Anyone know where to get cerium oxide powder?

I am looking for a local source, if not I will just order from these guys but I thought I would check in case it had other uses.

http://www.caswellcanada.ca/shop/glass-polishing-kit.html

Is this for the Mustang windshield?  If so, many of the auto glass places will polish it for you.  You just gotta keep rubby tubbie's belly off your fenders while he does it.

Side glass on the Mustang.

I am replacing the beltline fiber guides for the windows. There are vertical scratches from the windows going up and down for some 38 odd years and rubbing against the old ones. I want to do all 4 side windows but quite frankly almost anytime I take something to a guy to "finish" it I am always finding I would do a better job. They work by the hour and rarely put the time in for perfection. That's why I am looking for this stuff. I don't care if it takes me a week to get it right.

I would easily consider pulling the side windows out to do it which would keep rubby tubby off the car, but I am not aware of anyone that will do the polishing part of the job, the cost, and how good the outcome would be.

Quoted from necro_nemesis

Side glass on the Mustang.

frankly almost anytime I take something to a guy to "finish" it I am always finding I would do a better job.

I get that.

Pulling the glass is obviously the best option - you may have to anyhow, depending on how the glass fits on your car, to get the felts in.

Be interested to see the results.

I would like to try that stuff on my RS2 headlights

Quoted from Pharoah007

I would like to try that stuff on my RS2 headlights

Are they glass or plastic? Princess auto sells a kit for plastic lenses.

http://www.princessauto.com/sh.....kit?keyword=headligh

They have to come out to put the beltline strips in anyway.

Quoted from necro_nemesis

Are they glass or plastic? Princess auto sells a kit for plastic lenses.

http://www.princessauto.com/sh.....kit?keyword=headligh

They have to come out to put the beltline strips in anyway.

They are Glass my friend. They are form a Audi/Porsche RS2 in Europe Circa 1993-1996

http://www.goingfast.info/04_05/ebay_sales/images/rs2_porsche_badge2.jpg

What are beltline strips?

Caswell Plating is a good place to get these sorts of things when other places don't pop forth. Fast shipping. Maybe one of the auto paint places may stock it or know where to get it??

Quoted from Pharoah007

What are beltline strips?

The felt that goes along the top of the door where the window goes in between.




If they are glass I would say your most likely looking for the same thing I am. I have a Micromesh kit for sanding up to 12000 grit and will take out the deep stuff but it will need a final polish to get the haze out. That's where the cerium oxide comes in.

http://www.jacquescoulombe.com/Micro-Mesh.htm

Got some locally and it wasn't cheap..... that's because it was FREE!

Local glass shops that do cut glass and engraving carry it in tubs. I got a large Tim Hortons cup full for nothing with an offer for more if I needed it.

Cool.  Post your results/tips.  I gotta do the same thing at some point....

Quoted from MarkToo

Cool.  Post your results/tips.  I gotta do the same thing at some point....

I did a trial on a really bad scratch. I think someone must of dragged a diamond ring across that spot. It was deep.

I sanded it out starting at 220 grit with a water paper that's how bad this particular one was (worse I would have to deal with).

220, 320, 400, 600..a bunch in between... 12000. Sand in one direction. Change grit and sand opposite direction until the previous marks are gone. Wash rinse repeat.

Then scratches were gone but it look like someone acid etched the area. Transparent but a bit foggy.

Mixed up a batch of this stuff into a slurry and took a drill with a 3M foam rubber pad on it and started polishing. The stuff goes everywhere so this will the last time I do it with the glass in. Kept at it for about 30 minutes checking occasionally and voila nice and clear and that deep scratch was completely gone.

I think the approach will be to find something like a kiddie pool and mix up a bath of the stuff. Then put the entire glass in and go at it. Not that the whole thing would be immersed but it spins off and you need a collection area to pick it back up and recycle. I had to keep spraying water on it to keep it cool and like a slurry so a bath mix will probably be the answer to that. In the end I looked like Pigpen and the car took an hour to clean up but it worked!

If I were to estimate 1 window pane would take an entire day to do based on this experience. Not impossible but definitely a chore.

I am considering whether or not it really is worth it. I found these guys that make new glass for my car. Side windows are $185ea and quarter windows $170. I may just polish up the quarters since there are pretty small and order the sides.

http://app.vendio.com/storefront?view=ITEM_DETAIL&cid=11344500&lid=288897495&mode=1

Edit can't buy them yet. I just noticed these are manual window glass pieces and there is an 8" half circle cut out of the bottom for the power window motors on mine. Dumb. Power window glass will fit both applications whereas manual windows only fit manual. This guy should be producing the power ones to be able to sell for both applications.

Obviously a real chore...

The replacement glass looks like a good option but if not replacing all 4 side glass pieces, I'd want to double check the tinting (yours is a rag so will likely be tinted right?), to make sure the match is good.

Once I get my car painted, I need to put it all back together - I bought all the softseal rubbers etc about 15 years ago including window felts but will have to repurchase the felts, as looking at them they are really poorly done and won't look remotely close to factory.  Must have been an older reproduction design.  Anyway, I guess my point is some of this repop stuff - regardless of price - can be pretty lousy in some pretty obvious ways.

Good post thanks.