Windshield Polishing.

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Ok, I know Mike P says you can use any polishing product for paint on glass. I get that.

The context of when I say that is when I'm talking about removing

1. Road film
2. Topical water spots
3. Surface impurities

The above are foreign substances ON the glass.

When working for defects IN the glass you must use a glass polish that contains Cerium Oxide like CarPro Ceriglass


And - sometimes even if the defects are on the surface you might not be able to see all the microscopic defects that have built up on the glass surface so a good polishing with a cerium oxide glass polish would be the remedy.



Glass polishing - How to remove scratches in glass


In the picture below you will see the pads, products and tools you need to remove scratches from glass.

Glass is very hard and in order to abrade it in a way to remove scratches without at the same time instilling scratches you need a polish specifically made for glass that contain

Cerium Oxide

Full step-by-step here

Glass polishing - How to remove scratches in glass

 

[kevincwelch]

In my experience.....

For some reason, the oily nature of the products in my DO NOT category makes them nearly impossible to remove from glass. The abrasives are still capable of cleaning the glass but unlike the products in my DO category, the oils in these compounds and polishes make them a nightmare to remove from a non porous surface like glass. This is just my experience.

Really? Even with something aggressive like mineral spirits or Panel Wipe?

(Sent via my mobile device...)

 

[glfnaz]

I use Duragloss Nu Glass. Very inexpensive and the bottle lasts a long time. Then I maintain with Cure or D156 after a wash.

 

[Rsurfer]

In my experience.....

Compounds, Polishes, AIO's that DO work on glass:

Meguiars D151 Paint Reconditioning Cream
Meguiars M100
Meguiars M101
HD Cut+
HD Polish+
HD Speed
Optimum Hyper Polish
Optimum Poli-seal
Optimum GPS

Compounds, Polishes, AIO's that DO NOT work well on glass

Entire Menzerna Line (wost being Menzerna 3in1)
Blackfire Compound & Polish
Wolfgang Compound & Polish
Mckee's Compound & Polish
Entire Scholl Concepts line

For some reason, the oily nature of the products in my DO NOT category makes them nearly impossible to remove from glass. The abrasives are still capable of cleaning the glass but unlike the products in my DO category, the oils in these compounds and polishes make them a nightmare to remove from a non porous surface like glass. This is just my experience.

I would never use a SMAT compound on a windshield. All though I have not experienced it, I have seen some bad results using these compounds.

 

[Ernie Mccracken]

Is there a more aggressive method we can use to compound before refining with ceriglass? Maybe a straight cerium oxide slurry and the griots pads? Trying to correct a really scratched up windshield is so time intensive with just ceriglass and ray-on pads.

 

[swanicyouth]

Is there a more aggressive method we can use to compound before refining with ceriglass? Maybe a straight cerium oxide slurry and the griots pads? Trying to correct a really scratched up windshield is so time intensive with just ceriglass and ray-on pads.

I've "seen" people (online) sand/wet sand glass like paint....I dunno - I've never done it and wouldn't do it unless it was a last ditch effort. From what I understand it's quite a project....

Really, if you had to go that far - I'd just replace the glass.

 

[PaulMys]

Thanks guys. My glass is really good. (No pitting or scratches). I'm dealing more & more with impurities and road film like Mike mentioned above.

RW the truck tonight, and tomorrow I'm gonna try a white LC flat w/ Poorboys. If not acceptable, HD Speed with an LC blue, then white, etc.

I'll post the findings.

 

[mwoywod]

Really? Even with something aggressive like mineral spirits or Panel Wipe?

(Sent via my mobile device...)

Sorry, should have made myself more clear. Of course panel wipe and mineral spirits will remove them. I'm sure if you use a few towels and several applications of glass cleaner you will remove the oils without the need of a panel wipe/mineral spirits. I was just giving a list of the compounds and polishes that are easy to remove vs the ones that are a PIA to buff off which requires a bunch of extra unnecessary work just to clean the residual oils. They can still be used and they won't do any harm, but because of all the extra effort required to clean aways the polishing oils, it makes more sense to use a products that wipe away clean and streak free with a dry microfiber like meguiars, 3D, and optimum typically do.

 

[kevincwelch]

PITA indeed. Thanks for the clarification. I thought I was really confused there for a moment!

(Sent via my mobile device...)

 

[mwoywod]

I would never use a SMAT compound on a windshield. All though I have not experienced it, I have seen some bad results using these compounds.

Really? What sort of issues have you seen people encounter? I assure you that using specifically SMAT compounds on windshields like HD Cut+ and M100 has a 0% chance of causing damage to the exterior of a windshield. Also, I can't imagine how SMAT specific compounds could pose any potential dangers that a DAT compounds will not? Please elaborate, thanks man!

 

[AZpolisher15]

Is there a more aggressive method we can use to compound before refining with ceriglass? Maybe a straight cerium oxide slurry and the griots pads? Trying to correct a really scratched up windshield is so time intensive with just ceriglass and ray-on pads.

Ceriglass IS essentially a cerium oxide slurry. It's as aggressive as it gets, as I understand it. But it's milled finely enough so as not to induce undue harm. That's not to say you can't do harm, but the harm is likely to come from the applicator in combination with incidental foreign debris. I think to get "super aggressive" with glass, you'd essentially be "working backwards" (damaging the glass more than the damage you're trying to correct). One might go that direction with paint on occasion (ex.orange peel), but glass is a different animal and I'd never approach it like I would paint, simply due to the time involved in turning the train around to the "working forward" direction.

 

[PaulMys]

Sorry, should have made myself more clear. Of course panel wipe and mineral spirits will remove them. I'm sure if you use a few towels and several applications of glass cleaner you will remove the oils without the need of a panel wipe/mineral spirits. I was just giving a list of the compounds and polishes that are easy to remove vs the ones that are a PIA to buff off which requires a bunch of extra unnecessary work just to clean the residual oils. They can still be used and they won't do any harm, but because of all the extra effort required to clean aways the polishing oils, it makes more sense to use a products that wipe away clean and streak free with a dry microfiber like meguiars, 3D, and optimum typically do.

This post and your previous one contain great info. Thank you, man.

 

[Rsurfer]

Really? What sort of issues have you seen people encounter? I assure you that using specifically SMAT compounds on windshields like HD Cut+ and M100 has a 0% chance of causing damage to the exterior of a windshield. Also, I can't imagine how SMAT specific compounds could pose any potential dangers that a DAT compounds will not? Please elaborate, thanks man!

Micro scratches seen in certain light angles. Like cerium oxide the polishing media needs to break down to a finer grit.

 

[EPHIOS]

I use Wolfgang Perfekt Vision Glass Polish, with a CarPro Rayon Glass Polishing Pad, then Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Glass Coating. Then on the inside McKee’s 37 20/20 Cockpit Glass Cleaner every so often, glass is crystal clear!

Doesn't Wolfgang Perfekt Vision Glass Polish come with rain repellant as well? I was planning to purchase it, however, I was skeptical on the adherence of my McKee's 37 Glass Coating on the polished surface.