We remove scratches on the glass of a car with our own hands - instructions
While using the car, scratches on the glass may occur, which eventually become clogged with dust, pebbles and increase over time.
Pebbles sometimes fly into the glass just from the road, using wipers they can scratch the glass.
Even some chemical compounds can cause damage.
It will not be possible to prevent such things, but you can get rid of small scratches without changing the glass.
It is important that the glass of the car remains transparent and smooth, and drivers must take care of this.
Damage must be repaired not only due to poor appearance, but also for road safety.
It's just that the driver needs to clearly see what is happening on the road, poor glass care can become a threat to the safety of all road users.
Scratch Removal Methods
Since glass is a fragile material, only minor defects can be removed. Otherwise, you can overdo it and spoil the glass, the only solution is to replace it.
The smallest scratches are removed completely, large ones can be smoothed out for a while, but even the work done will allow the glass to be transparent again.
The most common methods for removing scratches are polishing or wet sanding.
The method presented by the last is used in cases where it is possible to remove a large layer and this will not affect the characteristics of the part.
This is most often used in practice for rubbing scratches from headlights; for a windshield or side glass, this method is dangerous. With this method, it will not be possible to remove a perfectly even layer, which means that there will be irregularities that will cause the lens effect.
Many do not hesitate to use folk remedies in the process - they take toothpaste and cover cracks with it.
After it dries, the surface area is wiped with a rag, the method works, but not for long, so it is better to use specialized products.
Therefore, when working with glass, polishing is the ideal method.
Order of work
1. Preparatory procedures
Before proceeding with the elimination of possible scratches, you should prepare the area for work. First of all, we clean it of dust and dirt, dry it. Then we are determined with those areas with which further stages of polishing will be carried out.
If it is not possible to visually determine it, then slide your finger along the surface where the skin clings, mark this place with a marker. We take a rag and a product that is used to clean windows or mirrors.
This is a very fine work, but without such a search, everything may have to be repeated from the very beginning.
We wipe it first with a regular rag, and then with a glass cleaner, then dry it. At the end, you can wipe everything with a rag, but which does not leave lint on it.
2. Body protection.
To protect the body from further ingress of cleaning agents, as well as dust and dirt, it is covered with a film. To do this, cut out a window in the glass to fix the coating there with tape.
3. Preparation of the necessary tools.
Before starting work on removing scratches, you need to prepare. The ideal option would be a special polishing machine.
If it is not there, then a drill can do just fine with a nozzle fixed to a cloth cartridge.
In any case, a grinding machine will not work, because they have too high speed rates, which will only harm the glass.
But for polishing, it is worth choosing the speed of rotation of the wheel within 1700 rpm. Such equipment is best addressed to those who have experience in these matters. Otherwise, it is possible to achieve deformation of the glass, even a lens effect.
Purchase paste and scotch tape, all procedures should be carried out with gloves, a mask, and specialized glasses that protect the eyes.
All these funds are necessary to protect our body from mechanical and chemical influences that can negatively affect our health in the future.
Polishing process
For this process, a special paste is used that is applied to scratches and polished with a soft felt wheel.
During grinding, the glass can become cloudy, because during such a procedure, you can accidentally remove a significant layer, which will ruin it as a whole.
When polishing, it is possible to restore transparency to 90% of the original. The most popular pastes that drivers use during this procedure are Crocus, GOI, Polarit with 0,5 micron grain.
If the scratches are not deep, then you can use wax, apply it, rubbing it with a dry cloth.
The paste is applied in two ways - directly on the glass or on the nozzle. It is not necessary to immediately cover the entire surface with it, because it dries out rather quickly, due to which elasticity is lost.
The cleaning process itself should take place smoothly, without pressure and sudden movements.
During the entire procedure, do not forget to monitor the temperature indicators, because from heating the glass, cracks on it only increase.
If, nevertheless, heating has begun, in order to cool the indicator, it is necessary to use the spray gun. Such problems most often arise when using a drill, a household spray can also solve it, but if you pick up a polishing machine, it is supposed to supply water to cool the surface.
In this case, the problem disappears automatically. The use of a spray bottle solves not only the issue of surface cooling, but also the maintenance of the elastic properties of the material.
As a guideline, the maximum surface treatment area is 30 × 30 cm.
During polishing work, make sure that the tool is at an angle of 5 degrees, and you should not leave it in one place for a long time.
The polishing area is pasted over with tape, and work is constantly underway there, you cannot stop.
Today, modern technologies are presented in service centers that allow you to get rid of even more serious defects.
Cleaning process
Use cold water to get rid of the remaining abrasive components, polishing paste. We remove the tape and captivity, then wipe the car with a rag in order to generally assess the result of the work done.
If any shortcomings are still not eliminated, it is necessary to carry out the entire procedure from the very beginning. If done correctly, you will get great results. Be prepared for the process itself to take about 4 hours. Note that large cracks cannot be removed this way.
From the first moment, it seems that the process is the simplest, but it will take more patience and strength to carry out the grout. To eliminate the smallest scratches, use special ointments and pastes.
Deep scratches can only be repaired by grinding, which is better to be entrusted to specialists. To carry out these works, it is necessary to purchase diamond or boron coarse-grained pastes.
This method is ideal for sanding headlights with your own efforts, and you will get a good result that does not affect the overall luminous flux.
Grinding is carried out not only for glass headlights, but also for inexpensive plastic ones, the main thing is to work evenly so that no cracks form.
Thus, do not be ridiculous to change the glass if you see small scratches on it. You can eliminate them by your own efforts, but the deeper ones can be removed by a specialized service.
Tips for beginners
1. Before starting the polishing procedure, you should consult with specialists. It may turn out that it is more profitable and faster to solve the problem - it is just to replace the glass.
2. Use a polish that can remove sub-micron thicknesses to avoid possible lens effects.
3. Before doing independent work on removing scratches, train on old material.
It is possible to get rid of defects on the glass on your own, but only when these are the smallest cracks from dust and debris.
It is unlikely that it will be possible to remove deep cracks by independent efforts. If you are not confident in your abilities, entrust the work to experienced craftsmen, because a violation of the process technology will certainly lead to new problems.
The glass may become tarnished or cloudy. In order not to waste your strength, nerves and health, just drive the car to a good master.
