Windshield Glass Poishing

[teamcrossworks]

I know Griot's makes a product promoted as just a windshield polish with a specific pad to use with an orbital polisher... less foam to make the pad stronger for the harder surface.

 

Since I've already learned my lesson about straying from Adam... what should I use (as far as Adam's polish/pad to use on my windshield with my PC7424? I've already cleaned and clayed but it's an older car and still think it needs "some more".

 

Thanks in advance.

 

P.S. I stil have some of the older severe/swirl&haze/final polishes left over that I would like to use up.

Edited December 31, 2013 by teamcrossworks

[-CM-]

There's a video that answers your question.

 

 

[Ricky Bobby]

Start with the least aggressive method first and always test on an inconspicuous area out of view.

 

I have some etched water spots on my glass and they have gotten better by using the following:

 

1)  Clay barred the **** out of the glass to remove contaminants

2)  White vinegar on a rag, should dissolve any spots on the surface (alternative is to use lemon juice)

3)  Metal polish with an orange medium polish pad

4)  Compound/polish with orange or yellow pad just like you would on the paint.

 

Believe it or not the metal polish works pretty good and doesn't scratch, neither does the compound.  Glass is so hard so using those products with a foam pad shouldn't give any negative effects.

 

Also, I recommend using 4" pads for the glass, 6-7" is too much surface area to give the pressure needed to get the really stubborn spots out.  Get Adam's 4" focus pad or whatever is the backing plate available for the PC.

 

Then after you get your glass looking good and polished, glass cleaner and seal it with Adams Glass Sealant.

[Team Adam's]

The first question I'd ask is - What issue are you attempting to address?

 

If it just to clean and clarify your glass then any paint polish and standard foam pad is more than up to the task.

 

if you have scratches or actual damage on the glass you will need something more aggressive than even the other products you mentioned. To remove damage from glass you need more aggressive products. Cerium (sp?) oxide and a bronze wool pad do the job, but its EXTREMELY messy and time consuming.

[Ricky Bobby]

Thanks Dylan for chiming in.  My suggestions which basically echoed yours are for basically water spots and other imperfections of the like, polishing/compounding using foam pads should get most taken care of for you.

 

If you have actual deep scratches in the glass that need actual correction, you need to actually abrade the glass with Cerium Oxide (I think its sold as Ceriglass) and the proper rayon polishing pads, they look nothing like foam pads.  And it takes a ton of time to correct scratches out of glass even with the ceriglass and pads noted, its not a quick job since glass is so friggin hard.

[teamcrossworks]

Thanks guys for your input. I mainly want to have the glass as visibly clear as possible. I was hoping some "polishing" might "correct" some road sand blasting my windshield has succumbed to in 10 years of driving.

 

I'll try what I have and see.

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Edited January 1, 2014 by teamcrossworks

[Ricky Bobby]

Let us know how you do, 10 years of pits on your windshield will not come away though, I know, my X5 is 10 years old too.

 

But a good claying session and polishing of the windshield should clear it up optically to where there isn't visible water spots, etc in the glass. 

 

Since its so cold out, I'm taking the next couple weeks to really clean and polish/correct my glass well, as in the spring its all about the paint, and since its easier to clean my glass with glass cleaner, then hook up the 4" pads to my PC and start polishing (as opposed to actually having the whole car clean to get the paint shined up!)  My wifes car is 2.5 years old so hers has been clayed regularly since new and barely needs anything, but mine could use a good polishing.

 

Before and after shots would be great!