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I am posting this question "here" because I know there are a "lot" of knowledgeable people on this board.

My truck has a windshield that has been badly sand blasted from being in the desert in its early years. Driving into the sun or oncoming headlights is very dangerous. Anyone know of a way to buff or remove the surface of automotive glass to remove this? When I first got this truck, I thought it was spray paint overspray. If this question is considered inappropriate, feel free to remove.

I think you are trying to do the impossible, without knowing what brand and model & year of truck you have the question is tough to answer. That being said, windshields for popular models of trucks are not that expensive. You would spend a lot of time trying to improve your old windshield, time and money better spent on a new glass. If I am incorrect, someone set me straight. :thumbsup:

There are two ways to address light scratches in glass. The easiest is to fill the scratches with an acrylic scratch remover, which is applied as a liquid and dries hard and transparent, hiding the damage by filling the scratches chemically. For deeper scratches, the most popular fix is buffing the glass with cerium oxide, a popular glass, ceramic and metal polish with very low abrasiveness—it's widely used in jewelry and ceramics. Add water to the fine powder and make a slurry the consistency of Elmer's Glue, then cover the damaged areas with the paste. Using a drill with a hard rubber polishing wheel attached, apply firm pressure to slowly grind the surface smooth. To make things a bit easier, mark the location of the scratch on the other side of the glass so you can keep track of where you should be working. It may take a while, but keep the paste moist and add more cerium oxide as needed, and the result will be a smooth, scratch-free surface.

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

okiepc said:

I think you are trying to do the impossible, without knowing what brand and model & year of truck you have the question is tough to answer. That being said, windshields for popular models of trucks are not that expensive. You would spend a lot of time trying to improve your old windshield, time and money better spent on a new glass. If I am incorrect, someone set me straight. :thumbsup:

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Yep in the long run a new windshield would most likely be the best way to go.

I work at a glass company 40 hrs a week go and buy a new windshield, most are about $200.00. if you try and buff out the scratches your wasting your time if its sandblasted and pitted. buffing will give you a distorted look at best but I dont believe it will help

Toothpaste! put it on like you would wax on a car. but dont wipe it off right away. let it sit for a while. then wipe/clean it off.

I moved your thread to the Front Porch Forum since it is a repair question but it is unrelated to lawnmowers. :smile:

metz12 said:

Toothpaste! put it on like you would wax on a car. but dont wipe it off right away. let it sit for a while. then wipe/clean it off.

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Not sure if this will work on glass. I use this method on headlight lenses but they're mostly plastic.

mowerman05 said:

I work at a glass company 40 hrs a week go and buy a new windshield, most are about $200.00. if you try and buff out the scratches your wasting your time if its sandblasted and pitted. buffing will give you a distorted look at best but I dont believe it will help

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^ ^ do what he said he would know best ^ ^

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

If the truck is insured and the insurance includes collision or is "full coverage".
Your insurance company will pay for the new windshield, regardless of your deductible. That's the law in some states, not sure if it applies here, but you should look into it if your the right coverage

Just get a new windshield. It will be cheaper in the long run.

chance123 said:

I am posting this question "here" because I know there are a "lot" of knowledgeable people on this board.

My truck has a windshield that has been badly sand blasted from being in the desert in its early years. Driving into the sun or oncoming headlights is very dangerous. Anyone know of a way to buff or remove the surface of automotive glass to remove this? When I first got this truck, I thought it was spray paint overspray. If this question is considered inappropriate, feel free to remove.

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I owned a windshield repair shop for three years. I had many people that came in asking that very question. Truth is there is no fix for it. Replace it. You can repair stone damage and even long cracks but grinding that sort of stuff off is not going to happen.

You can fix acrylic headlights by grinding them off. I have repaired many sets of those. To make the repair on them last any length of time they need to be ground as smooth as 5000 grit sandpaper or finer. Glass on the other hand will have distortion when sanded.

X-man said:

Just get a new windshield. It will be cheaper in the long run.

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Go to your local pick and pull yard get a new windshield 20 to 50 dollars a few bucks at an auto parts store for molding and goo and walla problem solved