REMOVAL of Glass Scratches with CarPro and a Griots DA

[mr.fusion]

I'm impressed with the results shown here, with the products used. 2.5 hours doesn't surprise me at all. lol

Polishing scratches from glass is difficult to say the least, even though some professional systems claim it's fast and easy. I've used a couple very different systems and have researched plenty of others. I've done quite a bit as a side service to my windshield repair business for car dealers, removing scratches, water spots, etched marker writing, etc. It's not something I like to do, though. There is a limit to the damage that can be fixed which a customer never likes to hear, and sometimes you don't know exactly what's possible so some jobs end up being a wasted effort, while others come out better than expected.

There is a reason why most glass shops don't do it.... especially on cars, because it's generally not cost effective compared to replacement. The glass polishing market is in high dollar commercial jobs, where the glass is a lot more expensive. The guys who do it commonly charge $60-100 an hour and sometimes more... a lot more if they are bidding a big job.

But for a DIY or working on a classic car, etc where a replacement glass is expensive or a last resort... it makes sense to take time to try to restore it. Severe damage, deep scratches or pitting... may be possible to fix but would probably require a more aggressive method such as one of the systems that uses abrasive discs to "sand" the surface and then bring it back to a clear finish.

[swanicyouth]

It takes a while, I'm sure others can do it much faster. You could use the set- up to remove water spot or glass contaminants much quicker, but that would be overkill IMHO. As, with the before prep and clean up it takes a bit of time and work, you would likely be better off using the Pinnacle Water Spot Polish for glass. It's impossible to use this polish without slinging it everywhere Reason being, it goes from the consistency of water to dried White Out in no time, so a lot of times you are buffing with something the consistency of water.


Excellent review! Very well written and includes meticulous detail. I appreciate it tremendously. I too have struggled with some hazing trying to remove some scratches on my rear windshield (put there when the foreign tags were badly removed, resulting in many 'brillo' ovals I bought the Ceriglass here at AG and tried it with my Griots DA. I too had a problem with the drying

You will likely be able to fix it. The secret is to keep spraying water and keep the polish wet. You don't want to rinse it away, but you never want it to get pasty or dry. A lot of times I was buffing with a very watery slurry. You want to spray enough to keep it wet, without having the polish all run down the glass. If you do this, you can work it for a very long time and remove some pretty noticeable scratches. Also, the pads or glass won't get hot, as the keep getting cooled by the water. You will also need to re-wet the polish to remove it when you are done.

If you have a Griots, you may want to keep the bale handle on, as I know a lot of guys remove them. You won't necessarily use it while buffing directly, but it came in handy to kind of lean my wrist on while my hand was on the polisher head to grab to water bottle. It really did take out all the scratches (pits will remain).

Believe me, I was as surprised as anyone how well it worked. This isn't the first product it took me a second try to get right.

[VISITOR]

this day & age with all the new pads and different products available (and keeps evolving), there doesn't seem to be much of anything that the DA isn't capable of taking care of. nice write-up, thanks for taking the time to share...

[90sedan]

Wow, thanks for taking the time to do this. Just the info i was looking for, since my first attempt at polishing glass didn't go as well either.

[umi000]

Great write-up, detailing the process taken, usage of the products, and results achieved clearly. I'm bookmarking this in case I ever need to remove scratches from glass :)

[car nut]

Thank you for the great review. lot"s of great info that I will put to use.

[waynvision]

It's impossible to use this polish without slinging it everywhere Reason being, it goes from the consistency of water to dried White Out in no time, so a lot of times you are buffing with something the consistency of water.

You will likely be able to fix it. The secret is to keep spraying water and keep the polish wet. You don't want to rinse it away, but you never want it to get pasty or dry. A lot of times I was buffing with a very watery slurry. You want to spray enough to keep it wet, without having the polish all run down the glass. If you do this, you can work it for a very long time and remove some pretty noticeable scratches. Also, the pads or glass won't get hot, as the keep getting cooled by the water. You will also need to re-wet the polish to remove it when you are done.

If you have a Griots, you may want to keep the bale handle on, as I know a lot of guys remove them. You won't necessarily use it while buffing directly, but it came in handy to kind of lean my wrist on while my hand was on the polisher head to grab to water bottle. It really did take out all the scratches (pits will remain).

Believe me, I was as surprised as anyone how well it worked. This isn't the first product it took me a second try to get right.

Thanks so much for the advice! I'm still taking notes...

[catfish07]

Very nice job on that windshield! Well worth the time for it to come out so nice.

I haven't seen the LC glass pads before but in the pics, they look exactly like 3m triazac 3000 grit sanding. Just wondering if they were the same. I've got plenty of those in 3"

[swanicyouth]

Very nice job on that windshield! Well worth the time for it to come out so nice.

I haven't seen the LC glass pads before but in the pics, they look exactly like 3m triazac 3000 grit sanding. Just wondering if they were the same. I've got plenty of those in 3"

Nah, they are not sanding pads. When I first got them I wasn't sure what side was the polishing side and which was the BP side. They almost remind me of drywall with fibers stuck to it. The Car Pro ones are like a shallow MF pad, only with rayon.

[SON1C]

awesome review, I'd love to see more information and reviews on glass polishing, after this it looks like this will be my plan of attack for glass

[WRAPT C5Z06]

THANK YOU for taking the time to write up this very detailed review!! Your results were magnificent!

[Jaretr1]

Great review. I tried using my PC7424xp and the Lake country glass pads and I was only moderately successful. I could clearly see the micromarring I was leaving behind. I then had to go over them with an orange CCS pad, which did get very hot, but removed the mircomarring. However, while I did get the windshield a little less scratched, I did not remove all scratches in my attempt. Clearly, the right glass pad and using ample water seems to be the trick. For all of us who have struggled or failed with Ceriglass, this is going to reopen a world a possibilities!

[Avi@CarPro]

Thank you for the review , great write-up and beautiful work.
i would suggest you now to seal the glass , or better nano coat it since its completely ready now for nano coat.

[Mike Phillips]

Very nice how-to article...

I agree with you that glass polishing is very messy and the first thing I tell people is to cover up the car as much as possible because the glass polish slurry tends to splatter all over the place.


I need to test these pads out myself.


Very nicely written and excellent pictures, I think you probably found like I've found that it can be challenging to get good before and after shots of scratches on glass.

How-To capture swirls, scratches, etchings and other surface defects with your camera (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tips-techniques-how-articles-interacting-discussion-forums/26917-how-capture-swirls-scratches-etchings-other-surface-defects-your-camera.html)



Before
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/ScratchesINGlass004.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/ScratchesINGlass003c.jpg


After
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/ScratchesINGlass007.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/ScratchesINGlass008.jpg



:xyxthumbs:

[swanicyouth]

Thank you for the review , great write-up and beautiful work.
i would suggest you now to seal the glass , or better nano coat it since its completely ready now for nano coat.

Thanks Avi! I used Pinnacle Glass Sealant, I'm not too find of coatings. I still can't believe how clear the glass is every time I get in the truck. It's like a new windshield. I've had a chance to now inspect the glass under several different lighting conditions from inside and out and ALL the scratches are 100% gone. I can't see a single scratch, and it was JACKED UP before.

Everything CarPro I've tried has been excellent. The glass pads are by far the best. I used the same pad for over 2 hours of polishing (pad was spinning for over 2 hours) time and washed it and it looks brand new.


Very nice how-to article...

I agree with you that glass polishing is very messy and the first thing I tell people is to cover up the car as much as possible because the glass polish slurry tends to splatter all over the place.


I need to test these pads out myself.


Very nicely written and excellent pictures, I think you probably found like I've found that it can be challenging to get good before and after shots of scratches on glass.

How-To capture swirls, scratches, etchings and other surface defects with your camera (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tips-techniques-how-articles-interacting-discussion-forums/26917-how-capture-swirls-scratches-etchings-other-surface-defects-your-camera.html)



Thanks Mike. It's great to have you comment on something I posted. It is messy. I think I found CeriGlass in my hair and I know it was on my walls. You should see if AG could carry these CarPro pads, as they really made all the difference for me and worked perfectly. They are also thicker than other glass pads and hold up better. However, they get flexible when wet. It would make sense since you guys sell the CeriGlass.

With this combo, anyone could remove glass scratches if they can polish paint.