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removing scratches from glass (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter arthur08
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There are ways and means, BUT....it's a process which is gonna take a LOT of time, probably a fair bit of money and a whole weeks worth of frustration!
first up you will need something like this;
http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Polishing-Kit-Deep-Scratches/dp/B004NVT2E2
(as for how frustrating this process will be...read the reviews for the glass polishing kit, these WILL be the problems you run into)
start with the coursest grade polishing compound, applying the smallest amount to the polishing pad, try to keep your drill and pad as level and steady as possible, and keep the pressure up! (your arms will be ruined once the process is complete!) then just gradually move up the grades of polishing pads, each time with completely fresh compound applied and will a bucket-load of patience, you will eventually REDUCE the scratch. Be perfectly realistic, the scratch will almost DEFINITELY survive the polishing process, the best you can really hope for is buffing it out to the point that when water is added to the tank, the scratch be comes less noticeable, note i said less noticeable, NOT completely gone!
I've got two fairly badly scratched tanks thanks to impulse purchases from craigslist, the first i went in all optimistic, spent SEVEN consecutive hours grinding away at the scratches....guess what happened when i got my second scratched tank....i thought screw it, i really can't be bothered, it's not worth the effort and i'll never be pleased with the final result, i just learned to live with my scratches
I hope i'm not discouraging you too much, at the end of the day, if you're realistic with your expectations and are willing to put a lot of time into it, you may well come out with good results, i'm just saying in my personal experience i found it wasn't worth the bother in the end and the results were far from satisfactory.
Let us know what you decide and put some pics up if you decide to go for it!
first up you will need something like this;
http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Polishing-Kit-Deep-Scratches/dp/B004NVT2E2
(as for how frustrating this process will be...read the reviews for the glass polishing kit, these WILL be the problems you run into)
start with the coursest grade polishing compound, applying the smallest amount to the polishing pad, try to keep your drill and pad as level and steady as possible, and keep the pressure up! (your arms will be ruined once the process is complete!) then just gradually move up the grades of polishing pads, each time with completely fresh compound applied and will a bucket-load of patience, you will eventually REDUCE the scratch. Be perfectly realistic, the scratch will almost DEFINITELY survive the polishing process, the best you can really hope for is buffing it out to the point that when water is added to the tank, the scratch be comes less noticeable, note i said less noticeable, NOT completely gone!
I've got two fairly badly scratched tanks thanks to impulse purchases from craigslist, the first i went in all optimistic, spent SEVEN consecutive hours grinding away at the scratches....guess what happened when i got my second scratched tank....i thought screw it, i really can't be bothered, it's not worth the effort and i'll never be pleased with the final result, i just learned to live with my scratches
I hope i'm not discouraging you too much, at the end of the day, if you're realistic with your expectations and are willing to put a lot of time into it, you may well come out with good results, i'm just saying in my personal experience i found it wasn't worth the bother in the end and the results were far from satisfactory.
Let us know what you decide and put some pics up if you decide to go for it!
thanks peteyoung i was just wondering as i watched a vid on youtube and they state that it will take aboyt 40 min so if it took you over 7 hrs ill just do like u learn how to live with a few scratches. thanks again, maybe i can pay someone to do it dont know how much they would charge though
Check out the similar thread links under your first post, in one of them there's a guy who paid about 100 bucks to have the entire front pane refinished...you could find that and ask him. To get it done in 40 mins you need optimal conditions, a perfectly clean pane of glass and work area, a huge-********* angle grinder and plenty of luck that the scratches aren't actually as deep as they appear. I hope I didn't put you off, if you have the gear, its worth a crack, but the potential to do more damage than good would put me off trying again.
Had to point out the ironic wording here. I have definitely read about people having success with cerium oxide and scratches, but equally as many having issues, making it worse or cracking. Depending on the size of the tank, time, etc., thought I would point out another option- a new pane. I got my used tank up on the stand and put a light up and started cussing and getting depressed. The scratches I didn't see when picking up in the dark and cleaning in my garage were really obvious under the lights.
I read up on getting scratches out and decided to go for a re-pane. Ocean Aquatics TX is who I used, they moved (while they had my tank-scared crud out of me when I called and got disconnected number) but pm me if you want the owner's cell. They did an 8 foot front pane, with Starphire, obviously re-sealed, picked up and delivered for under $500. I seem to remember a 6 foot front I priced (before deciding on my tank) being around $200-250 or so (non Starphire, dropped off). They did a good job with a one year warranty, some of the silicon was a hair sloppy, but overall good work- very reasonable for a new piece of glass.
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justdoit
Guest
Just how scratched is this tank? How large is tank area that is a problem? Did not see where it was noted but it does matter when deciding what to try.
There is a polishing wheel for your grinder & compound that we use but if youre talking gouges then at best you can only lessen it.
My daughter owns a glass shop & has offered to order what we use if you want to try it.
Or
If you decide to replace pane & have some one who is confident w / aquariums then be glad to help you get the glass long as you prepay & pickup. We dont want to do aquariums but because I love the hobby be glad to help get you the best price on materials.
Good luck w/ your project.
There is a polishing wheel for your grinder & compound that we use but if youre talking gouges then at best you can only lessen it.
My daughter owns a glass shop & has offered to order what we use if you want to try it.
Or
If you decide to replace pane & have some one who is confident w / aquariums then be glad to help you get the glass long as you prepay & pickup. We dont want to do aquariums but because I love the hobby be glad to help get you the best price on materials.
Good luck w/ your project.
Jay-Hawks
Supporting Member
Go to YouTube and search for my username of "jayhawkscott". I posted a video about removing scratches from a glass aquarium two weeks ago.
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