Why \'Pop a Bullseye?\'

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V-Glass

Post by V-Glass »

I keep hearing techs say they'll pop a bullseye for stars and cracks and I'm just a little confused. I drill a hole to the vinyl and run the crack to it. Are we talking about the same thing?
Dave M
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Why 'Pop a Bullseye?'

Post by Dave M »

No, we are not. If you have drilled into the PVB you will not be able to pop a bullseye.
Popping a bullseye in a star or at the end of a crack is a simple process, after much practice. Don't pop your first bullseye on a customers windshield!
Popping a bullseye can serve one of two purposes. Help the flow of resin into the legs of a star break or stopping the end of a crack.
I use a FG 332 bit and drill half the length of the "pear" into the outer layer of glass. The mini bullseye tapper (Liquid Resins) is used to tap the bullseye in the hole you just drilled. Very important that what ever tool is used to tap the bullseye is smaller in diameter than the drill bit used or you can chip the glass or even break it further.
I never drill into the PVB, unless I was careless and applied too much pressure with a new bit. Doing this will leave a very visible dot in your finished repair!
gold star wsr
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Post by gold star wsr »

V-glass,

I will begin my answer to your question by first saying that you NEVER, NEVER EVER, drill to the vinyl. When I was new to windshield repair I was trained that it was the proper way to proceed, however, I quickly learned not only that it was incorrect, but also the reason why it is not recommended. Once the vinyl is penetrated, the integrity of the windshield is severely compromised. This, then, brings us to the purpose of popping a bullseye: This procedure accomplished a number important feats: First, it relieves the pressure at the end of a crack, thus helping to stabalize the glass and improving the quality of the finished repair. Second, because drilling to the vinly is not recommended, the popping of the bullseye creates a cone that extends to the vinyl without penetrating it. This makes it possible to run the crack into the drilled hole, but at the same time prevents the crack from running UNDER the drilled hole as very often may happen if no bullseye is popped. The reason for drilling and popping in a bullseye or a starbreak is essentially the same for each: Often a star break may have one or more 'floater' legs which are not connected to the impact point. These may be flexed into connection, but it is much easier and safer in most cases to drill and pop. I seldom find it necessary to pop a in the bullseye-combination type damage, but occasionally it is needed... usually because something is preventing the resin from flowing to the one or more of the legs.
GlasWeldTech
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Post by GlasWeldTech »

V Glass- Where in the state are you located?
V-Glass

Post by V-Glass »

What I try to do is drill all the way without actually tearing the vinyl but if there's the slightest gap, that crack will always run through it. But you can't beat being able to stop a crack with one, good clean hole. The question is, even if the vinyl is punctured, will the resin restore that bond? Now I can see how a bullseye can be a cleaner approach but how do you always create a perfect bullseye with no fracture? It seems to me like more work if you end up with combination breaks at the tips of stubborn or long legs, not to mention the appearance of the finished repair and the extra time to repair the added damage. And I can already here people saying, "Gee, I should've just left it alone!" I use the VP Maxim and it's able to fill out to the tips of star legs at least a full inch when set to 60psi, so I've never had to do anything beyond flexing and connecting to get a good repair. Thanks for all your input guys and I look forward to your responses!
StarQuest

How to identify stress crack?

Post by StarQuest »

I personally prefer to pop a bullseye, rather than try to drill for oil when I have a stubborn repair. Reason being is once you hit the vinyl (laminate) you already screwed up cause it leaves a permanant scar, not to mention closing off access to the legs by melting in the vinyl. From what I read so far it sounds like your a driller. If your using the proper resin most of your repairs can be accomplished with little to no drilling. When I do drill it's mainly to clean out the pit. (just a light peck) Just try it sometime and see what happens.....you might be suprised by the results. I do understand your concern about popping a bullseye. It's something you need to practice on until you fell comfortable with. Try getting a practice sheild and spend one evening with popping 10-20 and you'll be fine. When I first started repair I did everything the hard way and thought I had to drill every repair almost into the lami for it to fill. As time has passed I've learned so much more about doing repairs the proper way. A drill bit today will last over a month and two hundred repairs.
mdhuckle
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Post by mdhuckle »

["It seems to me like more work if you end up with combination breaks at the tips of stubborn or long legs, not to mention the appearance of the finished repair and the extra time to repair the added damage."]

After reading your comments, I think you may be confused on what a "popped bullseye" is. You should not end up with combination breaks at the ends of the legs you are trying to fill.

A popped bullseye in this context is made using a tappit and needle (or similar technique using your probe) and makes a very small "clean" bullseye that can be filled, not additional damage. The supplier of your windshield repair equipment probably sells a tappit kit, and the repair techs on this forum should be able to explain the procedure to you.

Hope this helps...

Sue
GlassLogic
THE NEW GUY

Post by THE NEW GUY »

I'm new at this, but tapping a bullseye is key. I worked with a guy thats been doing windshield repair for 9 years. He showed me how he did it...drilled a hole to the plastic in a BMW 5 series that was sold to a customer. When he was done, it was very visible because of the poc mark in the plastic. Even though I am somewhat inexperienced, I can make my jobs look better than some pro's just by popping a bulleye. Hope this helps.
Dave M
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WSR worldview

Post by Dave M »

New Guy,

Where in New England are you?
THE NEW GUY

Post by THE NEW GUY »

Hey Dave.
I'm in southeeast Nh...We don't go too far into Maine though...just near the borders. :)
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