Removing scratches from a glass table top

[Tintin]

Hello FOGgers,

I recently bought my first home and that is the biggest check I have written in my life.  [eek] [eek] [scared]

As the sticker shock is wearing off, finally the realities are settling in. I needed to get some furniture to get started. I am starting to make a shoe-rack using the LR-32; but since we are having a small house-warming party, I wanted to have some furniture pronto. My wife liked a contemporary walnut table with a circular glass top. It's pretty but the glass has a few scratches.

I have an RO-150, ETS-150 and a RO-90 and I started doing some research:

Polishing Automobile Headlamps - Sedge

And an educated guess leads me to believe there has to be something in the Festool ecosystem to take care of glass scratches on a table top.

I would appreciate your time if anyone could have any pointers. I am planning to call Festoolusa as well but since it's Sunday today so won't call them before tomorrow. I will update the post with any info I get.

Best....

 

[Tintin]

Other threads relevant to this discussion:

-http://festoolownersgroup.com/home-improvement-other-projects/glass-polishing/
    * It's polishing glass; but not a table top. Not sure if the glass on a table top is treated / made differently.

 

[Tintin]

Well my educated guess was wrong. I heard back from Festool customer care:

Thank you for contacting Festool. Festool does not have any recommendations as to how to polish glass. Festool does not have a system specifically intended to polish glass.

 

[mwildt]

Long Time back I stumbled over some YouTube videos by some shade tree mechanics. They listed tricks in how to strip and paint a aluminum wheel etc. Some of the methods was crude but did give a more refreshed look without going into oven baking the clear coat etc.
In any case one such video also listed how to remove scratches in glass. Like the ice scraper or a worn windshield wiper could have done. Their suggestion was to use hand cleaner with pumice. Put on a sponge and then grind away. Hard to tell if it really worked but you could research that as a possibility.

 

[Cheese]

Watch enthusiasts use diamond paste in varying grades to polish out scratches in watch crystals. The diamond paste comes in small syringes for ease of dispensing. It’s applied with a felt polishing bob.

MSC Direct sells both items I believe.

 

[RKA]

One option is cerium oxide paste and a felt pad.  You can find it sold at some auto detailing sites. 

 

[rst]

RKA is correct in that cerium oxide is the polishing medium used in commercial applications.  As a glass distributor and fabricator it would have to be a very expensive or hard to get piece to make the effort worthwhile.  In all likely hood it would usually be cheaper to buy a new piece of glass.  3M and other companies sell systems for polishing out  scratches but they are pricey...right up there with Festool prices.  Actually the reason glass is often referred to as polished is that sheets were originally polished with the oxide and huge felt wheels.  Now glass is referred to as float because it is manufactured on mile (not an exaggeration) long molten lead beds which the molten glass floats upon and gradually cools and solidifies.  These plants are run continuously for at least 10 years because of the expense of startup and maintenance.

 

[Tintin]

First off thank you all for your time.

There's so much to learn...

I am researching this:https://www.gtglass.com/collections/diy-glass-scratch-repair-1/products/scratch-magic-premium

 

[Michael Kellough]

Replacement is the option I’d go for.

For example, This IKEA table has a nice round tempered glass disk 105cm diameter and is $150 including legs.

 

[Cheese]

I am researching this:https://www.gtglass.com/collections/diy-glass-scratch-repair-1/products/scratch-magic-premium
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The GT kit you’re looking at will only remove scratches that are less than .003” deep. The first thing I’d do is to mark the scratches that are .003” or greater in depth. These will still be visible when you’re done. How many are there and will they impact the aesthetics of the glass top? Chances are there will be fewer scratches removed than the number that will still be visible.  [eek]

I’d also look at replacement rather than polishing.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

One more vote for replacement glass.

Or if that is too pricey for now, maybe a table cloth.