Question about drilling

[Glassdoc]

I've spent more time this week re-doing existing repairs than I have in the last 15 years.. I can't say they were all dealership junk either, it was 50% public, privately owned.. Some of these so called repairs looked like they involved a wood bit for 1/2 inch boring, and some type of all weather caulk from a very cheap DIY hardware store.. I'm guessing, there is a brand new tech out here some where that is out to "make over $100,000 a year" (as seen in some magazines).. Its disgusting..

[Brent Deines]

The worst part is that bad repairs by even one technician makes us all look bad. I have been turned away more than once by people that had bad experiences with fly by night techs.

On the other hand, most of those guys don't last very long. Just long enough to screw up the market I suppose!

[kingmonkey]

I can safely say that I'm not the best but I'm trying. I practice every night to get better. I think I can safely say that I can fix a chip now and say I've done it right, though my confidence level still isn't that high yet. I just take my time and work hard to get it right. I'm sure I'll mess up but that's all part of the learning process. The first job I did for a paying customer I thought would be a breeze. I had been practicing for about a month and thought "Hell, I can do this one." When I was done I was not satisfied at all. I told the lady that I wasn't 100% so I wasn't going to take her money. I feel I'm getting better now and hopefully when I get better equipment I can really do a good job.

[Glassdoc]

Not trying to be rude. But.. Would you go to a hospital for surgery that operated out of a janitor's closet because the OR was not ready? Would you go to a mechanic for repairs that only had a claw hammer, and a pair of pliers for tools? Would you deposit your money in a bank that used a shoe box for the vault? Then, why. Are you attempting to do repairs, knowing you need the proper tools to do the job correctly? I'm not flaming your desire, but you know you are not 100% ready to do repairs that you and your customers can be proud of.. Get the proper equipment, training and then go for it... The learning process is one thing, messing up one, two or more and walking away paid or not is not doing the industry any favors..

I can safely say that I'm not the best but I'm trying. I practice every night to get better. I think I can safely say that I can fix a chip now and say I've done it right, though my confidence level still isn't that high yet. I just take my time and work hard to get it right. I'm sure I'll mess up but that's all part of the learning process. The first job I did for a paying customer I thought would be a breeze. I had been practicing for about a month and thought "Hell, I can do this one." When I was done I was not satisfied at all. I told the lady that I wasn't 100% so I wasn't going to take her money. I feel I'm getting better now and hopefully when I get better equipment I can really do a good job.

[Brent Deines]

I can safely say that I'm not the best but I'm trying. I practice every night to get better. I think I can safely say that I can fix a chip now and say I've done it right, though my confidence level still isn't that high yet. I just take my time and work hard to get it right. I'm sure I'll mess up but that's all part of the learning process. The first job I did for a paying customer I thought would be a breeze. I had been practicing for about a month and thought "Hell, I can do this one." When I was done I was not satisfied at all. I told the lady that I wasn't 100% so I wasn't going to take her money. I feel I'm getting better now and hopefully when I get better equipment I can really do a good job.

While I agree with Glassdoc that training and the right equipment is something that should be of immediate concern, I appreciate your honesty. I eventually got hands on training, but by the time I did I had already gotten pretty good at repairing windshields. When I started there were no videos available, and I think Novus was the only company offering training. Still, I am very particular so I think my repairs were better than most right from the start, but I definitely made some mistakes. In fact, after 20 years I'm still learning and think that anyone who isn't still learning is falling short of the mark.

Although we expect doctors, attorneys, carpenters, and everyone else to be experts in their field, there are good and bad in every industry. It sounds to me like you really care about doing good work, even if you are not to the level you want to be just yet, and that puts you way ahead of many in the windshield repair industry.

[kingmonkey]

Not trying to be rude. But.. Would you go to a hospital for surgery that operated out of a janitor's closet because the OR was not ready? Would you go to a mechanic for repairs that only had a claw hammer, and a pair of pliers for tools? Would you deposit your money in a bank that used a shoe box for the vault? Then, why. Are you attempting to do repairs, knowing you need the proper tools to do the job correctly? I'm not flaming your desire, but you know you are not 100% ready to do repairs that you and your customers can be proud of.. Get the proper equipment, training and then go for it... The learning process is one thing, messing up one, two or more and walking away paid or not is not doing the industry any favors..

The equipment I have works just fine. The repairs come out flawless, except for the little drill hole I make. By proper equipment I mean equipment that will allow me to do a repair without drilling. I'm confident enough in my skills to know that I'll do the job right but I still have that hesitation when I put that bridge on the glass. It's the nervousness I have knowing that I can't mess this up and I must do a good job. So far I've only messed up once and that was my first job, which I didn't take money for.

As for "flaming my desire" I take issue with your statement. I never said I wasn't ready. I said I wasn't confident. That means I am still nervous when I do a repair because I don't want to screw up. This is a new industry for me. For the longest time I installed carpet. I was always nervous when we did a job because I was afraid I was going to mess things up. I never did but that fear was always there. After a few months as I did more jobs I became more confident.

Honestly, I don't really give a damn what you think about me or what I'm doing. I can tell you don't want me working because you read a few lines of text on a computer screen without ever seeing my work. If that is all you have to go by to judge someone then who needs you? I sure as hell don't. I come here to ask questions from people who have been doing this for a while and get answers. So far in the past week I've done fifteen repairs, not a lot but it's a start, and only one didn't turn out the way I wanted it. As far as I'm concerned I can do the work and both myself and the customer will be happy with it.

[Glassdoc]

Put your attitude on hold.. 1st, I never said I did not want you out there doing repairs.. There are at least a thousand cars to every repair tech (minimum) so I could care less if there are 50 techs out there.. What I do care about, (had you read my post before you got defensive) was to get the proper training and equipment.. I based that on your posts, home made equipment, training by a guy who's ethics you were not sure about etc.. 2nd.. I was speaking to you, yes.. Without the proper tools and training your work suffers.. It takes months, years to build a client base that makes you a success.. It takes less than a minute to screw up a job and guarantee no future work from that customer or references for future work. Nervousness?? Its all good, just wait till your working on a 185,000$ Mercedes.. And yes, the more times you do something the better you will get. Unless, you are doing it wrong to start with.. Then, you will only polish your skills to do it wrong all the time, thus why I suggested "real" training. As for coming to ask a few questions, its cool.. just expect answers. may not be what you want to hear, but.. That too is life.. Good luck.. Sounds like you have the will to do it and succeed, and with time, yeah. Maybe you will.

[kingmonkey]

What I do care about, (had you read my post before you got defensive) was to get the proper training and equipment.. I based that on your posts, home made equipment, training by a guy who's ethics you were not sure about etc..

First off, I have received proper training. I might not have gone to some school but the fellow I've been working with has done this for 15 years and yes he does a good job -- very good work with the clients to back it up. Second, as far as my homemade equipment is better than nothing and it does a good job. The only issue I have is with the injector that I'm using. The bridge is just fine but if I had a better injector I wouldn't need to drill. But even with drilling you barely notice the repair was even done. You have to look at it really close to even seen the hole. So I'm satisfied with my home made equipment.

2nd.. I was speaking to you, yes.. Without the proper tools and training your work suffers.. It takes months, years to build a client base that makes you a success.. It takes less than a minute to screw up a job and guarantee no future work from that customer or references for future work. Nervousness?? Its all good, just wait till your working on a 185,000$ Mercedes..

Well, my tools work fine and my training was good so I'm not worried about that. You know, this isn't like I've never done something like this before. You think messing up a $185,000 Mercedes is nerve racking? Try installing $15,000 worth of carpet in a commercial building which you get to pay for if you measure wrong or hanging 35 stories from a sky scraper to wash the windows on it. I can tell you right now working on a Mercedes is nothing to washing windows on a platform 3 foot by 12 foot 420 feet in the air in 25 mph winds with nothing but a couple of ropes holding you up. Yeah, until this venture I was a window washer and installed carpet for a few years. Hurt your back a few times and you gotta find something else to do.

And yes, the more times you do something the better you will get. Unless, you are doing it wrong to start with.. Then, you will only polish your skills to do it wrong all the time, thus why I suggested "real" training. As for coming to ask a few questions, its cool.. just expect answers. may not be what you want to hear, but.. That too is life.. Good luck.. Sounds like you have the will to do it and succeed, and with time, yeah. Maybe you will.

I do plan on taking the courses up in Eugene, if for nothing else to have a reason to go back to Oregon for a while. Thanks for the tips and I look forward to asking more questions. I'm sure I'll have some as the weeks go by.

[screenman]

I would love to know what type of injector you are using that does not work. Secondly I admire your resolve to go to Delta for training , it shows commitment to your trade. Go for it, my carpet fitter and window washer do not have as much fun at work as I do.