Windshield polishing.

[mockingbird812]

Need help on polishing procedures for restoring a 40+ year old rear windshield with some scratches, grime, etc. Glass is out of the car.

Thanks

[mockingbird812]

Hey "Mac" (aka NJSteve) you got your ears on? If anyone would know, he would.

[mockingbird812]

For what it's worth:

I called a bunch of shops here in town with no joy. Got on the interenet and found this link to the jalopy journal folks. Will give this a try. I really have more haze and stains than scratches as this is the REAR windshield.

I plan on starting with 0000 or 00000 steel wool and windex first.

Will advise.

[Xplantdad]

Sam...I've heard only good things about this stuff...
Zaino glass polish

Might be worth a try?

[chads454Ls6]

The rule is if you can feel the scratch,you will not be able to remove it. 0000 steel wool is what i have used and that cleans very well.

[deuce-less]

the important thing to remember in any glass polishing situation is:

to polish or remove the scratch actually removes some of the surface of the glass to accomplish the task, to go too far would of course distort the piece of glass optically speaking. in other words polish to much and you can create a wave or distortion when looking through the glass.

one more consideration is the amount of time required to polish the glass. to accomplish the task correctly can take quite a bit of time, so there is a time vs. cost to replace
analysis. of course if the glass is very difficult to replace, polishing can be an attractive way to go. jmo

one other caveat... don't get the glass too hot polishing, it could crack, use plenty of water in the slurry compound and make sure the polishing pad is free of any contamination.

[mockingbird812]

Good stuff guys. I am certainly considering my time vs. cost to replace. I appreciate your comments.

[mockingbird812]

I feel really ignorant. After all of these years I thot the glass in back of a car was called the rear windshield. I kept seeing all of these references to "backlite" and finally figured out that that is the correct nomenclature. Did all of the rest of you know that?