Everybody has faced this problem at least once in their life. They have a lovely set of quality wine glasses or an expensive vase that has been tarnished by an unsightly scratch. You would be amazed just how many people throw the bit of glassware out, even though with a little work it could be made as good as new. You just need the right tools and right knowledge.
1.) Don’t use harsh abrasives to try and rub the scratch out. 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. You need to use a very fine abrasive substance such as cerium oxide. This can be picked up from most good jewelers.
2.) A polishing wheel is the next thing that you’ll need. This is form of spin buffer that has a soft pad and is fitted onto a hand drill. When abrasive is added to the pad and it spins up against the glass surface, it buffs any marks away. Make sure you clean the polishing wheel first as any dirt in it will just lead to more scratching. 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.) If the scratch is quite large or deep, you may find that a polishing wheel is not enough. 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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