Sanded My Loading Door "Glass"

I replaced my door glass on my Leisure Line Econo1 stoker stove about two years ago. This year it got that crazed look and a buildup that just wouldn't wipe off no matter what I did. The door took on the characteristic orange glow because of the buildup and crazing in the "glass" which as I know is not really glass but a high temperature mix of ceramic and glass that has a shock temp around 1,800 degrees. Stoker users know that the "glass" will craze after a couple of years and you have a choice of looking at the orange door glow or replacing the "glass."

I went to a auto garage and saw a mechanic sitting at a work bench and had the lens from the headlight of a car on the bench. He had a bowl of water and a can of rubbing compound. He dipped his rag in the bowl of water, then the compound and started rubbing the lens with circular motions. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was getting the haze and crazing out of the lens. He said he started with 200 grit sandpaper and worked his way to finer and finer grits using lighter and lighter pressure and now he was at the compound. The lens was almost clear again. He said you can spend $20 bucks for a kit or make your own with some very fine grit sandpaper, a can of rubbing compound and some water. He showed me the other lens and the one he was working on looked almost new.

This morning I got a sheet of 200 grit sandpaper and tried it with a light touch. It took off the deposits right away and started removing some of the crazing. I noticed the surface was getting a polished look to it but I could only do this for a couple of minutes as the stove was running and it started getting a bit hot on the hands and face.

After only a couple of minutes of this I wiped it down good with a dry paper towel and closed the door again. Now I can see the flame again and the burning bed clearly. I don't have to open the door any more to check the ash bed length! It didn't take out all the crazing but enough to clearly see the fire again.

It sure is a lot cheaper than replacing the "glass." This works and is a reasonable alternative to replacing the "glass."

Rev. Larry

Cool!! Rubbing compound.. I wonder if scraping with a razor would work. Ya know, like how a razor takes dried paint off a window OR removing an inspection sticker off a windshield.

I had tried a single edge razor, steel wool, steel wool with detergent in it with the glass cool and hot. Hot was a bad idea. The water heated up as soon as it contacted the glass and transmitted the heat directly through the steel fibers to my fingers. BAD move.

I'm going to do the very fine dry sandpaper every couple of days during the season and at the end I'll pull the door, remove the glass and try the sanding and rubbing compound. It should work since the 200 grit took off so much after only a minute or so.

Rev. Larry

I have a metal cover with a handle that goes over the door opening when I need to clean the glass, it came with the stove. Just open it up and let it sit for a while and then clean it with Rutland? Glass Cleaner, sometimes use a razor blade to scrape some stuff off.

My keystoker glass is going on 12 years now, starting to craze over a little in spots and won't come out, but you can still see the flames and stuff.

The new glass we are using has been holding up well on the Pioneer at my house. Its the second year for it and it still cleans up clear very easily. The most important time to clean it is whenever it is not running. As long as the ash is dry it does not etch the ceramic. If it is left for periods with no flame the humidity will mix and form acid and etch.

You can use toothpaste on the headlights but that is only going to work for light damage and I'd imagine it should work for the glass if you keep up with it. They make kits for the headlights that have a rotary sanding pad for drill etc. 3 different grits of sandpaper and pad for the rubbing compound. Worked fantastic on the lights of my 92 Buick which were terrible, they were to the point they felt rough.

Off topic but if you have CD or DVD that skips you can try the toothpaste on that too.

Richard S. wrote:Off topic but if you have CD or DVD that skips you can try the toothpaste on that too.

Yes I've done the disc and tooth paste thing too works good for light scratches..

Flyer5 wrote: If it is left for periods with no flame the humidity will mix and form acid and etch.

Oh ok, so the etching is actually caused from acid eating into the glass. I thought it was just fly ash that had adhered to the surface of the glass. Makes sense now why rubbing compounds or the like would work good for this.

I shoulda took a before--BUT-I'm old Anyway--I haven't touched my glass for 3 yrs except basic windex, towel & ash, razor blade, etc, etc--I just tried what the Padre said--I had 220 emery cloth & used it with some windex sprayed on it--no compound available at the moment---not sure how the pix shows it, but I'm 100% better then I was

freetown fred wrote:I shoulda took a before--BUT-I'm old Anyway--I haven't touched my glass for 3 yrs except basic windex, towel & ash, razor blade, etc, etc--I just tried what the Padre said--I had 220 emery cloth & used it with some windex sprayed on it--no compound available at the moment---not sure how the pix shows it, but I'm 100% better then I was

Yeah that's better! At least you can see thru it.. I wonder if steel wool wound get it even better.. Be careful though, you don't wanna use anything too abrasive.

Tried steel wool, Brillo pads, etc, etc. My next shot will be with my orbital sander & 220. I couldn't even see through the glass & got those results in about 2 minutes by hand with the 220:)

My telescope mirror making experience tells me that with glass you will need to progress through a multitude of finer and finer grits until you get to about 1,000 or 1,200 grit, and then you can finally transition to polish. Zirconium Oxide mixed in water is the most typically used polish. You can use Rouge (extremely finely pulverized iron oxide, or rust) if you don't mind getting really dirty.

If you ever replace the glass never use ammonia products on it. I only use water and a paper towel or newspaper.

Flyer5 wrote:If you ever replace the glass never use ammonia products on it. I only use water and a paper towel or newspaper.

Why??? I've been using pure ammonia on mine and it really seems to clean it up nice. Will it react with ceramic glass?

freetown fred wrote:I couldn't even see through the glass & got those results in about 2 minutes by hand with the 220

Finest I had on hand is 150. I got "adequate" results in just a minute with that. Next time remind me not to use the rubber sanding block, however -- smells bad when it gets hot and engenders charges of senility from the wife unit.

Lightning wrote:

Flyer5 wrote:If you ever replace the glass never use ammonia products on it. I only use water and a paper towel or newspaper.

Why??? I've been using pure ammonia on mine and it really seems to clean it up nice. Will it react with ceramic glass?

It removes the protective film. The same with letting the acid form once the surface is damaged its done.