Zen and the Art of Windshield Repair

[victoria wilson]

Zen and the Art of Windshield Repair

Having read a majority of the posts to this forum, I have already come to the conclusion that, like medicine, windshield repair is as much an art as a science. - which breaks this little bio-chem major’s heart....sigh.

But as I have been practicing “drills and fills”, a few questions regarding the design of bridges and injectors come to mind.

I don’t know the brand name of the tools I am using, but the bridge is a tripod with the injector at one apex and two adjustable legs on the others. A suction cup secures the bridge to the windshield. The injector is a screw system where screwing clockwise creates pressure; counterclockwise, vacuum. The directions I have been given is to screw “x” amount of turns either way to reach these two different cycles. Although I am new, I cannot fathom any difference in feel between one cycle and another. And I don’t know if my 10 screws (at 95 lbs) are the same as another’s. Which brings me to my first question: Are there any systems out there that indicate whether one is in pressure or vacuum cycle? A switch from one to the other? Or even a line on the injector that indicates below is pressure, above is vacuum? And if so, which are they? And do they have an inherent disadvantage of which I’m not yet aware?

Second question: Re: Adjusting pressure. I’ve been told to adjust the bridge until the tip of the injector begins to flatten against the windshield, but from reading numerous posts here and from breaking one of my practice windshields, I think there must be a better way to estimate the correct amount of pressure. Do any systems come with a pressure gauge?

Again, I want to thank you all for your kindness and generosity in sharing your hard-earned wisdom. It is truly appreciated.

Victoria, wishing windshield repair were more like a chemistry lab than Art 101....smile

[magicogar]

Hmm, your first question sounds like a trick question to me so I'll leave that to someone else.

As for the 2nd question, after the seal touches the glass, I then turned the injector about 3/4 of an additional turn. You want to create a seal with as less turns as possible to prevent the cracks from closing.

As for applying pressure to the injector, I just carefully apply pressure until I see that the resin is flowing. Then I do a couple of pressure and vacuum cycles. Too much pressure can create a ring on a bullseye and too much on a crack will cause it to run. My best advice is to be patient.

Hope this helps

[screenman]

Ten turns or threads is the same whatever you are wearing!

Please get some proper training. We have one hell of a problem in this trade with unskilled people bringing the image of repair down.

I am sorry to upset anyone but it is something I feel very strongly about I have just trained someone who came to me after buying a kit and being shown how to use it by the sellers ( one of the biggest names around ) and he could hardly put the bridge on.

I run training courses in the UK mainly for people who have purchased a kit elsewhere and they are over three seven hour days, after this my pupils will be able to carry out most repairs but will still be learning years later.

This is a great business speculate to accumulate spend some money and get it right.

By letting people think they can learn this in a day only devalues our trade and puts us on a par with unskilled labour. Do you know any unskilled person who can earn £100.00 per hour

[Dave M]

Victoria,

Why do you not know the manufacturer of your injector??

Do you have a manual that came with your equipment?

My answer to your first question is GT's VP 5000 which has a vacuum and pressure guage and toggle switches for both. You can cycle back and forth with the flip of a switch. One disadvantage....bulky and heavy machine, about 15 pounds. Keeps you in shape during your work day!
The VP 5000 also has an internal battery to opertae a drill and UV curing light.

I'd better stop....Jeff may think I'm trying to market GT equipment!

[victoria wilson]

[quote="screenman"]Ten turns or threads is the same whatever you are wearing!

Please get some proper training. We have one hell of a problem in this trade with unskilled people bringing the image of repair down.

I am sorry to upset anyone but it is something I feel very strongly about

If this “anyone” be lil ol’ me, please don’t apologize. I’m here to learn, not to get upset. The best teacher I ever had was a no-frills, call them as she saw them Ms. Richie. (You can imagine what we called her behind her back). She demanded more than we students ever believed ourselves capable of - and, guess what - she got it.

As to ten turns or threads being the same whatever you are wearing, perhaps I didn’t express myself adequately. I was never directed to count threads, but rather to turn my wrist a certain amount of times.....and, I beg to differ, I think circumference of wrist does make a difference.

As for being an untrained bull let loose in the laminate shop, please don’t fear. I would never subject the public or fellow windshield repair persons to one drop of resin - much less the bite of a bit - until I am perfectly confident in my ability to do a repair of which I could be proud. In my post I purposely stated I was PRACTICING my “drills and fills”. Perhaps I should have added, “ in my backyard with a free windshield from a replacement only company - not on unsuspecting clients.”

My fiancé (who is training me) has been in the windshield repair business for 8 years, so I do have access to some pretty powerful “knowhow”. The problem is having one’s significant other teach windshield repair is like having one’s significant other teach one to drive. I’ve tried both and they don’t work effectively...sigh.

He does repairs and I watch. Then I ask why this way and `not that? He thinks it’s crystal clear. I think it’s like cheap resin...

I thought perhaps utilizing the wonderful resources on this forum might avoid World War III.

I never meant to ignite the ire of the veterans. So please, if any one apologizes, let it be me for posing perhaps too remedial a question. But don’t think you’re going to get rid of me by upsetting me. I may not be that unleashed bull, but I have his thick skin. I really need to learn both the art and business of windshield repair. And, like the Little Prince, I never let go of a question once I’ve asked it...

[victoria wilson]

[quote="Dave M"]Victoria,

Why do you not know the manufacturer of your injector??

Do you have a manual that came with your equipment?

My answer to your first question is GT's VP 5000 which has a vacuum and pressure guage and toggle switches for both. You can cycle back and forth with the flip of a switch. One disadvantage....bulky and heavy machine, about 15 pounds. Keeps you in shape during your work day!
The VP 5000 also has an internal battery to opertae a drill and UV curing light.

Thank you for mentioning GT. I have searched their web site and intend to give them a call for more info tomorrow. (I wrote this in a whisper so Jeff won't be able to hear...lolol) As to the 15 lb....that does pose a problem (so, not in whisper, Delta still in contetion)....but, perhaps dragging 15 lbs and making money beats lifting bar bells with Richard and going broke.

[CPR]

Dont get upset with screenman's lack of sensitivity, he is from the UK and they look at things in a different way. If you can take a picture of your injector someone will tell you what ya got, maybe a GM.

[glassdoctor]

Your fiance is probably realizing the frustration that's typical in such a situation. It can be difficult to teach someone something like this when you know what you do, but you don't know how to explain what and why. And I found out quickly the first time I trained someone else, that I do a lot of little things without really thinking aobut what I was doing. I just learned to do it that way. When you have to teach someone else, all those little "things" you just do by nature have to be realized and then explained. It's not easy sometimes. That's just a really long way of saying that I know what you are going through. :evil:

Just like when I tried to "teach" my wife to play tennis... with proper technique... :roll: not pretty sometimes :cry:

Back to the windshield repair issues:

"xx number of turns..." type of manual jargon often is worthless.

You need to get a feel for what is happening before you can be comfortable with the repair process. For mounting the injector and getting a seal against the glass, you need to just experiment a little.

First, when you mount the bridge assembly, with the injector not yet touching the glass, you need to use the leveling legs/screws to adjust it so that the injector is perpendicular to the surface so the seal will be flat against the glass. Then screw the injector body down to touch the seal to the w/s.

1. Start with just a very slight seal pressure. Adjust it until the seal just touches the glass enough to maintain contact, and no more. Now run the injector through a full pressure cycle. See how much pressure (psi) you achieve before the seal leaks and you lose pressure/resin. If it leaks/blows out, you know the seal was not tight enough.

2. Try it again with a little more seal pressure (pushing on the glass) .. maybe 1/4 turn more this time, and see if it holds pressure (psi). Continue this practice until you learn how much seal pressure is required for your equipment.

This should also allow you to learn a feel for the "resin" pressure or psi.

You should be able to "feel" the pressure build and then release if/when the seal blows out or leaks. If the injector's inner seal has a lot of restistance to turning it may be more difficult to feel the subtle differences of pressure and vacuum.

Tip: more resin in the injector might give a better feel if you have trouble. Just a couple drops inside the injector won't give the same "feel" as say 6-8 drops...

These things will vary of course with different equipment but it should give you something to work with.

And of course, Delta, GW and certain other injectors are different than typical "screw type" tools and most of this wouldn't apply.

[screenman]

Try a couple of drops of resin on the injector thread before you put it in, as a lubricant this improves the feel no end.

My rant was definately not aimed at you personaly but at the trade in general and mostly at some of the people selling kits without training. I am sure your fiance agrees with some of my points as he has been in the trade so long and seen the prices some of you get for work go down instead of up.

I wish everyone who masters the skills properly and charges the right amount the utmost success, if I did not I would not be giving the benefit of my experience so freely on this forum.

[victoria wilson]

[quote="glassdoctor"]Your fiance is probably realizing the frustration
Just like when I tried to "teach" my wife to play tennis... with proper technique... :roll: not pretty sometimes :cry:

LOLOL....not pretty is an understatement. Downright ugly is the reality.

Bravo! Bravo!

Someone suggested that I read both your and Screenman’s posts among the first when searching the forum for answers. Now I understand why. I already knew from Screenman’s response that he trains newbies. I suspect from the clear, succinct and easily followed steps you enumerated for me that you, too, must spend time in training fledglings - or writing manuals. If, not, what a waste of knowledge and talent!

I printed out your post early this morning. As soon as the sunrise allowed, I began to practice. And, “by God, I think she’s got it!” Your tip at the end regarding more resin, along with Screenman’s tip about lubricating the injector with resin, have all but solved my problem with getting a feel for the difference in the cycles - rather like taking off the clumsy boxing gloves I felt I was wearing.

And (though I’ll swear I’ve not said this) I think either fiancé does not level the legs first or that I have just not been perceptive enough to notice. I tried that and what a difference! Makes the entire procedure of lining up the injector and sealing the bridge so much easier.

Your answer and Screenman’s hint have made incurring his initial wrath well worth while. With the help of the two of you, along with the words of encouragement from others, I have had the most successful morning practice of windshield repair since I began this endeavor four weeks ago!

I thank you all so very much. Fiance would thank you if he could see me and my windshield this morning. My bridge and injector thank you and, I suspect, my poor abused windshield thanks you, too.

Eliza Doolittle