Acid-Etched Graffiti Removal

In this example we have a commercial building window that has had a graffiti "tag" acid-etched into its glass

As paint is far too easy to clean off of glass todays graffiti "artists" (?!?) now use a hydrofluoric acid solution to simply "draw" onto the glass

The acid burns into the surface of the glass making it impossible to wipe off but fortunately for us not impossible to remove

Stage 1.

Remove acid-etched graffiti "tag" from glass

*Although this may be "acid-etched" graffiti rather than the more traditional "glass scratch graffiti" to us they are no different and the glass polishing process is the same

Starting with our 2nd roughest grit cutting disc we begin to remove the glass on the acid-etched graffiti "tag"

We cut the glass growing the area evenly so as not to distort the glass during the glass polishing process until all visible traces of the acid-etched graffiti "tag" are removed

The main focus of this stage is keeping the glass flat whilst removing the acid-etched graffiti "tag"

Once we are happy with our area we move on the the next stage

Stage 2.

Remove all traces of previous glass polishing process

We now cut the glass again but this time with a finer grit cutting disc

By now the acid-etched graffiti "tag" should be gone from the glass so the main focus of this stage is working the area evenly as one to guarantee the full removal of the previous stage whilst still keeping the glass flat so as not to distort it during the glass polishing process

When we have gone over our area 2-3 times, not forgetting to slightly increase its size, we check that all traces of the previous glass polishing stage and all of the acid-etched graffiti "tag" is removed from the glass

Once we are happy with our area we move on to the next stage

Stage 3.

Remove all traces of previous glass polishing process

We once again cut the glass but this time with an even finer grit cutting disc

As with the previous glass polishing stage the acid-etched graffiti "tag" should be gone from the glass so the main focus of this stage is working the area evenly as one to guarantee the full removal of the previous stage whilst still keeping the glass flat so as not to distort it during the glass polishing process

When we have gone over our area 2-3 times, not forgetting to slightly increase its size, we check that all traces of the previous glass polishing stage and all of the acid-etched graffiti "tag" is removed from the glass

Once we are happy with our area we move on to the next stage

Stage 4.

Remove all traces of previous glass polishing process

We now cut the glass for the final time, once again with an even finer grit cutting disc

The main focus of this glass polishing stage is again working the area evenly as one to guarantee the full removal of the previous stage whilst still keeping the glass flat during the glass polishing process

When we have gone over our area 2-3 times, not forgetting to slightly increase its size, we check that all traces of the previous glass polishing stage and all of the acid-etched graffiti "tag" is removed from the glass

Once we are happy with our area we move on to the final stage, polishing

Stage 5.

Polish the glass to restore its clarity

We have now cut the glass to a point where the cut is fine enough to be polished out

We now use a polishing pad and polish to remove the previous glass polishing stage and to bring the glass back to its original clarity

When we have gone over our area 2-3 times we check that all traces of the previous glass polishing stage and all of the acid-etched graffiti "tag" is gone

The job has now been completed

All of the acid-etched graffiti "tag" has been fully removed from the glass and all traces of the glass polishing process are gone

The glass is once again back to its original acid-etched graffiti free condition and clarity, all in a matter of hours and at a fraction of the cost of replacement