just ordered..

[Kgobin]

In my opinion, you always get tremendous results when doing a headlight restorations. Every time I restore headlights I keep the speed of the Metabo around 4 or 5 but after doing several headlights I am sure you will find out what works best for you.

[Brent Deines]

The customer had a new lincoln fully loaded w/rain sensors etc... His granddaughter kicked the windshield out when he stopped to get chewing gum on the way to church. The girl was 13 or 14 years old. She was mad because she was in a hurry.
I normally use the extra UV mix on the rear lights or soak it up with a paper towel and throw it away. I am better at judging how much is needed these days. I rather have a little extra than run out. I was just at the local shopping center and two guys were doing HL in the parking lot for $20. No UV or buffer. They were using polish and a spray can of lacquer. I watched them do a 2008 escalade, that had a small amount of whiting in the center. That owner is going to be upset soon, I started to give him my business card. Then I wondered if it could be buffed out since they used lacquer on the lens. They were doing newer vehicles that only had a very light hazing to the HL. Brent what do you recommend for vehicles that has had that done to them? They wouldn't let me put Business cards out , yet these guys were going about their task unnoticed. I talked to the manager, and he stated he wasn't aware it was happening. They were driving an old vehicle that needed lots of repair and their own HL & W/S repaired. These guy's are local according to the store manager. When I do HL's I normally do the Front side light since they are side-by-side. Sometimes they need it, while other vehicles look so-so. It just seems natural to do that. Brent, am I doing that correctly or should I charge when I do them? That may be why it takes me longer. Some of the lenses, clear, wrap around both, while other vehicles have a seperate red/yellow cover. I may be cheating myself. Iam very pleased with the UV products I purchased from Delta for HL's. I am not sure about the orange buffer. Sometimes, it seems its not spining or dragging when set on the 3-4 range when using the yellow polish pad. Whats the recommended speed?

So far I have not seen any 2008 vehicles with headlights that needed to be restored, but I have seen a few late model vehicles that were just beginning to show some signs of discoloration. In those instances I when sprayed on the Delta Kits Restore Prep and rinsed with water they looked great again. The surface did not seem to be harmed in any way so I just polished them up and called it good. What you charge in those instances is up to you, but I don't charge full price.

I have also not run across any vehicles that had lacquer on the headlights, so although I have heard of people using lacquer thinner to remove the coating lacquer before sanding and polishing, I hesitate to recommend something I have not tried myself. Maybe some of the other HL restoration professionals hear have more experience with this problem.

My rule of thumb is that if I have to sand a lens I charge for it, but if I am doing the headlights anyway and can brighten up the side or tail lights by cleaning with Restore Prep and coating with a little extra UV coat I do so for free. I'm sure customers would be willing to pay for this extra service, but it costs me very little time or money and I get a lot of good will from the gesture. Always trying to give a little extra!

I typically run the orange sander wide open when using the yellow polishing pad, but I know what you mean about it appearing to slow or even stop if you put too much pressure on it. It's a random orbit tool so it is not meant to run at high speed, but to eliminate burning, swirl marks, etc. I still have one of the orange sanders that I use for stripping the headlights, but the more I use the Metabo the more I can see the difference in quality, so when my orange tool dies I will be switching to the Metabo for stripping. As for polishing, I have been playing around with using polishing disks rather than the yellow pad, and once the coating is applied I can't tell the difference. I use polishing disks with the orange tool and the Metabo. We also sell a super heavy duty Makita polisher that can be used to put a crystal clear finish on the lens before applying the coating. I've found nothing that works better than the Makita and a wool pad for polishing, and those who do not apply UV coatings love them. It has exceptional power and durability coupled with very good balance. Although I don't find it necessary when using our UV coating, the Makita is great for larger surfaces like motorcycle and boat windshields. Larger pads can be used for those purposes.

Tool selection is to a large degree personal preference which is why we carry all three tools mentioned above, but if you are not happy with the orange tool I suggest trying the Metabo. There is no question that it is a higher quality tool. I will make you a great deal on one if you want to trade in the orange tool, or you may want to keep it for a backup. You can even try the Metabo and send it back for a refund if you don't think it does a better job. In any case, I want you to be happy so just let me know what I can do to help.

[Deacon]

Hey Ricersux, I've attached a link to my website so that you can see what you may be encountering out there in the field. Some lens don't require any sanding at all if you know the right products to use. Most lenses that are only yellowed, i simply remove the yellow and coat with sealer and I can finish a set in about 15 to 20 minutes. I charge full price because the customer is paying me an agreed upon price to restore their headlight, not by the hour.And then again, I've spent over an hour and a half on one vehicle and gone through I don't know how many sanding discs, and still charged the same price. Goes with the territory.
{URL removed by moderator}

[Brent Deines]

Deacon,

Those are great pics but we don't allow promotional URL's on this website. I know that was not your intention, but if I allow you to place a link to your website I have to allow everyone else to do the same. We tried that in the past but privilege was abused.

Please feel free to post the pics or send the link via private message to other board members.

Thank you for your cooperation.

[candyman]

The headlight shown in the before photo looks good compared to the ones Iam doing. I've seen a few that just had a small amount of whiting, but the customers said they would wait untill it interfered with their night driving. I live in one of the poorest counties of this state. I made a mistake about the laquer. They were using it to help clean the len's but it was mixed with something else they had in a can. They used polyulthane/clear coat for a glossy coating. I must have put flyers on 5 or 6, 2007/2008 vehicles today that had the large lens that were already frosting. Mostly SUV's and trucks.
Update on Wal-Mart. The local Mgr is allowing me to put my flyers out. Their service department only polishes the HL. They dont use a sealant or UV treatment. They also don't give any type of warranty with that service. A flat $40 plus tax, charge for all vehicles. I did two HL for customers at a local detailing & rim shop Saturday. They were amazed at the results. This shop had just put a $3000 set of rims and tires on one of the cars and cleaned it. They have another vehicle for me to do this week. They pay me my price and pass a higher cost to the customer. It works out nice for me because Iam working in a air conditioned facility, instead of the outdoor 90 degrees plus we have. My concern, he may buy a similar product and train one of the $7 phr men to do it. Iam already paying a 10% referal fee to other locations such as, inspection stations, tire & battery shops etc... I have burned a mark on a few lens with the orange buffer using the sanding 350 pad. I just buff it out. It happened when I angled it instead of staying flat near the edges. It seems that some people are using more than one buffer on the HL. I may order the other buffer with my next UV order. Iam going to Harbour Freight this week to look for a power source, and check out buffer pads.

[Brent Deines]

Are you using an interface pad? We don't use a 350 grit but we use 320 and I cannot imagine burning if using a random orbit sander and an interface pad. They are soft and conform to the lens shape without creating hot spots. Orbital sanders are a different story. You can easily burn a lens even when using an interface pad if you are not careful.

[candyman]

Iam using the orange buffer I purchased from Delta kits and the the first pad which is 320. I normally buff the lens untill all the dark spots are out (red mud), then I move on to the next pad in the sequence. Sometimes if I give the buffer a slight angle it will take those spots out quicker or I end up cutting a few small scratches due to pad dragging into the lens (brown looking). I then buff that area untill its smooth again. It dont always do it, but I've had it happen on several that I have done. I use the foam black type pad that came with the kit for everything, except when I use the wax buffing pad. It keeps the buffer up higher so I can get closer to the corners without damaging the painted edges around the light. I need another pad because this one is wearing out fast. I'll be in Raleigh this week and will check to see if HF has any. Its expensive to just buy one or two things and have it shipped across country taking a full week. When I order on Monday, I normally get it on the following Monday. Some items I can plan ahead and thats not a problem. At the moment I just need that little 3" black pad and I don't need anything else. I am trying to find something that I can use in an emergency. I need more of those wax pads also. I will probalbly stock up on the things I am discovering that dont last long. I placed a order a few weeks ago for chemicals and the sanding pads I seem to use the most. I forgot to put those other items on that list. I will learn! I did two more HL jobs at the same shop today, and I have two WSR jobs scheduled for vehicles I did the HL for. I was planning to buy the dome for WSR when you had it on sale, but the freight was going to be about $70 plus due to the bulk size.
I will need more chemicals soon, if the customers continue to increase. I have cancer surgery next Friday, and I will be off my feet a few days. I will put an order together so It will be here by the time I am ready to lauch my radio spots for Fall night driving. I plan to do this full time by this time next year, and hopefully completed the WSR class in Oregon.

[Brent Deines]

candyman,

First and foremost let me say that many of us at Delta Kits will be praying for a successful surgery and a quick recovery.

You have provided a lot of very valuable information for us in your last post, thank you. If your interface pad is too worn the backing pad on the tool can come into contact with the surface of the lens and leave marks. I'm not sure if that is what is happening to you, but it is sometimes mistaken for burning and something to watch for. Interface pads are inexpensive so I would recommend keeping a couple of extras along with the discs you use most. Although we have tried to gauge the products needed so everything runs out at the same time, everyone uses a slightly different process so it takes a little while to figure out how which products you will need to order a bit more often.

You might try using some of the finer grit polishing discs instead of the yellow polishing pads. It's personal preference but I have been using 2400 and 3200 discs and skipping the polishing pad. Polishing discs are expensive so I'm not sure it saves you money, but it's not as messy as using the polish. Depending on when you purchased your Delta Kits Professional Headlight Restoration System you may or may not have received the 2400 and 3200 discs with your order. We are constantly trying to improve and simplify the process but find that just about every headlight restoration technician has a different opinion on what works best.

Orders are almost always shipped the day they are placed so East coast orders do take about 5 days if we ship ground. We used to ship everything 3-day or faster, but shipping costs have gone up so much in the past few years that customers began complaining about the prices. If you every need something faster just ask and we will get it their overnight if necessary. Obviously that service comes with a price tag however, so you are smart to plan ahead as you have already started doing.

Let us know how your radio spots work. I used to run radio ads with our focus primarily on product sales these days have not done so in many years. I have been thinking about giving it another try however, so your input would be most appreciated.

Again I thank you for your feedback. The more we know about how our products are used and how our service is perceived the more we can improve.

[Frank EU]

I have cancer surgery next Friday, and I will be off my feet a few days.

Some 35 years ago I have been there myself. Success, be good.

Radio commercials eh? Interesting, we were thinking about that ourselves as well (Nederland business) for both windshield repair and scratch removal but pushed it forward to next year since we want to expand our coverage with a few other locations.

[candyman]

The local radio station charges $25 to write the add & do the voice. The I pay $5 for each 1 min slot. I can pick the days and how many. No limit or minimum amount to purchase. Call in talk show spots are $7.50. Thats when they have the most listeners. Town talk & Sports talk seem to be the best times and during the mornig local news & afternoon reports. I do have the 2400 pad & 3200. I normally use one or the other, then the polish pad. I will try just using the sanding pads on the nect vehicle and see how that works.
Thank you for the get well message.
I did a WSR today for free for a HL customer. It was a small bullseye, that was near the DVA about the size of a dime. He stated it had been in the windshield about 2 years and had not cracked out. I informed him about the dirt in the glass and It wouldn't be completely gone. I also informed him that it might crack while doing it. He still wanted it done. I pick the center a little with a sewing needle and set my bridge up. I put the injector in, and it wasn't filling. I thought it may be due to dirt in the hole. So I drilled just a little in the center. I remounted the bridge and before I put the injector in, I noticed about a 1/4 inch crack starting towrd the N and another to the south of the windshield.
I looked in my book and it stated to drill a small hole at the end of the crack to stop the spread. The vehicle was in full sun, about 84 degrees.
I informed the owner what I was doing. I drilled and the crack jumped to both drill holes. I then filled everything and the surface was smooth, but from inside the vehicle I could see the drill holes and a very faint skeleton of the top crack. I called and talked to one of your operators, and she told me basicly what may have happen. My question. Did I need to drill to stop those cracks or should I have just filled the original site, (which didn't seem to be filling) and see if the resin would flow into the cracks. She told me, sometimes too much pressure on the injector would cause the cracks to run more. I will keep practicing. Are we just trying to seal the glass so it won't crack and provide a smooth surface for the wipers, or are we suppose to make it almost invisible as well. I ended up with three very small blimishes, but smooth surface.
I know you say don't drill unless absolutely neccessary. I see other videos where they are usuing the same basic bridge I have and they seem to drill a little on everything. I will practice more before I do another customer. I've only done a few customers, but I've done more than 50 on bad windshields. Somewhere,I read I need to do about 200 before doing a customer. This is much harder than th HL restoration.