Scratch Removal on iMac (Intel 21.5 inch)

[boxfullofK]

Hey everyone,

Well, my nephew and I were watching Toy Story on my Mac the other night, and he got a little too excited and crashed Buzz Lightyear against my Mac's screen! Now there is a less than .5 inch vertical scratch in the bottom corner of my Mac. I only notice it when the background is light, but its really annoying me. I want my Mac to be pristine!

I want to remove this scratch. I have read some of the other posts here on scratch removal--like toothpaste, car window scratch remover, Turtle wax stuff, etc.

What do I use? I guess the first clue is in knowing exactly what the screen is made of. It feels like acrylic but I know Apple makes special glass that has acrylic properties, so I want to be sure I am using the right materials for the job.

Thanks!

 

[LiloThePleo]

Anything like toothpaste etc will make the screen much worse.

 

[Twin B]

I'd call AppleCare to find out what the screen material is, & maybe they'd have a suggestion for repairing the scratch. Another option is to go to your local Apple store to talk to one of the so-called geniuses, they may know. Additionally, a privately owned Apple repair shop guy may shed some light on your problem. Once you know the screen's composition it will be easier to get the fix done. There are several companies that have products to repair & clean plastic/acrylic lenses on car dashboards, & this could be your next stop. If you do try to fix it yourself, a microfiber cloth of 80/20 composition would be useful instead of a cotton towel because mf won't scratch. Let us know what you find out, OK? Joe.

Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!

 

[TMRaven]

You can get a replacement screen easily enough from a local apple store.

 

[RubbishBBspeed]

If the glass is coated then repairing the scratch may be difficult, you may end up with the screen looking pristine form viewing direct on but a sideways glance you will likely notice a difference in surface reflection.

Scratch removal on glass mostly involves polishing with cerium oxide using a very smooth cloth pad. To chemically wash the glass you'd need something like hydrofluoric acid, which simply isn't going to happen as this is seriously dangerous stuff and more for removing hydrocarbon derived coatings.

Sanding and then polishing the glass is a big no no for such a small scratch. It could be done that way but is much a kin to taking a grinder to a car panel just to get at a small scratch out. Pointless and a big waste of time.

May be worth while popping into a jewellers to see if they have any sapphire glass polishing compound and if you can get a pot. They may even point you in the direction of a point of sale. Or if you can remove the glass from the iMac and take it into them they may even remove the scratch for you. Worth a try????