Multiple injectors...help me understand

[Dave M]

Okay...multiple injectors for multiple vehicles = less time

I understand the formular but need to better understand the procedure.

I, like many of you have fleet and dealership accounts along with retail and insurance work. I use only the VP-5000 from GT with no other injectors.

I have many questions but will try to keep this as short as possible. Let's make a senario. A fleet account has 5 cars needing repairs. Of course all the breaks are different...a bat wing, simple bulls-eye, couple of 5 legged star-breaks and a nasty combination break.

1. What happens if the cars are seperated over the lot and some are buried and can't be moved?
2. Do you have sun-shades for each injector?
3. Do you have hood protectors for each vehicle?
4. Do you carry multiple curing lites, one for each injector?
5. Depending on the answers to #2 and #3 what happens when there's a gust of wind.
6. If you move the cars together in a line, are you properly insured to drive the vehicles?
7. Do you request that the cars be moved together by an employee of the lot?

For me it's a rarety to find 5-6 cars at a fleet that could be moved together for ease of repairing, because of being buried behind 5 other cars or just the lack of space to put them all close together. Would this be the only senario when multiple injectors are beneficial...the vehicles must be close together.

If I can be convinced that multiple injectors would benefit my business without damaging the quality of my repairs than I would gladly purchase some manual injectors and whatever accessories may be needed.

[mafsu]

1) Being too short for my weight, I walk to each of the cars
2) Use shop towels to block UV
3) I don't use hood protectors at fleet accounts
4) Yes I have multiple curing lights
5) Lose a shop towel every now and then
6) I am properly insured to do so but don't make a habit of it
7) At most of the big lots I service they will put the cars they are aware of in a designated area for glass damage.

It is helpful if the cars are close together but I will work on two at the same time that are 50 yards from each other if it will save me time.

The other scenario I can think of right off the top of my head is a vehicle with two or more stars in the same windshield (really couldn't get much closer). While it would take 40-45 minutes to repair this windshield (2 stars) with one injector, I could repair it in 25 with two injectors.

[Dave M]

Mafsu,

Thanks for your reply, I hope others will also.

I have a couple questions to your answers and in no way am I critiquing your answers, just trying to fully understand the process.

What type of curing lights are you using, battery or 12 volt?
If or when you have a shop towel blow off the repair, can't that be damaging if the break is not completely full of resin and has not gone through the curing process? That is what scares me the most about doing multiple repairs at once, not being with the repair if something happens.
I agree with the other scenario you mention. It does take me 30-45 minutes for 2 breaks on the same w/s. Two injectors would be a huge advantage . Makes you wonder why I don't have at least two injectors, huh? After 11 years, me too!

[mafsu]

Dave,

I use battery powered uv lights, I have used 12 volt before and see no difference in the quality of my repairs with the battery operated lights.

It could but I wrap them so the don't come off, it is a rare occurence to lose one

[Jeremiahswindshieldrepair]

1. What happens if the cars are seperated over the lot and some are buried and can't be moved?

ANSWER: I go to every vehicle until I have no bridges left... by the time I come back to the first it has usually had sufficient time to do the injection stage and it actually helps me to take the right amount of time to do the job thouroughly.


2. Do you have sun-shades for each injector?

Well, I live in Oregon where there isn't a whole lot of sun LOL ... but when there is sun I do use shop rags to cover it. You could go the super deluxe way and order the sun shields but a rag works as well.


3. Do you have hood protectors for each vehicle?

I don't use hood protectors and I have only scratched a car a single time and it was because I slipped and fell not because I was leaning. I use a carpenters tool belt that I bought from Home Depot and it has lots of metal hooks for tape measures and hammers and shuch and I put tape over all those and my wife sewed a really neat cloth padded thing that goes over the buckle. I can carry all my bridges, resins, curing tape, curing light, dremel and everything else I need to do repairs day or night. That way when I am up on a semi I don't have to get down to get an item.


4. Do you carry multiple curing lites, one for each injector?

I don't use curing lights except for when it is 30 minutes from total darkness or more. My chips cure in less than 2 minutes without a light and I use Delta Kits pit resin. I use my light maybe a handful a month and again only late in the day.


5. Depending on the answers to #2 and #3 what happens when there's a gust of wind.

I don't have tons of sun so I don't have the rag problem and I don't use hoodies.


6. If you move the cars together in a line, are you properly insured to drive the vehicles?

I never move a vehicle .... even if my insurance covers it I can't regain a customer through an insurance policy, even if I didn't scratch the car and they think I did I am screwed.


7. Do you request that the cars be moved together by an employee of the lot?

I don't need cars moved really.



I started out with 2 bridges and within 1 month I needed more. I figured if I could do 4 chips at once that it would double my productivity and it did. I was doing strictly fleets at that time and it was absolutely imparative that i was able to finish them in time to go to other accounts. I then went from 4 to 6 bridges in about another couple months. I still felt I could use more to maximize my time. I figured I was able to place 7 bridges in a small enough amount of time that I wouldn't be wasting time with bridges on the first windshield but still have enough time to place them all. 7 worked out great for me. I now do alot of tents myself and I use all 4 of the bridges I carry with me at least once a day.

[a1repair]

Dear Dave M.


1. What happens if the cars are seperated over the lot and some are buried and can't be moved?
Answer: We walk/driveup to them.

2. Do you have sun-shades for each injector?
Answer: We have one injector & one sunshade

3. Do you have hood protectors for each vehicle?
Answer: No need w/the process we use

4. Do you carry multiple curing lites, one for each injector?
Answer: We you the sun's uv rays. It's much faster

5. Depending on the answers to #2 and #3 what happens when there's a gust of wind.

6. If you move the cars together in a line, are you properly insured to drive the vehicles?
Answer: We try not moving vehicles, it wastes time.



7. Do you request that the cars be moved together by an employee of the lot?
Answer: We get the keys & handle all that oursleves

A-1 Windshield & Vinyl Repair

[Dave M]

A1Repair,

So, you don't believe in multiple injectors?

Can you explain your process when not using a hood protector

[Bill D]

Dave,
You really do need extra repair tools, and manual is the only way to go. Call Kerry at GT and ask if he has a loaner 20/20 that you can try. Fits in your hand and does everything your power system does.
If I can drive to the vehicle, I leave my tools in the back of my Saturn wagon,so no protector needed.
Liquid Resins sells a good UV protector with 4 suction cups for cheap.Moisten the cups, and they will not blow off.
Ask for Grace(Gold Star) to reply-she will help you big time.
I have GT 20/20, L/R,GW, and Delta tools, and all work well. I only use GT resins.

[glassdoctor]

My $.02... In the past I have carried up to 6 units and have done the same method as Jeremiah described, but in recent years I have gone to keeping only 3-4 in my bag.

I found that I could work just as fast by doing 3-4 cars at a time and keep better track of each one. I prefer to concentrate on fewer and knock them out quick... then move on, and keep 2-3 cars going at a time.

In fact, usually I only have 4 units going if a car has multiple repairs. I will break out a 5th or 6th only on special occasions .

All this depends on weather conditions etc also... sometimes I go with more than 5-6 injectors and sometimes I only do 1-2 repairs at a time.

Bottom line is only one tool is a handicap. If you do only retail work, one tool will be fine probably 80% of the time but on those cars with 2 or 3 repairs, you will wish you had more. For retail or small fleets, I think 2 injectors is enough. Only very experienced techs should ever use more than 2 at a time, imo.

It's late and I'm on cold medicine... I hope that made some sense...

[rola76]

Originally Posted by glassdoctor

My $.02... In the past I have carried up to 6 units and have done the same method as Jeremiah described, but in recent years I have gone to keeping only 3-4 in my bag.

I found that I could work just as fast by doing 3-4 cars at a time and keep better track of each one. I prefer to concentrate on fewer and knock them out quick... then move on, and keep 2-3 cars going at a time.

In fact, usually I only have 4 units going if a car has multiple repairs. I will break out a 5th or 6th only on special occasions .

All this depends on weather conditions etc also... sometimes I go with more than 5-6 injectors and sometimes I only do 1-2 repairs at a time.

Bottom line is only one tool is a handicap. If you do only retail work, one tool will be fine probably 80% of the time but on those cars with 2 or 3 repairs, you will wish you had more. For retail or small fleets, I think 2 injectors is enough. Only very experienced techs should ever use more than 2 at a time, imo.

It's late and I'm on cold medicine... I hope that made some sense...

Sorry I'm a rookie here, but what do you mean by "units"? Does that refer to injectors/bridges?