Ugh! Double Crack out!

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TechEvo

Ugh! Double Crack out!

Post by TechEvo »

Ok, so I'm working on a newer Suburban that has a chip in the middle top area of the windshield. Its in the 80's so I have windows down and a/c is on blowing in the car (not on windshield).

It had been a few minutes so I begin the repair. Scraped with the scribe, it looked good, put the injector on it and covered it with a towel.... I come back after getting another car maybe 10 mins ( I guess I shouldn't have left it so long) and the chip has run a leg 8 inches to the left and 8 inches to the right.

Heres the kicker, while I was gone with the injector on pressure the resin flowed into the crack probably 5 inches or so in both directions and was now partially in the sunlight. Since it ran on its own I couldn't do anything to cover to keep from air getting in because it was to late, already in the crack and partially curing.

I ended up stopping the two cracks and filling the rest as good as possible.

So anyways I was happy to be done with that car. Does anyone have any suggestions for when a leg or crack is filling but air gets left in it? I'm always open to learning new things to keep repair quality at a high.

Thanks
Glassdoc
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Re: Ugh! Double Crack out!

Post by Glassdoc »

I ended up stopping the two cracks and filling the rest as good as possible.

Oh, I could really, really get myself in trouble here.. But, I guess I'll ask the obvious... Did you charge the customer? Did you take responsibilty for the crack out? Are you insured? Are you going to replace the windshield? If not why? How can you say "its repaired" when you stated you ended up stopping the cracks at both ends and filled the rest as good as possible. When you also stated there is air present in the crack? I'll stop now before I enrage Brent for asking these questions rather than giving assistance.
GlassStarz
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Re: Ugh! Double Crack out!

Post by GlassStarz »

I am with Doc part way here
If I am standing there and have warned the customer of the potential of crack outs and it does I tell em sorry I couldnt save it
But if I am off somewhere else doing another chip and when I come back it spread I gotta step up to the plate and pick up his deductible. You can get just about anything replaced here for $125 so worst case scenerio I would replace it for the cost of my repair (if i was doing a $45 repair and the replacement is $125 customer pays me the $45 i have it replaced for that) Hasnt happened to me since I moved here but my employee set one off and thats how we handled it. With it 100+ deg here for several months a year i can see how I may see a couple this summer i know you dont have to do it but I sure sleep better
TechEvo

Re: Ugh! Double Crack out!

Post by TechEvo »

Ok, to calm a few people down here. Yes of course I am insured, no there was no charge for this, the manager knows there is the possiblity of cracks happening and doesn't want me to pay for a already broken windshield, we have a good relationship with each other. As far as walking off that might have been my mistake. Question though does everyone in the windshield repair business use only one bridge on one car at a time, that is, not walking over to other cars on the lot?

Any serious help is appreciated, I may not have hundreds of posts but I did not start working on cars yesterday.
starstruck

Re: Ugh! Double Crack out!

Post by starstruck »

Using multiple bridges and working more than one vehicle at a time shouldn't be cause for concern. I do it all the time and have never had a problem.
I'd guess it was just one prone to cracking or perhaps other factors may have caused it. You might not have been able to do a thing even if you would have been standing there staring at it!
harrellbenjamin

Re: Ugh! Double Crack out!

Post by harrellbenjamin »

If your customer is properly informed that you are attemping to repair a w/shield that is already broken why would you pay for something that was already broken???? I know your answers will be "well its good business etc." but I dont think its smart business.I can see it though if you were doing big business at a w/sale stop and the Mgr is unreasonable(thank god I dont need them) and if it was an insurance job the customers insurance will pick it up right?? I guess it could be a slippery slope and might reconsider in certain situations too.
jayjacque

Re: Ugh! Double Crack out!

Post by jayjacque »

Bad things happen to good people. I know not everything I do is perfect even though I wish and try as best I can. I've had a towel blow off on a windy day a time or two while I was working on another vehicle, and just like you, curing happened before I could get to it. At that point nothing I know of could be done.
screenman
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Re: Ugh! Double Crack out!

Post by screenman »

Techevo if air gets in and the resin cure you have a problem for sure, however see my other post recently on methods to repair cracks as the method will push air out.
33,000 + screen repairs over 18 years and still learning.
Over
starstruck

Re: Ugh! Double Crack out!

Post by starstruck »

A high tech piece of equipment like a TOWEL wouldn't be very useful 90% of the time here unless you also had a couple of high tech bricks to hold it down in the wind (which blows hard about 5 days a week!). A sunscreen or dome with suction cups is not an expensive investment.

Honestly folks, unless you are living somewhere that the wind never blows, you need to get an attachable sunscreen so you don't have to deal with the wind blowing your towel off. I would be extremely disppointed in myself if my own negligence caused me to ruin even a single job. That's like tossing money out your window while driving down the highway!
TechEvo

Re: Ugh! Double Crack out!

Post by TechEvo »

Screenman,

Thank you, yes that post is helpful, I will give that a try.


starstruck,

Yes your right on a windy day a towel can blow off. You just have to stay very close to the repair if there is a breeze.
One good thing is the shade it provides on the repair area cooling it down when there is no shade for working in.
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