[jakeru]

Originally Posted by PaulE

It isn't dual action, only random orbital.

Hi Paul - if you didn't glean from the link Gelbster posted already, "random orbital" polisher is another name for "dual action" polisher. Basically, it oscillates in small circular motion, while allowing the pad to rotate freely. The small oscillations help keep the edge from digging in.

Originally Posted by PaulE

I did not spend a lot of time on the windshield, but it didn't look like I made much progress on the thousands of tiny specks in the glass from road grit. I don't have issues with marks from my wipers, just the specks since I do all my driving on highways and the daily driver has 93,000 miles already. So, here's my multi-part question-If I spend more time on the windshield, can I expect to make any improvement on the tiny specks?

Yes, I also noticed those "specs" in my glass as I was polishing my windshield. As BoxsterSteve said, the very fine abrasives and polishing techniques described in this thread aren't aggressive enough to have any significant effect on those.

Originally Posted by PaulE

And if so, do I need to use a polisher that isn't a random orbital motion? And if the random orbital polisher should do the job, should it be at a higher or lower speed?

A rotary polisher is generally the most aggressive polishing tool. The drawback is the relatively fast-moving edge can easily "dig in", making even removal of material more of a challenge. However, I think the issue for pock mark removal is too fine of an abrasive.

Personally, when using a dual-action/random orbital, I like the speed set low enough that it doesn't sling material. By controlling downward pressure, you can influence cut rate. Running things at higher speeds, or too much downward pressure, can also input more heat into things, which can be problematic if things get too hot. In my case, I managed this heat by re-misting with water from a spray bottle a few times.

I have a set of diamond polishing pads for polishing stone/granite countertops, that are designed to use with rotary polishers, and ideally, flooded with a constant flow of water, as both a coolant and to keep freshly removed grit removed. While it would be an interesting experiment to try using them to polish automotive glass, and I'd be fairly confident they could break through at least some of those "pocks", I'd be very fearful that attempting this may result in uneven material removal (more likely the more aggressive you get with removal). You could easily make things worse (inducing optical distortions/aberration) than just leaving the small pits! Not to mention the time and effort required compared to the alternative of replacing the windshield.

You might look into some sort of windshield chip-filling resin might be workable to fill your pock marks, but I can't say whether it'd be worth the effort or not. Typically the chip-filling resin is done one chip at a time, and is UV-cured. The excess resin can be mostly shaved off flat with a razor blade afterward.