Windshield Repair Forum

When removing moisture, couldn't you just set your bridge over the chip with the plunger down and pull out the moisture?

No, despite some companies who sell tools thinking that works it does not. Drystar and heat exchangers is the fastest way to remove moisture, I have to dry out most repairs I do in this wet country that I live in.

When you add heat doesn't that make the object your heating expand? which would close it rather than open it ?

You are correct, which is why you do not need much heat, also the moisture will start to evaporat off before the glass starts to expand, also why one of the most useful tools in your kit should be the heat exchanger as this quickly draws the heat out of the glass and allows contraction.

I have placed wet damage under vacuum conditions for 24 hours+ there is still moisture left in it after that amount of time.

Creating a vacuum creates a low pressure are, this lowers the boiling point of water, however in tests I am yet to see this make any difference to removing moisture from a damage, there was a day way back when I used heat and vacuum, this in my opinion is not as fast as the repeated cycles of drystar and heat exchanger.

To all of you out there doing mobile repairs, what's your best source for power ?

Power for what? I run my system on rechargeable batteries, and for the PDR light I have a small 12v battery in a camera bag.

We were just having this discussion as we are preparing to outfit a new service vehicle. In most cases the 12V battery that is included with most of our systems is sufficient, however there are times when we like to use a hair dryer to warm up the glass, and keep it warm throughout the repair process. For that we will be using a power inverter, probably 2000W-3000W, that we will wire directly to a secondary battery in the service vehicle as I have done in the past. With a good inverter and an extension cord, I have found very few places inaccessable.

However, we are also considering portable generator that is light enough to carry, which may prove to be helpful for large fleets that are parked behind fences with no vehicle access. These are rare but some of my government accounts were that way and I want my technicians to be prepared for everything. A little pricey for those with enough power and light enough to pack around, but depending on the type of work you are doing, something to consider.

I purchased a Schumacher XP2260 1200 Peak Amp 6-in-1 Portable Power Station for a power supply. The XP2260 has four different modes of output. (1) Industrial Grade Clamps, (2) 120V outputs, (2) 12V DC outputs, and (1) USB output for charging small portable devices. I found it for $130 @ that blue hardware store.

To screenman,
You're too funny! So, your source of power is batteries.

Where do you think an electric car gets it's power from?