I cracked my first one today.

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h2oman
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I cracked my first one today.

Post by h2oman »

I have never cracked one out in over 15+ years. Here is what happened, let me know what you think? As I was on my way over to the clients house a nice little rain shower came up and as I arrived it was still sprinkling. The car was in the drive way and once we met I ask him for his insurance card. After I got approval I went to work on the dime size star. He ask if he could watch and I said sure but can you open the windows in the car for it is hot (it was 90 and very humid)? He got in the car, opened the windows and got out. I checked the temp. of the windshield and it was 130. His garage was packed and there where no trees around.I covered it with a towel and my UV shield, added my mirror on the inside gently and sprayed a small amount of water over the area for it was hard to see do to the water spots from the rain and that is how I also make sure to see if the water beads up in case I need to prep it better for curing when complete. The customer went in the house to get a cup of coffee.I got everything ready and attached my injector and had everything in place. As I began and pressured and released and went back to pressure I noticed that one leg was slowly moving. I took my injector off the car. I quickly attempted to get my drill out and drill a quick hole and stop the crack. As soon as I began to drill, the crack was already there where I was drilling. As I stepped back, the customer came out of the house and I told him I had some bad news. As I was talking he was looking at the crack, it took off with a awful sound and went to the edge. I told him it was my fault and I would take care of it. He seemed happy with that for I was standing up for my responsibility. I will always explain to a customer from now on that there is a small risk of one cracking out. What do some of you think I could have done differently?
GlassStarz
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Re: I cracked my first one today.

Post by GlassStarz »

Hot GLASS is brittle you need to bring it down to closer to 70 or 80 deg. Lots of ways to do it most work. When things are hot I go slow use little pressure and take care to have as little head pressure as possible. I spent one summer in Fresno 115 deg with GLASS temps closer to 200 lost all the skin on my finger print more than once. Hot GLASS is not fun.
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Mr Bill
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Re: I cracked my first one today.

Post by Mr Bill »

Put a chip saver over the chip and gently mist the glass with water, waiting for the water to evaporate from the glass, as you slowly cool down the whole windshield
Experience is the best teacher . Hot windshields can crack out.
Perhaps you need an umbrella.
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bill lambeth
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Re: I cracked my first one today.

Post by bill lambeth »

I agree with both of you guys ! I do more wicking in summer than pressure . I making umbrellas as I am typing !
h2oman
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Re: I cracked my first one today.

Post by h2oman »

This may sound silly but what do you mean by wicking? Also is it wrong to open the windows and let the breeze cool things down. Was it wrong to let the customer get in the car and roll the windows down? How do you make an umbrella? How long should you let it cool and down to 100, 90 ??? I have never had this happen before.
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EMCAutoGlass
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Re: I cracked my first one today.

Post by EMCAutoGlass »

Oddly enough, I got a call from a buddy of mine today (another WS repairman), and he said he had a star crack out on him while flexing and he wasn't sure why. I asked if he checked the temperature and where he was flexing, and he said it was 100+ degrees and he was flexing at the tip. My reply was that the windshield was too hot and he should flex with the probe at the injector/seal, not the tip of the leg. I think that since temperatures are really starting to warm up, some of us have to remember all the tricks to cooling a windshield since we haven't really had the need for about 7-8 months (at least us northerners). Sometimes I use my fold-up canopy for shade if there isn't any shade or a garage. I like the umbrella with a suction cup idea, but I'm worried about the stress it might induce on the glass (especially with wind). Wind is also an issue with the canopy though. As far as cooling the glass, I always roll the windows down, place a small suction cup over the damage (or chip saver), then spray an alcohol/water mix over the general area, let it evaporate, check the temperature, and repeat until I get the temperature down to the low 80s. I also use the DK heat exchanger to assist. This might take 5, 10, 15 minutes, but it's definitely worth it. If the customer is watching the process, it also gives me a chance to explain why I'm doing it, which they always seem to appreciate.
Any other thoughts or ideas are appreciated.
-Marty
candyman
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Re: I cracked my first one today.

Post by candyman »

Good morning: You should have waited till the glass cooled below 90, if your first reading was 130. Windows open is good and leave a door open. Cooling the glass too quickly with water can crack it out also. The rain shower was already cooling the glass. I would never had replaced the WS. I always have them sign a wavier. Even under best of circumstances a break will somethimes run. If this is your first in 15 years, you have been very lucky. Ive had maybe 2 in 5 years. My first was similar to your break except the chip happen a few months earlier and had dirt and water in it. I too replaced that WS. After that I booked a class and went to training. I had waivers then and I require a wavier now prior to any repair. It was driven home to me from the start, why pay for glass already broken. If you can save them money great. Its guaranteed as long as they own the vehicle. For some thats a long time. I've returned money to insurance companies, not because of a crack out , but because the individual saw comercials on TV that show the repair completely diosappeared. Regardless of what information I told them about the skeleton and a brochure given to them from NWRA , they later decide they want a replacement. I dont mount the bridge untill the glass temp is in the range I need it. Have a great day.
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Re: I cracked my first one today.

Post by screenman »

It was raining, yet you make no mention of drying it out, why is that?

If you are using an umbrella, mounting it on the side glass where possible stops the stress on the windshield.
h2oman
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Re: I cracked my first one today.

Post by h2oman »

screenman wrote:It was raining, yet you make no mention of drying it out, why is that?

If you are using an umbrella, mounting it on the side glass where possible stops the stress on the windshield.
I said it came a quick shower and stopped but the windshield had dried up leaving alot of water spots so I cleaned the area with a quick spray and wiped it clean. I was not using an umbrella at all.
screenman
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Re: I cracked my first one today.

Post by screenman »

Water would have been in the chip then already, we have found in testing that water filled damage in hot glass is very fragile, even more so than a dry damage in hot glass. something to do with hydraulics so a physics guy informed me.
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