Getting scratches out of glass

[VoidRaven]

So I'm getting ready to get a 100g setup that I bought a short while ago up and running. Today while running a water leak test to make sure my PVC was solid I noticed a BUNCH of large scratches all over the front of the glass. Since this is going to be a display tank I'd really like it to be as nice as possible. Is there any way to polish these out fairly quickly (i.e. that I could do it tomorrow and still get the new SW in, substrate in, and begin heating things up for LR transfer on Saturday)???

I'm going to be home all day tomorrow so I have the time to do it....not that I know what exactly I'm doing.

Help!

 

[itZme]

Not an easy task as far as I know. Is the tank drilled so there is no possibility of turning it around and use the back as the front? Even if you have to remove paint from the back pane it is sometimes better that way.
Other than that I think you either live with them or sell it as a large sump/ frag/ fuge tank and then purchase a cleaner display.

Good luck!
-- Kevin

 

[MJAnderson]

Are the scratches inside or outside. If outside, you can use filler for windshields and polish it, but it's not a quicky job. I don't think the filler is safe for the wet side. From the wetwebmedia:

Hi Bob. I will be moving soon would like to remove some scratches my tank
has obtained over the years. Do you have any suggestion on the best method
to remove light scratches from glass. Is buffing the best method or is there
a filler that is safe to use? If buffing is the only way, what will I need
to do it?
<On glass... better to actually ignore... maybe see if you can turn the tank around 180 degrees (with the hope that the current "back" side isn't as bad. Buffing out can be tried but is really a LOT of work... and can weaken the glass... heat burnishing can be tried on very thick glass tanks... by professional glass folks... but is rarely worth it for home hobbyists... maybe the present container can serve as a sump for a newer tank? Bob Fenner>

Edit. Dang, forgot you can't use brackets in posts....here's the rest of the message.

On glass... better to actually ignore... maybe see if you can turn the tank around 180 degrees (with the hope that the current "back" side isn't as bad. Buffing out can be tried but is really a LOT of work... and can weaken the glass... heat burnishing can be tried on very thick glass tanks... by professional glass folks... but is rarely worth it for home hobbyists... maybe the present container can serve as a sump for a newer tank? Bob Fenner

 

[VoidRaven]

Unfortunately they are on the inside. I think I'm just going to have to live with them for now. Can't believe I didn't notice them earlier but then again the tank was lower than it is now (now on the stand) so the light hits it differently and they show up more.

 

[tank121]

caswellplating.com glass pollishing kit $19.99
I have not tried this but might be worth a try.

 

[Rhodophyta]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8376958#post8376958 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tank121
caswellplating.com glass pollishing kit $19.99
I have not tried this but might be worth a try.

This kit does have what you'd want to remove shallow scratches in regular glass. The cerium powder is so much better than the old standard which was rouge. Rouge will stain anything around the work --- Red!

Rule of thumb, if you can feel scratches with your fingernail, they are too deep to attempt.

If the glass is tempered, all that is safe to do, is to clean the scratches well with acetone or alcohol. Once the scratches are clean and then filled with water, they will be less visible.

Don't bounce light off the front glass and the scratches will stay clean (of algae) longer.

For outside scratches, you can try Future floor polish. It has close to the refractive index of glass so it hides dry scratches. Keep the outside dry since the Future will will temporarily turn whitish if it is wet for long.

 

[VoidRaven]

Thanks for the tips....I'll try to clean them. Some you can feel and some are very micro.

 

[Rhodophyta]

It sounds like cleaning is the best option. Alcohol is simpler to use. Cleaning with it still requires good ventilation, but not as much as acetone, the active ingredient in fingernail polish remover.

Something like old towels or rags can be used to protect the silicone and plastic frame from the cleaning solvent you choose. Either cleaner can also discolor the plastic frame on the tank if spilled on it. I have used a matching liquid shoe polish to fix bleaching on the outside of the plastic frame, but being careful in the first place is obviously better.