Safe and effective waatermark removal on glass!

[s1tl]

Bro Josh, results as requested. Here are my findings. Night shot with street lighting - reflective and transmissive light source. Using my Sony NEX C3 camera with pancake lens on twilight mode and ISO6400. No sanding marks or marring visible. Just pits/scratches and defects within glass. No watermarks.

Figure 19: Reflected light source. ISO-6400, twilight mode.

Figure 20: Transmissive light source. ISO-6400, twilight mode.

---------- Post added at 11:50 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 11:45 PM ----------



Bro Izso, do you have a picture of the bleeding watermark? I am still a little reserved about correcting laminated front windscreen glass. Need to do some reading up and some experimentation - don't want to hack through, spread false info and cause misery. Heard that some glass can be harder, some softer. So not sure about final outcome yet. Will keep everyone updated when I have time...

WAAAA im so touched u noticed my request =D thank you very much! Now i can safely try this method! awesomely done bro! sheer awesomeness!

great effort
and thanks for your precious time sharing with us, by all means avoid acid, F....H.... asked those who has done that....avoid R...x too....amonia & killing all yr wiper blades

it is safe when u dot it slowly & make sure u have plenty of water as lube

as for front windscreen - I have reservation

OOS it is has been best for all exterior - once every 3 months for all exterior ....that bottle will last u for 10 years protection

as for front windscreen - monthly application will be great

Thank you for sharing

Bro Kc, ive done a durability test on the OOS on windscreen and i found out it can last up to 4-5months of rain and sun and still beads and when driving up to 80km/h the water still flies up like you just applied Rain X. Thumbs up for Dr. G epic inventions

 

[Rafale]

What a great result..Nice & clean windows!

I've been having a tough time trying to clean my front windscreen (pics attached).. tried claying, using scotchbrite and all sorts of glass cleaner but the watermarks are really stubborn..now I just leave em' be :hmmmm:

Eohl79, what grades of sanding paper did you used? 1500? Few years back I attended a micro-buffing class to remove fine scratches off acrylic surfaces by using 2000 grades and above..but I don't think those superfine paper are easily to find off the shelf..

 

[eohl79]

WAAAA im so touched u noticed my request =D thank you very much! Now i can safely try this method! awesomely done bro! sheer awesomeness!

No problem bro, just sharing info but just like KC said, front windscreen... some reservation there.

What a great result..Nice & clean windows!

I've been having a tough time trying to clean my front windscreen (pics attached).. tried claying, using scotchbrite and all sorts of glass cleaner but the watermarks are really stubborn..now I just leave em' be :hmmmm:

Eohl79, what grades of sanding paper did you used? 1500? Few years back I attended a micro-buffing class to remove fine scratches off acrylic surfaces by using 2000 grades and above..but I don't think those superfine paper are easily to find off the shelf..

Wah... that front windscreen watermarks are bad. Before you go off doing any correction, the inspection and evaluation step is very critical. It will lead you to use the right tools, products and techniques for correction. I would avoid the sand paper, scotchbrite, etc.

I was using a 3M sanding pad/sponge. It is a microfine type with grit size between 1200 and 1500. So it is quite harsh by itself. Looking at the grit range indicates that the tolerance of the grit size and variation is pretty wide. Don't use it for fine paint work. Remember it is a sanding pad/sponge and not sanding paper. The key to using the sanding pad with the abrasive powder is water. The 3M sanding pad holds up more water than a regular sand paper with a backing. By controlling the amount of water that you spray directly on the pad and pressure applied, you can control the amount of polishing to the glass - abrasiveness. I try to maintain a consistent pad pressure and spray on more water after several passes to reduce the abrasiveness. you can get those fine grit sandpaper easily from those big hardware stores like CSM hardware in Shah Alam. Usually they carry up to 2000 grit. Sometimes they do stock 3000 grit too. However those sandpaper are not as high quality as unigrit type sandpaper. Always do a test spot first!

For front windscreen polishing, can try to contact the legendary bro Fishbonez for more info. He has done it before with a DA as seen from his blog.

THANKS to everyone for the "likes".

 

[eohl79]

Don't know how many people here has actually used the 3M sanding pads but after using it on 1 passenger side window and rear hatch windscreen (both of which are tempered glass), the abrasiveness of sanding pad has reduced quite a bit. This is also after I've washed down the pad to ensure that all the watermark abrasive powder is not present. Will see if it will work for the other windows. Likely will do it this weekend so stay tuned.

 

[eohl79]

Here are some pics of a condition that you should avoid using acid based watermark cleaners (besides it being dangerous to handle) as consulted from bro Henry @ Osren. Take note that I have already removed the watermarks on the rear windscreen. Whatever that is left behind are scratches and pits which is not possible to remove with my techniques above. Acid can get into the crevices of the scratches of the wiper blade area and cause hazing and poor visibility. Also indicates why you should always try to keep your car clean. Don't forget to clean your wiper blades properly and regularly. Even if glass is harder than paint.clear coat, it can still be scratched! The more the scratches and the deeper it is, the more streaks and poor visibility during a rainy day. Same goes to those who use opti coat on their paintwork, it is not a bullet proof or permanent coating. It acts as another layer of protection that's all!

Figure 21: Rear wind screen, tempered glass with wiper blade scratch marks

Figure 22: Zoom in of scratch marks

 

[DivineWind]

anyone tried using Autosol Metal Polish on water marks before?
someone suggested it will react with the watermarks, which is heavy metal sediments anyway.

 

[Izso]

I doubt autosol will help. It'll probably remove the watermark but cause scratches since it's so abrasive?

 

[eohl79]

There are lots of polishes labeled as for both glass and chrome polishing. Glass is quite hard so it needs some coarse or fine abrasives with real cutting abilities. Autosol might work but i don't know how it would finish which also depends on the glass surface hardness, etc. Just don't forget to clean the residual oils away. The finishing and the amount of work done also depends on the technique and tools used - hand with plenty of elbow grease, ROB, DA or rotary. Watermark is not heavy metal sediment - mercury, lead, cadmium, etc. It is usually either mineral deposit or more severe - etching on the glass. That's why I worked on my car glass from least aggressive first to more aggressive method (but not the most aggressive as I don't have the products and tools). Always do a test spot first on an inconspicuous area first that won't hinder your visibility while driving. Inspect the outcome thoroughly under bright light. Don't forget, car windscreen and passenger windows are very important parts of the car for both protection and visibility.

 

[kc2]

Here are some pics of a condition that you should avoid using acid based watermark cleaners

Figure 21: Rear wind screen, tempered glass with wiper blade scratch marks

Figure 22: Zoom in of scratch marks

Yupp
agreed & the key is soak your 3m sand paper longer & let it be softer before sanding

YOU got very nice pic...thanks for taking time to share with us
thats lot of effort

 

[eohl79]

Yupp
agreed & the key is soak your 3m sand paper longer & let it be softer before sanding

YOU got very nice pic...thanks for taking time to share with us
thats lot of effort

Thanks for the good tip bro KC. wise sifu tips must remember

No problem, got inspired from all your works. Only can learn from sharing. Nothing to lose.

 

[Rafale]

No problem bro, just sharing info but just like KC said, front windscreen... some reservation there.



Wah... that front windscreen watermarks are bad. Before you go off doing any correction, the inspection and evaluation step is very critical. It will lead you to use the right tools, products and techniques for correction. I would avoid the sand paper, scotchbrite, etc.

I was using a 3M sanding pad/sponge. It is a microfine type with grit size between 1200 and 1500. So it is quite harsh by itself. Looking at the grit range indicates that the tolerance of the grit size and variation is pretty wide. Don't use it for fine paint work. Remember it is a sanding pad/sponge and not sanding paper. The key to using the sanding pad with the abrasive powder is water. The 3M sanding pad holds up more water than a regular sand paper with a backing. By controlling the amount of water that you spray directly on the pad and pressure applied, you can control the amount of polishing to the glass - abrasiveness. I try to maintain a consistent pad pressure and spray on more water after several passes to reduce the abrasiveness. you can get those fine grit sandpaper easily from those big hardware stores like CSM hardware in Shah Alam. Usually they carry up to 2000 grit. Sometimes they do stock 3000 grit too. However those sandpaper are not as high quality as unigrit type sandpaper. Always do a test spot first!

For front windscreen polishing, can try to contact the legendary bro Fishbonez for more info. He has done it before with a DA as seen from his blog.

THANKS to everyone for the "likes".

Hmm, its been 2 weeks since I last refer to this thread and looks like my ignorance has taught me a good lesson.
I tried rubbing my front windscreen using grit 2000 paper + lubricated with some undiluted carwash liquid and it resulted in tiny circular scratches & marrings/holograms all over the windscreen , I should've tested it with grit 5000 paper first instead of going on with 2K grit lol :stupid:

I'm going to look for the items you've used esp like the Osren waterspot and the 3M superfine sanding pad... at this point I'm not sure whether the scratches can be corrected or not or maybe I'll just get it replaced

 

[eohl79]

Hmm, its been 2 weeks since I last refer to this thread and looks like my ignorance has taught me a good lesson.
I tried rubbing my front windscreen using grit 2000 paper + lubricated with some undiluted carwash liquid and it resulted in tiny circular scratches & marrings/holograms all over the windscreen , I should've tested it with grit 5000 paper first instead of going on with 2K grit lol :stupid:

I'm going to look for the items you've used esp like the Osren waterspot and the 3M superfine sanding pad... at this point I'm not sure whether the scratches can be corrected or not or maybe I'll just get it replaced

Oh..oh. I've tried Osren sanding pad and watermark remover on tempered glass and find it almost impossible to.remove scratches. Front windscreen is soft and scratches easily. Still a bit reserved on trying it on my windscreen. Perhaps I will go to the windscreen shop to get a test piece from a broken one. That's why always do a test spot if unsure. Did you soak the 2000 grit sand paper long enough? Also did you use a backing foam? Good luck and let us know the outcome.

 

[Hitachi]

Just a heads up for those who plan to sand thier windscreen. Well never sand your glass with sandpaper or scotchbrite (message for car owners who leave their cars to maids for cleaning, works well on woks, not your car)

Note *3M Softback Sanding Sponge is no where near 2000# Sand Paper (Although it feels abrasive, it is actually quite fine). It is finer and it is not the same range as sandpapers or sanding discs. There's a sponge there that makes it much safer than a sandpaper with your hands or sanding pad.

PS: eohl, you can still use that Sanding Sponge which you have used although it doesn't feel gritty anymore. Use until you find it difficult to remove watermarks. Also we're working on a more ergonomic add on for the sanding sponge. Stay tuned

 

[eohl79]

Just a heads up for those who plan to sand thier windscreen. Well never sand your glass with sandpaper or scotchbrite (message for car owners who leave their cars to maids for cleaning, works well on woks, not your car)

Note *3M Softback Sanding Sponge is no where near 2000# Sand Paper (Although it feels abrasive, it is actually quite fine). It is finer and it is not the same range as sandpapers or sanding discs. There's a sponge there that makes it much safer than a sandpaper with your hands or sanding pad.

PS: eohl, you can still use that Sanding Sponge which you have used although it doesn't feel gritty anymore. Use until you find it difficult to remove watermarks. Also we're working on a more ergonomic add on for the sanding sponge. Stay tuned

Thanks Henry. Keep me updated once you have the new goodies. Hehehe.

Will go test on windscreen later.

 

[cheewooi]

KC,
I have the same problem on my gf myvi, not only on the glass, but the watermark also on the roof / paint. May I know how to clean it? I washed with ONR, but the watermark is still there.

What are the step and solution required to clean that?


Many thanks.