taking a break at the 10 minute mark. As you look at the results above it's easy to see I did not remove 100% of the scratches. BUT I REMOVED MOST OF THEM.

The first scratches to buff out will be the SHALLOW scratches, same things when you buff car paint. Anything that remains is DEEPER.


Question: To finish the job and remove 100% of all the scratches what do you do?

Answer: You simply buff longer.


It's really that simple. It's just a matter of LEVELING the surface. You abrade the surface until you level the upper most portion of the surface with the lowest depths of the defects you're trying to remove. Had I buffed HARD for another 10 minutes - to make a total of 30 minutes, (like I said I normally do), you could of and would of removed 99% of the scratches.

We have to be sensitive to how long we make people watch paint dry or grass grow when shooting these videos or people drop-off.





Any forum members watch?

Comments?


:bolt:

[Bill D]

I watched most of it. Good job! Reminds me of the time I tried to polish out a scratch in glass but without good results. You polished a lot longer than me though and with a much more advanced product.

The video showed how tough polishing glass scratches can be. The pros should charge accordingly.

[Ronald H Levine]

Any forum members watch?

Comments?




I had to miss this (and the previous) because of working as a machinist to keep the rest of the shop working with the parts I'm making.

I bought all of the best of products in the largest sizes for this project including a Rupes 21 because I want to restore clarity in my windshield on my 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S because good vision is important to precision driving and safety. I've been buying everything in the largest sizes and quantities to learn on my car and then use these skills as an occasional side job.

Is there any way I can watch this in the future?

I sure made a mess with splatter everywhere last time I tried this and the flaws in the glass were mostly still there after a lot of work.

I'm wondering if I should buy a new windshield or if I was doing it so wrong that I should try again after watching this video I missed if possible to see it later.

I'm just not available Thursday afternoons.

Thanks!

[mk9750]

Mike,

I watched this evening. As usual, great info. I think the most valuable take away for me was the investment doing this will take. I bet you would use a half bottle of the abrasive for the entire windshield, the pads aren't cheap, and a couple of hours of intense work is what one has to look forward to in order to do the job right. If a piece of glass is that scratched, either replacement is in order, or I am going to need to charge WAY more than I would have guessed.

Thanks for spending the time to put these together. Always valuable.

[Bill D]

Yep, you guys are probably going to have to charge up to the point where it’s cheaper to just replace.

[John U]

Yep, you guys are probably going to have to charge up to the point where it’s cheaper to just replace.

I have zero deductable on glass. I catch enough rocks that new glass is a biyearly event..... but like anyone reading this forum, we take care of our cars and address issues when they come up.

Mike's mention of rust under glass is a big deal for cars in the north or on the coast.

This picture is my wife's Lexus which was only about 5-6 years old then the original windshield was replaced.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/Windshield_Frame_Rust.jpg


The winter road salt splashing, gets behind the so called "sealed" in glass and this is what you get. I washed it weekly in the winter.

They came back a week later for the install after I treated the metal and fiber-glassed in the rot. We never had the windshield out again the the 10 years after this that she owned it.


70845

[Mike Phillips]

I watched most of it. Good job! Reminds me of the time I tried to polish out a scratch in glass but without good results. You polished a lot longer than me though and with a much more advanced product.

The video showed how tough polishing glass scratches can be.




Yeperdoo - it's hard work. That's why most of the people that have asked me how to do it and then





The pros should charge accordingly.



Agree. I tell detailers to aim for $100.00 per hour for their business model no matter what they are doing. People/customers need to learn to pay and appreciate what a professional detailer can do for them, just like people pay and appreciate what a professional Plumber can do for them.







I had to miss this (and the previous) because of working as a machinist to keep the rest of the shop working with the parts I'm making.

I bought all of the best of products in the largest sizes for this project including a Rupes 21 because I want to restore clarity in my windshield on my 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S because good vision is important to precision driving and safety. I've been buying everything in the largest sizes and quantities to learn on my car and then use these skills as an occasional side job.

Is there any way I can watch this in the future?



Yes.

The video is ALWAYS in this thread you are typing in. Look at the top of the first post in this thread and ALL the threads I create for our LIVE classes. :)





I sure made a mess with splatter everywhere last time I tried this and the flaws in the glass were mostly still there after a lot of work.



And note how I taped-off and covered everything up. Been there done that and never doing it again. "it" meaning cleaning up the mess because I didn't tape-off and cover-up.






I'm wondering if I should buy a new windshield or if I was doing it so wrong that I should try again after watching this video I missed if possible to see it later.

I'm just not available Thursday afternoons.

Thanks!

Your choice. My comment in the video is if you're working on a NEW car then it's cheap and easy to have the windshield replaced.

If you're working on a classic car - even if it's easier to get a new windshield the ACT of removing the original windshield may expose RUST and CANCER in the sheet metal around the window frame and now you just turned replacing the windshield in your car into a FULL body-off restoration in order to remove ALL the rust in the car.

Again your decisions - I guess it depends on what your working on. Re-watch the video and you'll hear me explain all the various realities of doing this type of work.








Mike,

I watched this evening. As usual, great info. I think the most valuable take away for me was the investment doing this will take. I bet you would use a half bottle of the abrasive for the entire windshield, the pads aren't cheap, and a couple of hours of intense work is what one has to look forward to in order to do the job right.

If a piece of glass is that scratched, either replacement is in order, or I am going to need to charge WAY more than I would have guessed.

Thanks for spending the time to put these together. Always valuable.




Thank you for taking the time to comment. So many people READ but never say or type anything.

Now days I find this very disappointing. :dunno:









I have zero deductable on glass. I catch enough rocks that new glass is a biyearly event..... but like anyone reading this forum, we take care of our cars and address issues when they come up.



Yup - lots of people simply get the windshield replaced.






Mike's mention of rust under glass is a big deal for cars in the north or on the coast.


This picture is my wife's Lexus which was only about 5-6 years old then the original windshield was replaced.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/Windshield_Frame_Rust.jpg


The winter road salt splashing, gets behind the so called "sealed" in glass and this is what you get. I washed it weekly in the winter.

They came back a week later for the install after I treated the metal and fiber-glassed in the rot.

We never had the windshield out again the the 10 years after this that she owned it.




Thank you for taking the time to share the above John. And even more - thank you for taking the time to vindicate what I said in the LIVE detailing class with this picture of RUST or CANCER around the windshield.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/722/Windshield_Frame_Rust.jpg


I completely understand why for most people it's faster and easier and a lot less muscle pain to simply have glass replaced.

But for some - depending upon the car - if a person doesn't have the budget to do a frame-off, rotisserie restoration of their 1967 Chevelle - then for these people, sometime it makes better sense to polish the glass and let the next caretaker of the classic car be the person to dump a ton of money into a full restoration.



:)

[trek]

A good idea to mention that I did not hear. For the newer cars on the market with ADAS features that use the windshield I would not recommend any polishing on the glass.

[Mike Phillips]

A good idea to mention that I did not hear.

For the newer cars on the market with ADAS features that use the windshield I would not recommend any polishing on the glass.




Good point but... I did some research on ADAS Glass and could find NOTHING about the exterior surface being sensitive to anything. Anything would include wiper arms rubbing over them for years, etc.

While I am not an expert and I would LOVE it if someone else would do the research on this topic to keep us ALL safe, my guess is the sensors are behind the outer layer of glass and probably also behind the inner layer of glass and likely sandwiched in-between the two separate layers of glass. That would also make the most sense.

Any takers?


Anyone feel like contacting a glass manufacturer and interviewing them? This would be so much more powerful then all of us speculating.


I'm also pretty sure that companies like Meguiar's go above and beyond in their research to 100% absolutely FOOL-PROOF their products from a consumer standpoint and also a legal liability standpoint before launching products that contains abrasives intended to be rubbed on the outside of a windshield.


From this this thread,

Meguiar’s Perfect Clarity Glass Care Kit (https://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?65659-Meguiar-s-Perfect-Clarity-Glass-Care-Kit&p=580090&viewfull=1#post580090)





Nick (or anyone else), do you know if the glass polish contains cerium oxide or if it's just a normal SMAT abrasive set?




Knowing how careful Meguiar's is - before Nick posted a PUBLIC reply - he has already checked with his Manager on the accuracy of the information in the reply he then posted.





I can tell you that Perfect Clarity Polishing Compound is actually very different than our compounds designed for paint, it works to almost "super clean" the glass surface with a combination of Meguiar's proprietary SMAT abrasives as well as specialized cleaners.




From my experience working at Meguiar's I'm confident they have done their due diligence on the research aspect and would not have launched a CONSUMER friendly product if ADAS Glass was a RISK.


That said - as technology continues to evolve and be introduced this could change. As I type it's September 9th, 2020 and 2 more comments,



1: A brand new car with ADAS Glass shouldn't need to be buffed hard to remove sub-surface defects. Key word being shouldn't.


2: If car manufacturers are going to build their cars with glass that cannot be polished - they should put a warning in the owner's manual.




So back to my request - would someone like to research this?

And if you find car manufacturers that state the glass on their cars should not be mechanically polished - let's get this information out for ALL to benefit from.


Thank you ahead of time.



:dblthumb2:

[Mike Phillips]

More info....


In the video I stated that gloss polishing is MESSY. If you notice, I have the body panels surrounding the glass completely covered up with Autogeek Cover-up Towels (https://www.autogeek.net/autogeek-cover-up-towel.html).

AFTER the video - I took a few pictures to prove what I stated is accurate. And keep in mind, the splatter dots you're going to see on the sections of the car that were NOT covered up was after only polishing one section of the windshield.

Had I continued and polished the entire windshield - you would see a LOT more splatter dots all over the place.


Here you can see the Autogeek Cover-up Towels placed and taped down on the car to cover the nearby body panel.

You would think this was overkill or at least, good enough?

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Messy_Glass_001.JPG



Here's the back of the roof...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Messy_Glass_003.JPG


Here's the same picture but I've cropped out a section close to the cover-up towel.

SEE the splatter dots?

They slung all the way from the windshield PAST the cover-up towel and onto the back portion of the roof.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Messy_Glass_003c.JPG



Here's the back half of the driver's side of the car - see the splatter dots?

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Messy_Glass_004.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Messy_Glass_005.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Messy_Glass_006.JPG





Don't take my word for it - go by the splatter dots all over the car.


Glass polishing is messy - so cover up.



:)










:)

[Bill D]

If I needed to polish my windshield I'd get the Autogeek covers and put an old car cover on the car and then cut out the windshield area. I'm glad I never threw away my old car cover. Im also sure one can buy one for cheap too.

[Mike Phillips]

More....


In this LIVE Detailing Class video, I talked about an incident where I accidentally scratched the INSIDE of the windshield of a Ferrari. While I don't have a picture of the scratch, at least that I can find, here's the actual car...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Glass_Scratch_Inside_02.JPG

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Glass_Scratch_Inside_01.JPG


Where you see the yellow box - that's where the band on my wrist watch scratched the glass on the inside - just above the steering wheel.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/4105/Glass_Scratch_Inside_03.JPG


Yeah yeah yeah, everyone says, you should have taken off your watch. Of course that's easy to say for all you Monday Quarterbacks. But as I said in the video - I was NOT detailing the interior of the car, just the outside. The only reason I cleaned the inside of the glass was because it had smudges that were making my "Beauty Shots" look like crap. So jumped into the car to quickly clean the glass (and that's all), and that's when I put about a 2" scratch in the glass.

My fault for being a nice guy or nice detailer.


:dunno:



Here's a few more pictures of this car, not sure where the write-up is?


Often times the owners of cars don't even realize they have thin spots because they are so used to looking at the car "big picture", you as a detailer don't look at the car you examine the car and defects stand out like a sore thumb.

This is why you want to inspect, document and show the owner anything that looks risky before you touch the car.


Here's the area on the Ferrari with the thin paint...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1673/Single_Stage_Paint_Thin_Spot_001.jpg


Here it is after I taped-off anything I didn't feel like "detailing" afterwards...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1673/Single_Stage_Paint_Thin_Spot_002.jpg

Here I've circled the thin spot and you can see a strip of painter's tape actually over the thin spot.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1673/Single_Stage_Paint_Thin_Spot_003.jpg


And keep in mind, if you find one raised body line that someone else has burned through in the past, there could be other raised body lines that are not burned through yet but the paint is whisper thin and even if you're as careful as humanly possible you could still burn through, even if you're working by hand.




:)