swanicyouth
New member
- Mar 3, 2011
- 9,388
- 0
A while back I corrected my BADLY scratched windshield using Griots Garage 6" DA polisher, CeriGlass, and CarPro Rayon Pads. The rear window of my SUV also had some fine scratches in the wiper path, so I decided to correct those now. The vehicle in question is my 2001 Nissan Pathfinder. So, the glass is at least 12 years old and original. You can imagine it picked up some wiper scratches in 12 years.
First thing I did was gather up most of the stuff I was going to use:
The pads are the 5" Glass Rayon Pads from CarPro. The BP is the 5" Euro-Shine BP from Pak Shak.
Then I cleaned the glass. After I cleaned it, I decontaminated it (clayed it) with a Chemical Guys Clay Block and ONR. I then placed a tape line on the vehicle in the hopes of getting a 50/50 picture of corrected/uncorrected glass.
Here is the condition of the glass. The lines you see are scratches in the wiper path, not streaks:
First off, I found if your planning on doing this, you need some type of good light. The light I'm using is a Coast 1,000 Lumen LED flashlight. I'll also be using a Brinkmann Tuff Max dual LED (about 300 lumens) later. You need to be able to see the defects in the glass your trying to correct. If you can't see them, and identify them, your likely wasting your time, as streaks and smudges can look like fine scratches.
Secondly, if your going to try this with a DA, I recommend using CarPro products ONLY. As, I did this a long time ago to my windshield using "those other" glass pads (same polish) and they left terrible hazing and scratches. IMO CarPro makes the only glass pads out there that leave perfect glass.
Maybe it's because I used a DA, Im not sure. All I can tell you is I used "those other" pads a few years ago and I scratched the crap out of my glass. Luckily, it was all 100% fixable with the CarPro products. Those "other pads" also started to fall apart after the first use. Do not use those "other pads".
To start, you want to prime your pad. I started with a big "X":
Then you want to work it into the pad with your fingers. After that add working product, just like polishing paint. However, you want to add more CeriGlass than you would add if you where using polish on paint. The polish is going to be diluted with water as you work, so you want to add a liberal amount of polish to the pad:
The pads are quite thin, it may look like your using too much, your not. They need to be thin to transmit the power of the polisher to the glass. If your using a DA, an interface pad isn't required.
Then, and this is very important for success, you need to get a spray bottle of DI water and place it somewhere so it's convenient to grab and lay down while polishing:
Adjust the spray bottle to spray a fine mist:
Now, to start, I set the DA on slow speed, 1 or 2, just to spread out the polish. The polish may start to dry as soon as at this point, that's OK, you want to spread it out on slow speed. Now before you start, mist the area you will be polishing with your DI water. Mist it to wet it, not so its dripping off the glass.
Then, you want to polish the glass. I started at speed 5, but moved the machine to full speed (6). I'm using a fairly heavy downward pressure, maybe a little more than you would use to get defects out of paint with a PC. As Im polishing, I'm monitoring the temperature of the pad through the DA's collar around the spindle mechanism by feeling it with my fingers. It will get hot, but not super hot because of the use of water to keep the polish liquid.
My arm speed is slow, maybe 1.5" a second. I'm working in a criss cross pattern, just like polishing paint, always juggling the water bottle to not let the polish dry. The pads are thin, and they can get hot, again ample water is key - I can't stress that enough.
There is one thing that is sacred here:
******Do not let the polish dry******
You will be spraying the glass frequently with your DI water bottle. Polish will fling everywhere, make a mess - but that's OK. You may need to add water every 12" of polishing, that's OK. Just don't let the polish dry, or you will end up with some marred up / jacked up looking glass.
The reason your using a "fine spray" with your sprayer is, you don't want to use a "stream setting" and have all the water and polish run off the glass. You want to "mist" the glass and polish INTO the wet area, never letting the polisher run on a dry area. And, it will dry fast.
Use more water than less if in doubt. You want to polish and spray at the same time, don't shut the polisher down to wet the glass. It's a bit of a juggling act, the bale handle on the GG6 helps you to hold the polisher with one hand while your spraying water with the other. Setting up a spot to conveniently sit your water bottle before starting to polish is very helpful.
You will be able to polish for maybe 15 minutes on your initial amount of polish. You don't need to keep adding polish during that 15 minutes, just water. You use a lot of polish to start, but keep working it over maybe 15 to 20 minutes. The buffer need not stop for that 15-20 minutes. You will use little polish overall, because you can polish for a long time on your original amount of polish.
Most defects will be removed in this 15 to 20 minute polishing session, unless you have heavy scratches - then repeat. I only found it necessary to polish each side of the glass once to remove the defects. The final few passes I lightened up the pressure and speed.
You can choose to tape up / cover up the edges of the glass, roof, trim, etc... If you hit paint with these pads, you may do some damage, so it's up to you. I choose to just be careful, because I hate tape. Tape never works for me. Invariably the glue from the tape somehow gets on my towel and ends up on the surface I've just polished.
The car will need a 2BM wash when your done, no matter how careful you are at covering stuff up. When you do that, most off the polish that flung on the paint can be removed with a pressure washer.
This is what it will look like when your done polishing:
Yes, it's a mess:
More mess:
All that dripping and splatter is from keeping the polish wet with water. You don't want to work with another car on your side, or it will be splattered as well.
Now its time to clean off the polish and inspect the glass. This polish is gritty and abrasive. I found the best way to remove it is with LIBERAL amounts of ONR at QD strength (1:16) and a few towels. You want to use decent towels, but not super nice fluffy ones, as your only cleaning WET polish off glass, your not going to inflict scratches. You want to make your ONR mix with DI water, as its will drip all over the paint as well and dry.
Don't wipe the polish off the paint using a QD or waterless wash. Its abrasive, you want to leave it there until you are done (you used DI water for everything so it won't leave spots) and do a thorough pressure rinsing and careful 2BM wash.
Cleaning up the mess on side 2 of glass with ONR:
ONR mixed with polish:
Use ONR and a powerful sprayer to get as much polish out of the crevices, as it will find its way there:
Now that you removed all the polish, its time to get the glass surgically clean so you can inspect it. I have only found one towel that will not leave MICRO-lint on glass. I'm talking about lint that so fine you can't see it on paint. That towel is the CarPro Fast Glass Towel (used with DI water)
After the glass is perfectly cleaned, all the scratches were gone and the glass was optically perfect (these were the scratched areas):
Yes, I'm am looking into glass, not a mirror!
First thing I did was gather up most of the stuff I was going to use:
The pads are the 5" Glass Rayon Pads from CarPro. The BP is the 5" Euro-Shine BP from Pak Shak.
Then I cleaned the glass. After I cleaned it, I decontaminated it (clayed it) with a Chemical Guys Clay Block and ONR. I then placed a tape line on the vehicle in the hopes of getting a 50/50 picture of corrected/uncorrected glass.
Here is the condition of the glass. The lines you see are scratches in the wiper path, not streaks:
First off, I found if your planning on doing this, you need some type of good light. The light I'm using is a Coast 1,000 Lumen LED flashlight. I'll also be using a Brinkmann Tuff Max dual LED (about 300 lumens) later. You need to be able to see the defects in the glass your trying to correct. If you can't see them, and identify them, your likely wasting your time, as streaks and smudges can look like fine scratches.
Secondly, if your going to try this with a DA, I recommend using CarPro products ONLY. As, I did this a long time ago to my windshield using "those other" glass pads (same polish) and they left terrible hazing and scratches. IMO CarPro makes the only glass pads out there that leave perfect glass.
Maybe it's because I used a DA, Im not sure. All I can tell you is I used "those other" pads a few years ago and I scratched the crap out of my glass. Luckily, it was all 100% fixable with the CarPro products. Those "other pads" also started to fall apart after the first use. Do not use those "other pads".
To start, you want to prime your pad. I started with a big "X":
Then you want to work it into the pad with your fingers. After that add working product, just like polishing paint. However, you want to add more CeriGlass than you would add if you where using polish on paint. The polish is going to be diluted with water as you work, so you want to add a liberal amount of polish to the pad:
The pads are quite thin, it may look like your using too much, your not. They need to be thin to transmit the power of the polisher to the glass. If your using a DA, an interface pad isn't required.
Then, and this is very important for success, you need to get a spray bottle of DI water and place it somewhere so it's convenient to grab and lay down while polishing:
Adjust the spray bottle to spray a fine mist:
Now, to start, I set the DA on slow speed, 1 or 2, just to spread out the polish. The polish may start to dry as soon as at this point, that's OK, you want to spread it out on slow speed. Now before you start, mist the area you will be polishing with your DI water. Mist it to wet it, not so its dripping off the glass.
Then, you want to polish the glass. I started at speed 5, but moved the machine to full speed (6). I'm using a fairly heavy downward pressure, maybe a little more than you would use to get defects out of paint with a PC. As Im polishing, I'm monitoring the temperature of the pad through the DA's collar around the spindle mechanism by feeling it with my fingers. It will get hot, but not super hot because of the use of water to keep the polish liquid.
My arm speed is slow, maybe 1.5" a second. I'm working in a criss cross pattern, just like polishing paint, always juggling the water bottle to not let the polish dry. The pads are thin, and they can get hot, again ample water is key - I can't stress that enough.
There is one thing that is sacred here:
******Do not let the polish dry******
You will be spraying the glass frequently with your DI water bottle. Polish will fling everywhere, make a mess - but that's OK. You may need to add water every 12" of polishing, that's OK. Just don't let the polish dry, or you will end up with some marred up / jacked up looking glass.
The reason your using a "fine spray" with your sprayer is, you don't want to use a "stream setting" and have all the water and polish run off the glass. You want to "mist" the glass and polish INTO the wet area, never letting the polisher run on a dry area. And, it will dry fast.
Use more water than less if in doubt. You want to polish and spray at the same time, don't shut the polisher down to wet the glass. It's a bit of a juggling act, the bale handle on the GG6 helps you to hold the polisher with one hand while your spraying water with the other. Setting up a spot to conveniently sit your water bottle before starting to polish is very helpful.
You will be able to polish for maybe 15 minutes on your initial amount of polish. You don't need to keep adding polish during that 15 minutes, just water. You use a lot of polish to start, but keep working it over maybe 15 to 20 minutes. The buffer need not stop for that 15-20 minutes. You will use little polish overall, because you can polish for a long time on your original amount of polish.
Most defects will be removed in this 15 to 20 minute polishing session, unless you have heavy scratches - then repeat. I only found it necessary to polish each side of the glass once to remove the defects. The final few passes I lightened up the pressure and speed.
You can choose to tape up / cover up the edges of the glass, roof, trim, etc... If you hit paint with these pads, you may do some damage, so it's up to you. I choose to just be careful, because I hate tape. Tape never works for me. Invariably the glue from the tape somehow gets on my towel and ends up on the surface I've just polished.
The car will need a 2BM wash when your done, no matter how careful you are at covering stuff up. When you do that, most off the polish that flung on the paint can be removed with a pressure washer.
This is what it will look like when your done polishing:
Yes, it's a mess:
More mess:
All that dripping and splatter is from keeping the polish wet with water. You don't want to work with another car on your side, or it will be splattered as well.
Now its time to clean off the polish and inspect the glass. This polish is gritty and abrasive. I found the best way to remove it is with LIBERAL amounts of ONR at QD strength (1:16) and a few towels. You want to use decent towels, but not super nice fluffy ones, as your only cleaning WET polish off glass, your not going to inflict scratches. You want to make your ONR mix with DI water, as its will drip all over the paint as well and dry.
Don't wipe the polish off the paint using a QD or waterless wash. Its abrasive, you want to leave it there until you are done (you used DI water for everything so it won't leave spots) and do a thorough pressure rinsing and careful 2BM wash.
Cleaning up the mess on side 2 of glass with ONR:
ONR mixed with polish:
Use ONR and a powerful sprayer to get as much polish out of the crevices, as it will find its way there:
Now that you removed all the polish, its time to get the glass surgically clean so you can inspect it. I have only found one towel that will not leave MICRO-lint on glass. I'm talking about lint that so fine you can't see it on paint. That towel is the CarPro Fast Glass Towel (used with DI water)
After the glass is perfectly cleaned, all the scratches were gone and the glass was optically perfect (these were the scratched areas):
Yes, I'm am looking into glass, not a mirror!
