TV Screen scratch

The glass used on TV screens is normally tempered, so scratches are difficult to polish. Some toothpaste on a damp cloth, then buff it hard with plenty elbow grease behind it, might just take some of the scratch out. If it isn't to deep, then a rub with duraglit jewellery polish wool might also make the scratch disappear a bit.

What you need is something that isn't to abrasive really.

I have no idea of whether it would help, or totally destroy the screen, but have you considered one of those car windscreen repair kits?

Christian.

In article , Christian McArdle writes

This is the best idea and does work. All you need to do is fill the scratch with something which has a similar refractive index to the glass, and that's what the windscreen repair kits do.

I thought that tubes (perhaps some tubes) have coatings of one sort or another - e.g. anti-reflective etc. Might it be that using an abrasive, even a mild one would remove an area of this and produce something more noticable.

How about an insurance claim for accidental damage?

I heard of cigarette ash being used for this. Phil

How do you cut glass? You scratch it and apply stress. Hum, how big was this scratch again? I think I'd go for the insurance claim rather than risk implosion or than trying to polish it out. Coatings aside, if you can feel it with a finger nail I doubt you'll be able to polish it out anyway as it'll be too deep. Windscreen repair might be a solution but I'd still be worried about a failure.

Christian

But these kits are intended for *chips*, not scratches.

When I was in the TV repair trade, we used to rub *ACROSS* the scratch with Brasso on a rag. However it is *VERY* time consuming and does not (usually) completely remove the scratch. TV tube faceplates use glass which is heavily lead-loaded, making the glass soft and easily scratchable :(

If this is the route you decide to go and live in Surrey, I can recommend a good windscreen repair guy. I think he charges about £35 a car windscreen but does an excellent job. He nearly had a go at repairing some crystal for me only it was extremely fiddly. If you spoke to him he would tell you if he could do a tv screen repair. I will check back later and find his number if you want it.

In article , ":::Jerry::::" writes

Maybe, but it does work for hiding scratches in TV screens.

Or maybe even cheaper, some clear varnish. If the scratch disapears when you wet it, you can permanently wet it with varnish.

The windscreen stuff is about £10 if I remember correctly, and is used for filling the gap between the chip and the main piece of glass. It needs to cure in UV too. ISTR some glass blocks UV, so you may need to take the TV outside.

I had a friend with a plastic caravan window that was opaque with very fine scratches. I think he used varnish to wet it, and it went clear.

Bob

Remember there's a hard vacuum 'behind' the glass screen. Approximately 14 lb per square inch! Talk to your household insurance agent/claims man ... s/he may prefer to fork out for a new CRT rather than the consequences of the scratched tube failing.

Anybody asked the manufacturers of the TVs what they recommend?

Buy a new one?

Which are practically zero.

Back in the day, there was an advert (after some media hype about televisions imploding) featuring someone beating on an operating TV with a hammer. The faceplate is very, very tough.

I have serious doubts it's really flat. Even a very slight curve enormously increases the strength.

If you get a tube out and take it down somewhere you can chuck it 10' face down onto concrete you can make a satisfying bang.....

so I'm told.. :o)

Many years ago I tried to dispose of an old tube by burying it in soil, and throwing a hammer at its exposed face from a relatively safe distance. I failed miserably (the hammer is still probably buried in the field somewhere).

Eventually I took the base off the tube and broke the vacuum by cutting the little tube through which it had been evacuated. It filled up slowly with a hiss, and was disposed of in the bin. You can't do that with a modern tube.