Finished Chip Repair

[RJL]

Hi everybody, I am new to the business and I seem to have a problem. When I am done curing with the UV light and finished with the polish there is still a bit of a chip and dull spot, even after multiple tries on the same spot. Any suggestions?

[Brent Deines]

Welcome to the windshield repair forum RJL.

Be sure you are using a high quality pit resin and leaving a bit of a hump over the pit area under the curing tab. When you scrape, be sure you are using a new razor blade and scrape at a 90 degree angle to the glass. The result should be a smooth finish that is flush with the glass. Polish with a high quality pit polish and the cloudy white pit area will become quite clear, however you will always see the pit area, unless it is very tiny. Usually it just looks like a little water spot on the glass.

All resins shrink slightly as they cure, which is why we leave the hump. We see many technicians push down on the center of the curing tab before curing which can squeeze out too much resin and leave a divot. A dull razor blade or a razor blade held at the incorrect angle can dig into the cured pit filler which will also leave a divot.

If you fail to follow the instructions above and do end up with a small chip or dull spot in the chip area, you can always use a drop of thin resin to fill in any minute scratches or chips that a high viscosity resin cannot fill, then follow with a drop of pit resin, cover with a curing tab, cure, scrape and polish again.

This is also the procedure you will follow to restore the finish of an old repair that has discolored or is no longer flush with the surface of the glass due to years of weather, wiper scraping, etc. However, before you restore the finish of an older repair, carefully scrape away the contaminated surface with a probe or use a drill and a round bur to grind away the contaminated surface. The result should be a restored pit area that looks as good as the day it was done.