that rubbing compound looks great.....I'm wondering if it would take a few of the scratches out of my 55 gal too. I'll have to pick some up since short of pulling out the HCl in my test kit, I don't think that all of the haze will come off.
90 gal Craigslist find/project
- Thread starter sorberj
- Start date
CWO4GUNNER
USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
No it will not take out the scratches as the ingredients are only as hard as glass so it removes only mineral deposits softer then glass really well, even embedded minerals so that what you have left sometimes are polished valleys where minerals like calcium and magnesium replaced glass.
To remove scratches you need to go through a set of steps with either various glass polishing grit compounds or wet/dry sand papers from corse to very fine, the last step being this rubbing compound. I actually got this product from a girl who removes scratches from large glass aquariums, a dying art. But she recommended this stuff as the last step she always uses, which runs circles around CLR & vinager..
To remove scratches you need to go through a set of steps with either various glass polishing grit compounds or wet/dry sand papers from corse to very fine, the last step being this rubbing compound. I actually got this product from a girl who removes scratches from large glass aquariums, a dying art. But she recommended this stuff as the last step she always uses, which runs circles around CLR & vinager..
Thanks!
The rubbing compound is making a big difference. It's still a lot of work and I'm still needing to use the razor blade, particularly around where the biowheel was. (And this is why I prefer cannisters)
I'd be interested to find out the compounds for buffing out scratches. Like you said, it's a dying art and something that should be preserved. I have a few scrap pieces of glass that would be great to get some practice on.
The rubbing compound is making a big difference. It's still a lot of work and I'm still needing to use the razor blade, particularly around where the biowheel was. (And this is why I prefer cannisters)
I'd be interested to find out the compounds for buffing out scratches. Like you said, it's a dying art and something that should be preserved. I have a few scrap pieces of glass that would be great to get some practice on.
not using CLR....I've read enough of gunner's posts to just follow his advice at this point. The rubbing compound is working great, although I've discovered that at some point the previous owner did use something a little more abrasive and I've found a few scratches on the inside of the glass.
katana1200
Unhealthy obsession?
Indeed, I too am coming to look at Gunner as someone whom it would be foolish to not listen to. Sort of the AC hardware go-to guy.
Any mid-way through shots? I'd love to see how the rubbing compound is comming along.
Here's a couple to tide you over...no closeup with the rubbing compound though...my photographer didn't take any, but I'll work on getting some.
scraping up the residue on the rim
Using the rubbing compound (sorry no closeup)
scraping up the residue on the rim
Using the rubbing compound (sorry no closeup)
sir, did you / are you going to test the tank to see if it leaks?
I gotta do that with my craigslist find =D
I gotta do that with my craigslist find =D
Not tested yet. I wanted to wait until all of the cleaning is done so that I didn't test it, disturb something, and then create a leak afterwards. I'm actually probably going to replace the internal seals on the tank anyhow. The guy had it running for 10 years prior and it looks like they've started to separate from the glass a bit (flapping up on the edges).
I'm also clearing off all of the printed "wood grain" on the frame since it's so scratched and beat up anyways.
I'm also clearing off all of the printed "wood grain" on the frame since it's so scratched and beat up anyways.
So, as you can tell from the other pictures, the fake "oak" grain on the frame was pretty beat up and looked like heck. I decided to get rid of it and clean it off. Out came the random orbit sander (Ryobi Corner Cat) and initially some 120 grit sandpaper on light passes. I knew I needed to be careful since plastic can melt if it gets warm so I made sure to not only make relatively quick passes, but to lift up the sander after each pass so that any plastic stuck to the sandpaper would cool and ideally fall off.
After the 120 I went to 220 (yeah I know I skipped 180), and then finished off with the rubbing compound (same stuff as on the glass). I'm really happy with the finish. It's a matte black, but feels smooth to the touch and looks pretty smooth. I actually think I prefer it to the glossy-black that my other aquariums have. Here's a pic of what it looks like now.
After the 120 I went to 220 (yeah I know I skipped 180), and then finished off with the rubbing compound (same stuff as on the glass). I'm really happy with the finish. It's a matte black, but feels smooth to the touch and looks pretty smooth. I actually think I prefer it to the glossy-black that my other aquariums have. Here's a pic of what it looks like now.
