Extreme Weather Techniques

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t4k
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Re: Extreme Weather Techniques

Post by t4k »

Brent Deines wrote:
t4k wrote:You can get as technical as you want with this heating issue by adding heating pads, warming pads, hair dryers or what ever you can find to buy. The simple way to do this, IMHO, is run the heater/defroster in the car to slowly heat the whole W/S then use your Dry Star to dry and heat the chip as needed. Simple as that.... 8-)
I agree for the most part, keep it simple when you can, but in extreme cold weather you have to get the inside of the glass very hot before the outside of the glass will even begin to warm up, and in my experience repairs come out better when both sides of the glass are at approximately the same temperature.

Good point....I am from the deep south. Our cold days are 40 +/-. :shock:
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Re: Extreme Weather Techniques

Post by Ricersux »

Thanks for the response guys...anybody else?
-Eric
CLEARVU INC.
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GlassStarz
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Re: Extreme Weather Techniques

Post by GlassStarz »

Cold weather is harder on the tech than the glass I have done repairs at -20f and it wasnt much fun
Keep everything in the heated area of your vehicle
i found in extreme weather 20f or below I would turn on the heat not the defroster that dirrct heat on the glass can set things to breaking I put a towel on the glass to hold in the heat and leave things to warm for 10 minutes or so do repair as usual taking care to cover the injector with a towel as well cold weather is no big deal
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Re: Extreme Weather Techniques

Post by Delta Kits »

So GlassStarz, if the direct heat on the glass from the defroster will crack it out, would it not already be cracked out from the customer using the defroster the last time they used the vehicle? I'm not trying to pick a fight, I just have not experienced that problem with the defrosters and have always wondered why it would crack out when the technician turned on the defroster and not when the customer turned on the defroster. Has this actually happened to you?

If you just saying that it could happen to the customer or the technician at any time there is a drastic temperature change, which is why we are doing the repair in the first place, then I completely agree. I also agree that heating or cooling slowly is always safer, and if the defrosters ever did cause a break to crack out on me I would obviously not recommend using them, but to date that has not been the case.

Now I have to admit that I have always done my best to avoid doing repairs outside in -20f weather, however I have spent my share of time in the oil fields in that kind of weather, and we always turned the defrosters on high every time we got in the truck or car. Even then, in the mornings it sometimes took a good 10 minutes to get the glass thawed out enough to drive, and that was after scraping the snow and ice off the outside. If we had waited until the inside of the car was warm before using the defrosters we would never have gotten anywhere. In fact, I don't know anyone who lives in a sub zero climate that does not use the defrosters on high from the minute they start the car.

Remember, the air does not get hot right away, but only as the engine warms up, and that takes awhile, especially when the engine is just idling. The air coming out of the defrosters is actually cool at first, then slowly begins to warm up. I guess that's why I have always thought it was a pretty safe option.

I have seen a crack out when cold water was sprayed onto a hot windshield with a chip in it, and I have seen a windshield crack when a torch was used to warm up a cold windshield. I have personally experienced cold resin on a hot windshield causing a crack out, twice! I know, I'm a slow learner.
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Re: Extreme Weather Techniques

Post by GlassStarz »

try doing one on a dealer lot at 25 below zero the rapid change can set things off and bear in mind that if you are working that cold the thing got even colder that night and really hasnt warmed up after popping 2 with the rapid change in a couple months I went to a slower warm up we all know that when cold water at the carwash hits hot glass they often go as well
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Brent Deines
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Re: Extreme Weather Techniques

Post by Brent Deines »

Makes sense to me. I would be a bit spooked too if I had that experience. It's funny you should say "we all know that when cold water at the car wash hits hot glass they often go as well", as I thought everyone knew that too, but in a recent conference call I was the only one out of a dozen or so industry professionals that thought putting cold water on a hot broken piece of glass might be a problem. Apparently that is a widely accepted cooling technique that I find to be very risky. They all acted like I was an idiot for thinking it was a bad idea.

I thought you had sense enough to get in out of the cold! I'm guessing you don't get a lot of those 25 below days since the move to CA. We don't get them here either and I for one don't miss them a bit.
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Re: Extreme Weather Techniques

Post by GlassStarz »

I'm having a blast in the warm sun I have trained 3 guys for WR and Headlights in TJ and Rosarito Mexico in the last month and opened a new branch in San Diego Like chef said in apocalypse now "I'm Never Getting Off The Boat! " Or in my case Im Never Freezin My Fingers Again!!
y
Chips be-gone

Re: Extreme Weather Techniques

Post by Chips be-gone »

The last time Brent did extreme cold weather repairs was when the W/S was 1/4 thick. You could use the defroster and it would not affect the glass temp. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Now the W/S's are half that thickness on some cars. VW New Bettle, and most Honda's. You can breath on the glass and it may crack. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Ya better make sure they are Cool in the Extreme heat before repairing them.
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Re: Extreme Weather Techniques

Post by FrogKnowledge »

But what is the ideal temperature??? it's 45f outside now do I need to heat the glass?
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Brent Deines
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Re: Extreme Weather Techniques

Post by Brent Deines »

That depends on the system you are using. I prefer working with the glass in the 80-100 degree F range when working with a Delta Kits windshield repair system and Delta Kits resins. Some manufacturers recommend different a different temperature range when using their products, and I think it is prudent to follow their advice when using their products.

It's not that it is impossible to do a repair at 45 degrees F, but if it were me I would warm the glass up. Just be sure your resin temperature is approximately the same temperature as the glass.
Brent Deines
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