Did a hard water job that had buildup from sprinkler system for about 8 years. Looked good before I left and then got a call back to see this. Just got the Mr Hardwater pads, powder, and polish. Looks like pattern is about an inch wide. Is this from polisher at to high of speed? I set the polisher as low at it goes and then started the polisher and increased speed from there. 3 was highest I got to. The window next to it has marks also even though you can’t see. and the window to the extreme right I did by hand with no marks . Thats why I thinks its the technique using the polisher. Thoughts
Damn. R u sure all the compound has been cleaned from the window. It’s wired that all the streaks look like its at the outer edge of the polishing pad. Lower speed and pressure is better then higher speed with the mr hard water kit.
Sorry this has happened to you…
It looks to me that you leaned real heavy on the edge of the pad, meaning you used the edge of the backing plate and pad to remove the staining, instead of have it flat with the surface of the glass.
I have seen that happen “alot” when guys first get in to glass restoration and in the auto detailing world.
I hope it works out for you.
Is this what is called swirl marks. I thought if it was, they would be as wide as the pad one would be using. Instead it is only about an inch wide. Will more polishing take care of this problem.
Dex, you can’t see or feel anything from the outside and the squeegee doesn’t stick or feel like it drags on any hard water stains.
Yes that is a form of swirls marks.
Swirl marks are created from uneven pressure.
Some times they can be repaired, but it is not a simple task. Depending on the depth of the swirls in the glass dictates the process of repair.
In my experience when hard water is continually sprayed glass for an extended period of time, like the 8 years you are talking about, it will permanently etch the glass. If I can’t remove it the first time through basic stain removal I let the customer know immediately, they can either live with it or replace the glass unless you have a RENU system.
and even a renu system wont get to the edges and corners perfectly either if its hard water all over the surface or out to the edges
If u can’t feel anything and ur squgee slide smooth its prob to much pressure and etch the glass w the outer edge of pad . If they want u to replace the glass make sure u replace it with one with hard water stains
This sounds to me like abrasion haze. Which looks just like streaks and can only be seen in the direct sun at just the right angle. Sometimes it can only be seen on the second story. It is caused by putting too much pressure on the edge of the pad. Even an optical grade cerium with particles around four microns can cause such a condition. This is the reason why I invented the Wobble Wheel. It keeps the pad, (whichever that might be) totally flat at all times. If you haven’t watched it check out my video on my blog under Breaking Glass Productions. My goal is super flatness. The next step will be locating or developing the best lapping material for the Wobble. Currently I am using an old technology. Hard felt. But there are some newer synthetic laps like ultra dense urethane.
Karchol, I am sorry you are having this problem. Consider it a learning experience. And move on.
Henry
Dex, they pretty much accepted the fact that the windows are in bad shape. The other issue is the seals are bad and most of the windows have condensation between .
Henry, thanks for your time and energy you devote to trying new things and processes to get windows clean.
Thanks everyone for your input and knowledge.
im surprised no one offered you a solution. I agree with henry and believe that you did put too much pressure on the end of the pad and did not keep the glass wet at all times. the pressure and heat cause it to look like that.
however, from my experience in making the exact same error you did, all i had to do was put a pad back on the wheel (not steel whool) and cerium oxide and i was able to polish it out, make sure you always keep the glass wet.
Dream, thanks for the info. The powder I was using said it works better as it dries. I think what happened is that as it did dry the pad pulled across the glass instead of float or glide, if that makes sense. I can see what your saying though with keeping it wet.
It might be worth your trouble to go over it again. You have nothing to lose at this point. As long as the client knows that it may never get better. I think there are a few guys on here who know what they are doing with polishing glass. Perhaps they could add their expertise to this. [MENTION=4]Alex[/MENTION] [MENTION=1]Chris[/MENTION]
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I had the same problem a year or so ago and was able to polish out (most) of the swirl marks using the Mr. Hardwater liquid polish. JFlint Mr. Hardwater Liquid Polish Quart
It took time, but the customer was happy in the end. I’m also in AZ, give me a call if you have any questions. 480-466-1202
I’ve never done glass restoration but speaking from an auto detailing background what your looking at is called trail marks or swirl marks. This could be caused by a number of things. Speed is too high/ the pad or polish your using may be too aggressive / not enough polish on your pad… I don’t know how glass restoration works but I was a master at paint correction. Reversing the marred look is achieved by reversing the process, go with a medium polish and pad and work that polish into it using a low speed. Again I don’t know what kind of pads and polishes are used for glass, hoping someone else can chime in here.
It certainly is true that glass which is damaged in this way can be fixed. Sometimes it is also true when polishing with cerium that a slight cerium haze is left. This comes off very fast. Micro haze/swirl marks take much more time. When doing this it is critical to keep your pad totally flat. A good quality cerium is also key. Moving around in a pattern keeps the glass cool. A laser tool/pointer will tell the temp. Keeping the temp at around 120 is a good rule. Or whatever temp you start to feel pain at when you touch it. If I am using my finger I stop when there is pain. You don’t want the glass to steam off water when you wet it with the applicator. That is NOT good. It is way too easy to crack glass! If you work in the direct sun and stand at a distance you will be more able to see your results. Soap and squeegee then stand back to inspect the clean glass to see how you are doing. I try to keep the rpms at about 1500. Keep it wet. Never let the cerium/water dry. I am working on a slow release cerium coating that is applied like a paint to the pad. Have already developed it. Just looking to perfect right now. Such a slow release coating will also work for other powders. I also use diamond compounds. Not cheap but good for scratch removal.
Henry
you must keep the pad flat on the glass or you will get swirl marks
