I was on a ladder reaching into the tank and forgot about my belt! I've got a 3" scratch center top of the front plate glass. Didn't notice it right away but now it really bugs me. How can I repair it?
Glass Scratch
- Thread starter ukgoffer
- Start date
There is a product/compound called cerium oxide.....it is a harmless non-chemical polishing compound specifically for glass. The process for polishing out small scrathes is simply using a slow speed wool polishing wheel...and by slow I mean 3500rpm max....it would be advised to use a variable speed rotary tool like a drill motor or rotary buffer....no random orbital like a wax buffer.
The powder form requires mixing with water to make a paste and the paste form is reafy to go....just apply the paste to the wool polishing wheel and begin to lightly apply pressure, buffing the scratch. Stop often and feel for any heat build-up....heat is not good....having the tank full with water should make heat not much of an issue, but check nonetheless. Continue to polish moving along the scratch....not stopping in one place then moving on....treat the scratch as a whole....buffing back and forth along the scratch and back and forth accross the scratch perpendicular moving along the length.
It will take some time. Stop often and remove the polishing compound to monitor progress and the reapply compound and continue.
I have removed many scratches this way with awesome results.
You can buy the kits on line or through a glass supply or glass repair establishment. ..and the kits aren't very expensive at all.
You can get just the compound if you can source the buffing wheel somewhere and it is even cheaper that way.
Good luck and remove your belt next time!!
Maybe it's just being too cautious, but I wouldn't do anything on glass if it's up and running. You just never know what can happen. Just put a plant in the spot, lol.
The best thing I have found is a small felt tip for a dremel. The dremel has to be variable speed. To reduce the chance of messing up the glass you can tape off the scratch with metal or duct tape.
I will say, depending on the depth of the scratch, results will in fact vary. Deep scratches are not going to disappear.....there will be some rippling when looking close. Minor scratchs will disappear....but if you know were to look, you will be able to see the smoothed out scratch...
All you are doing is polishing the glass down on both sides of the valley the scratch created. If you keep that in mind, you will understand what is going on. You cannot restore the glass to flawless perfection, but the scratch will be undetectable.
Keep in mind that you are not polishing paint or acrylic. You are "knocking down" the edges of the "slopes" on both side of the "valley" that is the scratch and polishing the "valley"... we are talking minūt material being removed.
The danger is minimal as long as you dont stay on one spot and heat the surface....but that won't happen because you will be moving along the scratch in one motion....
Try it on a scrap piece of glass.