How to - Origami

Everyone will come across this issue and some point or another. A great set of wine glasses, a glass coffee table or a favorite vase has picked up some scratches and looks old and tired. Most people just chuck the offending item away, or hide it in a dark corner, even though it can be repaired with not much effort at all. With the right knowledge and materials, you can get your glass looking spotless again.

1.) Trying to rub the scratch out using harsh abrasives will not work. This may work on wood, but on your favorite whisky glass, you’ll end up with a horrible opaque patch that will look even worse and be even more difficult to remove. Cerium oxide is the very fine abrasive that professionals as this is much kinder to the glass. Any good jewelers will stock this type of abrasive.

2.) A polishing wheel is the next thing that you’ll need. This is a kind of buffing pad that can be attached to a drill and in combination with the fine abrasive, will gently buff out the scratch. If the pad isn’t completely clean then you’ll just make more scratches in the glass, so check carefully first. You should also use the drill on a slow speed setting to avoid damaging you glass. Crystal glass is stronger and so can withstand higher spin speeds.

3.) For more serious scratches that cut deep into the glass, you’ll need more than a polishing wheel. In most cases you can use a resin to fill in deep scratches and you can pick this up from DIY shops and specialist glassware shops. You’ll need to ensure that the resin you use has the same refractive index as the glass, otherwise it will stand out like a sore thumb, especially on crystal vases and glassware. When you have laid on the resin, the buffer and abrasive can be used to get a consistent finish and get the glass sparkling.

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