LCD Scratch

[PauL]

Well I just got home from a LAN party and got everything all set back up when I realized what looked to me to be some dirt on my monitor but really turned out to be a scratch about 3/4 inch long. In the years of me moving my monitor around this is the first time I have ever scratched a screen. I usually set my monitor screen down on my car seat making sure nothing is underneath, but unfortunately something seemed to scratch it this time.

Are there any easy fixes to make it less noticable? Its pretty much in the middle of my monitor and quit annoying.

I guess this could be a reason to get a new monitor

[dr.walrus]

Tap it gently, directly over the crack, with a heavy hammer. It sounds ridiculous, but the shockwaves ripple across the surface of the glass, smoothing out the top layer.

If it doesn't work, hit it a bit harder.

[x88x]

I'd say just ignore it. I got a scratch on one of my monitors a while back, and tbh, after a month or so I didn't even notice it anymore.

Alternately, toothpaste... Yeah, I know, weird, but plain toothpaste with a smooth cloth or sponge acts like extremely fine grain sandpaper (~4000-5000 grit, usually, iirc), and if you smooth out the sharp edges of the scratch it makes it much less noticeable.

[Zephik]

I've used toothpaste on car scratches before. It works pretty well.

Anything that dries clear works I guess. Just need to replace that which was scratched out.

[OvRiDe]

Tap it gently, directly over the crack, with a heavy hammer. It sounds ridiculous, but the shockwaves ripple across the surface of the glass, smoothing out the top layer.

If it doesn't work, hit it a bit harder.

NOT FUNNY!!! If you don't have something constructive to say.. then well don't say it.

As for how to minimize it.. you can try to polish it out, but you can also use a little Vaseline (petroleum jelly) and it will help minimize the visual effect of the scratch.

1.Take some Vaseline and fill the scratch with it.
2.Gently wipe off the excess Vaseline, being careful not to press too deeply so as to leave some inside the scratch.

I have had a couple of friends in the same boat and they said it really does help it appear to have vanished.

Hope this helps.

[PauL]

Thanks for the ideas. So far I am getting a little used to it. Luckly it's a very narrow scratch, almost like a hair, but it is quite noticable on light backgrounds. The vaseline idea sounds like it might work considering how small the scratch is.

[dr.walrus]

NOT FUNNY!!! If you don't have something constructive to say.. then well don't say it.

zomg sorry he might have followed my advice!!!!11111one

[dr.walrus]

erm, be careful if you take the above advice, if you've got an anti-glare coating it'll make an unholy mess. If you wear through it on one spot, it'll look 100x worse than the scratch

[BuzzKillington]

there's gels out there specifically for screen scratches. Check ebay.

[Konrad]

I discovered this interesting stuff about the abrasive quality of different toothpastes.

The LCD panel is covered by a thin glass plate ("the glass") because even the best plastics have less clarity and scratch too easily over time. The glass (or entire LCD part) is industry rated on the Pencil Hardness Scale (aka Graphite Hardness Scale). Seriously. Most LCD glass is 2H-3H while touchscreens are typically 3H or harder (especially for stylus units). Making it harder either substantially increases the thickness and weight (both undesirable in mobile devices) or makes it too brittle for expected use (over time the glass could crack from radiated LCD heat).

You could even use jeweller's rogue or other micron-abrasives intended for polishing optical-quality lenses. I've never done it with LCD glass but they work surprisingly often on removing surface scratches from (plastic) CD/DVD discs.

Anti-Glare coating (if present) is a plastic film which might be placed over or under the glass panel. If it (or any other plastic) is on top of the glass then you'll make a big hazy mess by abrading it. (Surface films can sometimes be peeled off).

lol, I keep a clean towel in my car for wrapping display screens, and always keep them facing upward (and far away from any other objects which might land on them). I think I'm gonna buy static screenguards for my LAN displays now, couldn't hurt.