Repairing scratched glass

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Sherry Lee

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
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Location
Phoenix, Az.
Before you ask, no, I don't sell scratched glass. This is actually for personal reasons.

A contract worker at our house superficially scratched a large mirror (just the front). The company is willing to replace it, but the problem is that it is one large panel of five panels. I'm afraid that replacing the one panel, it won't match. So......

What's the best way to try to 'mend' this scratched glass? Long ago I heard of a few ideas, but thought there might be newer products or methods since then.

Thanks much!
 
Sherry, There are small one guy companies that go around and "polish" out scratches in "Plate glass windows". Those are tempered, so this would be nothing. Call around. Most glass shops hate these guys, because they will take the scratched graffiti out of an $800 window for under $200.

And then again there is the old "vaseline the scratch" trick. You'ld be amazed.

baer
 
The shop I used to work for used pumice powder to take scratches out of mirror glass. It only worked for shallow scratches, but maybe it'll help.
 
Boy, good thing I wasn't the first responder on THIS post.

I would've said, "Sherry, don't be silly. You can remove minor scratches from Acrylic (though I've had minimal success with that) but glass scratches are final and fatal."

Add this to the long list of things I've learned on The Grumble.
 
Oh Ron.......I'm glad you aren't my DOCTOR!! :eek: I'm sorry to hear such an ugly prognosis.

Bill.......I'm afraid it wouldn't match because of the silvering. Is all silvering the same??? It is just an assumption.
 
Originally posted by Sherry Lee:
I'm afraid it wouldn't match because of the silvering. Is all silvering the same???
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I buy mirrors from different suppliers and they do have different coloring from time to time. Some may argue the point, but me and some of my customers can see the difference. They 'age' differently also.
 
Sherry and all,
Silvered glass will make any defect stand out 10 fold.
The finest scratches when re-silvering for example, will be amplified greatly and stand out much more than before.

Polishing the scratch out can be done on shopfront glass reasonably ok, but if you look with the light at a particular angle, the new furrows in the glass (where it is ground out then polished) are quite noticeable.
This also would be very noticeable in mirror, so not really an option.

My feeling for your glas would be to have another made form new silvered glass, give the old on to the glass company to cut correctly and get any bevels just right etc.
You should notice no difference in the finish, but in saying this, body tint mat make the new piece slightly brighter / duller (greenish) than the other existing pieces.

Try getting an offcut (rubbed edges) and take home with you to get someone to hold up next to your pieces, ensure the same thickness mirror is used. you may be able to see if greatly different, and try another manufacturers product until happy.

Hope this helps.
 
Originally posted by Ron Eggers:
Add this to the long list of things I've learned on The Grumble.
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I'm with you Ron. Thanks, HotGlass for the very nice education. I have "known" these things about mirror for 30 years; but didn't know them. There is a huge difference from the term "looks different" and "the body tint".
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And THAT folks, is why I come here: To learn.
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baer
 
You might try going to a car repair store, like Auto Zone, Trac Auto, or Pep Boys. They might have a product that is used for repairing scratches in windshields. (I have heard of it, buy not actually seen it.)
 
Sue (and Baer) are correct,
Both utilise cerium oxide powder, mixed to a paste, then seriously buffed with either machine or special hand pad (this takes a fiar amount of elbow grease!).
Winscrenn places can sometimes get those wiper blade scratches out ok, or at least make them less noticable.
A general rule, if you can feel the scratch with your finger nail on the mirror (or glass if you don't want a lot of distorsion) then start again with new glass.
If just a graze on the surface, cerium oxide might work.
You can usually get small quantities fom some glass companies, certainly from lapidary (gemstone) shops.
Get the cream coloured finer one, the redder colours are much coarser and require the finer grade to be used later anyway.
If you need to use a coarse grade, the scratch is just too deep anyway.
 
Wow! This has been educational!!

Thank you all for resonding. Les, you pretty much put the issue into the coffin like Ron did. Most of the scratch is deep.

Bill - to answer your question, I'm concerned that the coloration from the silvering would be different from the other panels. Les shed some light on this.

I'll be talking to the contractor next week - was hoping for an easy solution. One could only hope!

Thanks again everyone.....what a great group!!
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