Last month, we showed you the ins and outs of detailing a truck in an article called "OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Detailing." We covered the basic steps needed to properly shine up your paint, clean your interior, and restore the engine compartment. With that knowledge out of the way, it's time to dive a little deeper and tackle something a bit harder: scratches in glass.
Tech Tip Before you start...
Tech Tip
Before you start with the polishing, make sure the glass is clean. Some window cleaner and a razor blade should do the trick.
If you have ever bought a classic truck or let a decrepit windshield wiper run a bit too long, then you know why this needs to be done. The Eastwood Company, gurus of restoration tools, has a setup that allows you to polish these annoying blemishes out of the glass. The two parts you will need to order from Eastwood will only set you back $42.98 plus shipping, which is much cheaper than replacement glass. You will need a drill motor of some sort to drive the polishing wheel, but because it's made for slower speeds (about 900 rpm) a standard cordless drill should be fine. Instead of forking over a bunch of money for a replacement window, check out how we removed the scratch from a '67 Chevy truck's side window.
1. Here is the scratch we...
1. Here is the scratch we will be focusing on. It's a small little scratch that most people wouldn't see, but if we tint the window, it will definitely show up.
2. There is a little prep...
2. There is a little prep work needed before you can actually get started. The polishing wheel needs to be soaked in water for 5 minutes to season the pad. The polishing compound is a fine powder that needs to be mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio to create what looks like gravy.
3. Per Eastwood's instructions,...
3. Per Eastwood's instructions, we marked the area behind the scratch with masking tape so we couldn't lose it during the process. Then, we applied a dab of the polishing mixture right on the scratch.
4. Starting slow, we made...
4. Starting slow, we made a few passes over the scratch with the polishing wheel. Because this was a new process for us, we were very cautious and constantly checked the progress. This wasn't really necessary as the polish is very fine and the wheel is made to run slow, so you can be a little more aggressive than you would be with, let's say, paint.
5. As you polish, heat will...
5. As you polish, heat will build up in the glass, and it will start to dry the compound. If this happens, just dip the wheel in water and continue on. Once we were confident, we cleaned the area with a wet cloth, and then we cleaned with soap and water. This will guarantee the removal of any leftover compound.
6. There you go, no more scratch....
6. There you go, no more scratch. It took about 15 minutes to do this process and about an hour to restore the whole window.
The Final Word
The results speak for themselves, and the cost was well worth it, since a replacement glass would have been around $60. Not only did we restore this window, but Eastwood sends enough product to do all the glass in the truck, including the windshield, which would save us much more.