Removing Scratches

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Post by nickbug October 9th 2010, 1:35 pm

I expect this topic has been debated before so sorry if it's old hat for some of you. It's probably similar to the many discussions I have seen about cleaning vinyl records.

I see loads of 'kits' of various types for polishing/removing scratches from glass but it all sounds a bit scarey to me. I don't want to ruin anything. I just wondered if there was anything people were happy to use to tidy up the odd scratch.

Thanks

Nick
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Post by Nic October 9th 2010, 2:08 pm

It's fairly simple, if somewhat time-consuming. Everyone will have their own method, but this is mine:

You first need to abraid the area over and around the scratch with a very fine grit silicon carbide paper (wet'n'dry, essentially). This needs to be much bigger than the scratch itself to avoid creating an indentation that distorts the glass' refraction. The original scratch should now be flush with the surface

Then it's a case of getting a selection of felt bobs for your hobby drill and loading them up with different grades of diamond paste (used in the restoration of metal tools). Starting with the coarsest and working your way up to finest, use the bobs to polish out the abraiding marks to a near-mirror finish.

The final stage is loading a bob up with a slurry of cerium oxide and water - this will give you the final polish.

Important through ALL of the above stages is to make sure that the glass doesn't get too hot, so frequently apply a drip of room-temperature to the surface of the glass and take the occasional break to allow the glass to cool.

By this point, you'll probably have spent about £30 and 4 hours on getting a single scratch out. So it's only really worth it if you've lots of patience and lots of glass that justifies the cost/effort.

Most people would be better off seeking the services of a professional restorer with task-specific machinery who will charge you £5-£10 for a single simple job.
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Post by nickbug October 9th 2010, 4:47 pm

Nic

Very kind of you to take the time. It all sounds a bit scarey. I am really surprised at the sort of prices you give for a professional restorer, I imagined it would have been much more expensive than that.

Thanks again.
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Post by Nic October 9th 2010, 5:09 pm

With the proper equipment getting rid of a scratch in an easily-accessible place only really takes a few minutes.

Of course, unless you've a restorer near to you there's postage costs there and back, which can significantly add to the total.
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Post by konetkar500 April 14th 2011, 2:28 pm

On the one hand, fixing scratches and scratched glass restoration is simple....with the right equipment. However, if the scratches in the glass are anything more than superficial, you will end up with a "lens" effect, which looks worse than the scratches! Some companies sell a DIY kit which may contain some cerium oxide and or some abrasive pads. In my professional experience, it doesn't take mush to distort a piece of glass, or worse, if not tempered, to break it!
If the glass is not removed in a very uniform manner, distortion is virtually guaranteed. This may be acceptable if its in a window that is not in a very visible area. However, most people want scratches repaired because they can see the scratches!

So, if you have a very very light scratch in your flat glass, buy some cerium oxide, (the good stuff is about $30.00/lb), a high speed buffer, like a makita, and a medium density felt polishing wheel. Just remember, even polishing with cerium and not even using any aggressive abrasives can still distort the glass or break it if it gets over about 150 degrees (which can happen within 15 seconds).


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Post by Thesigeng April 15th 2011, 12:49 am

In the same area, what is the best method to remove glass bloom? This seems to be a lot harder as the bloom is almost certainly internal to a glass vessel so hard to get at.
I would be interested in any answers.

A useful site is here

http://www.great-glass.co.uk/glass%20notes/clean2.htm
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Post by Nic April 15th 2011, 9:41 am

If you've the patience, and the arm for it, tether a thin sponge (carwash sponges are best) to a flexible plastic shaft by drilling a hole through the shaft and threading through some string.

Then put a slurry of cerium oxide (available on eBay) in the vessel - you don't need a huge amount - and rub it against the walls with the sponge.

Depending on the hardness of the glass and the severity of the bloom, it can be gone in a few minutes or in a few hours... but the process is quiet enough, clean enough and mind-numbing enough for you to be able to do it whilst sat watching TV or a film. Laughter
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Post by Thesigeng April 15th 2011, 7:04 pm

Cheers Nic.
I'll try that. Monday seems a good night. East Enders, Corrie, East Enders. I'd rather watch the bloom disappearing. Happy
I like the sponge and string idea, clever.
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Post by Nic April 15th 2011, 7:31 pm

Make sure the plastic shaft is fairly rubbery, otherwise there's a chance it will scratch the glass through the sponge! Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) plastic works best, IMO.
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Post by Nic April 15th 2011, 7:34 pm

Googling "ptfe rod" should yield something - it's often used in model-making.
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Post by Thesigeng April 15th 2011, 7:56 pm

Nic wrote:Googling "ptfe rod" should yield something - it's often used in model-making.

£3 plus free delivery Ebay Laughter Just checked.
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