Scratch on the windshield: how to clean it yourself?

The maintenance of automotive glasses and optics in optimum working condition is a paramount measure in the list of preventive procedures for caring for the machine. And to rid the surface should be not only from dirt, but also from mechanical damage. Of course, it is not always possible to cope with serious physical injuries at home, but small defects are quite amenable to liquidation by one's own hands. For example, in the garage, a scratch on the windshield can be eliminated. How to remove it without the help of specialists? Most often, these problems are solved by polishing and grinding. The operation is simple, but it also requires knowledge of certain nuances.

Surface defects

This procedure is usually performed by specialists in service workshops, but understanding its essence will not be superfluous for an ordinary motorist who wants to cope with scratches on the glass with his own hands. Especially since defects in the presence of appropriate equipment can be performed independently. Its meaning is to determine the depth of the scratch. For example, small scuffs, which may even outwardly be invisible, have a depth of about 50-100 microns. Usually such defects are left by the wipers or a poorly executed car wash. Fine abrasive paste will help to cope with such defects. To completely remove the scratches from the windshield wipers from the windshield, use the felt wheel, treat it with the aforementioned remedy and lightly polish it. Medium in severity and depth scratches are amenable to processing already coarse-grained pastes, and in the case of cuts with a depth of more than 300 microns, it is best to contact specialists. By the way, the use of coarse abrasive compounds for grinding, although it seems to be an effective solution to many problems, can lead to even greater harm to the surface of the glass when used inappropriately.

Surface preparation

From the artist it is required to bring all the surfaces in a proper way in advance. That is, they should be free of dirt, dust and not have the remaining soap divorce. Moreover, all parts of the body must be thoroughly cleaned - this minimizes the risk of foreign particles entering from a neighboring area on a clean surface. Another thing is that before the direct processing it is necessary to leave open only the places with defects. The rest of the area is covered with a film, which is fixed with tape or a special tape. If there is a question about how to remove a scratch from the windshield of a large car, then the problem of free access to the target site should be solved in advance. Even if it is a small crossover, it is important to prepare special devices that will facilitate access to the glass. It is not recommended to use extension cords in this case.

Materials and tools

The work will need three main components. First of all, this is the apparatus for grinding. It is quite possible to limit the use of a special machine for polishing the hand type. This compact device, the power of which will be enough to eliminate scratches on the windshield. But is it possible to remove scratches from the windshield without using a special paste? It has already been noted that the mechanical cleaning of the surface, during which the defect is smoothed, is made with the aid of abrasive agents with different degrees of graininess. For home use, it is advisable to use soft pastes with a small fraction. Work with them can be delayed, because the physical impact will also be modest, but such a decision will insure against the application of other cuts to glass. And one more component involved in the polishing process is a felt wheel, which is put on the workpiece of the grinding machine.

Polishing

The working process begins with the application of paste. If there is a task to make a spot treatment of a particular site, then they can be limited. But since such a responsible preparation has been made, it makes sense to process the entire area, along with the place where the scratch on the windshield was formed. How to remove a defect polishing machine? When the paste is applied, it is possible to include the device in the work, delicately making circular motions. Needless to put pressure - especially if a soft abrasive compound is used, it is desirable to choose the same rotation mode at low revs.

In this work, the main thing is not the intensity of the mechanical abrasive action, but the uniformity. Also do not rush. To remove scratches from the windshield with your hands using a machine, you should hold the rotation for about 15 minutes. Then you can proceed with the final cleaning.

Washing

It is necessary to wash off not so much traces of cleaners, as the remaining fine particles of abrasive. They are difficult to remove without a special apparatus - usually a spray is used for this. With its help, it is necessary to process the entire area that has been polished. To eliminate such difficulties, during the final cleaning, you can completely abandon the abrasive. How to remove scratches on the windshield of a car without an abrasive paste? It can be replaced with putty in the form of mastic or paraffin. They are more often used for deep cuts and just rubbed into the damaged area without polishing.

Additional recommendations

Do not abuse the radical means of cleaning the surfaces. There is always a great temptation to use powerful grinding machines with coarse-grained pastes, since this option guarantees elimination of damage within a minute, and this can be not only a scratch on the windshield. How to remove deep defects and chips - this issue can be solved in this way, but only in professional workshops. At home, there is a big risk of getting a lens effect on the surface, because of which further use of the glass will be impossible.

Conclusion

Practice shows that in the presence of a quality abrasive and polishing machine, even a layman can remove by his own hands a shallow cut on the glass. The main mistake, which should be feared in such cases, is the risk of formation of other defects in the polishing process. Eliminate this possibility initially by selecting a soft abrasive, which will eliminate the scratch on the windshield. How to remove a flaw without damaging other sites? Eliminate the likelihood of aggravation of the situation will help strict adherence to the above polishing rules. And they concern not only the cases when it is necessary to cope with scratches on the glass. This procedure is recommended to be performed in a regular mode, regardless of the presence of noticeable damages.