Re: Crack repair in Hawaii

Hawaii Guy · Post by **Hawaii Guy** » October 3rd, 2008, 12:09 am

This is my first post, so I hope it goes to the right place. I've been reading the posts on this site for quite some time but am just a little "posting shy". I've been doing w/s repair since 2004 as an addition to my auto detail business in CA. I sold that business and moved to Hawaii this year (Maui) and started a W/S repair and H/L restoring business (no longer doing the detailing). Started with one system then purchased a Delta Kits system as well as did their training in Eugene OR. I see Matt all over the country at trade shows and feel like I know all of you guys out there. Good group if not a little goofy. Now here is why I am really writing. I just can't seem to be able to get a quality repair on cracks, Oh, they do not run but are still way to visible. As far as a percentage, I would say 50% improvement. Not nearly good enough, therefore I do them for free (Its free training for me too). Someone wrote that GT has a training video and I e-mailed them 2 weeks ago to try to purchase it since they were the first system I purchased, but they have neglected to respond to my request. Does anyone know of a training video (just crack repair) available out there?

Post by **Brent Deines** » October 3rd, 2008, 9:10 am

Welcome to the Windshield Repair Forum Hawaii. Goofy huh? Yeah, alright, I guess that's probably pretty accurate, although I prefer professional, lovable, strikingly attractive, etc.

Anyway, I moved your post and changed the thread title as I think you will get more responses this way. In the future, try to find a thread that already addresses the issue you are posting about, or start a new thread if you feel your topic is something that has not been covered before.

No worries about being posting shy, we all felt that way at one time or another. As long as you follow the forum rules you'll get along just fine here.

Sorry to hear that your long cracks are not coming out as well as you would like them to. Cracks take a lot of practice to perfect, and admittedly we don't have a lot of time to address crack repair in our training classes. We are looking at adding an extra day to our training classes for advanced procedures and trouble shooting. I believe our procedure for crack repair is sound, so I recommend practice, practice, practice, but not on a customer's car. Get some old windshields from a wrecking yard or, if they are willing, from your local glass shop. Frankly I don't promote long crack repair. Maybe that is just a hold over from my auto glass replacement days, but unless the crack is fairly close to the edge of the glass where it is not likely to be noticed after the repair is complete, I would prefer to replace a windshield with a "long crack" in my vehicles, and I always try to treat my customers as I prefer to be treated. I guess I should clarify that when I talk about long cracks I'm talking 6" or longer.

Maui is one of my favorite places to visit, so if I get over there anytime soon I will look you up and see if I can help you get more comfortable with the long crack repair process. In the mean time I hope you will get some advice from other forum members, or possibly a video that will help you. I think you will be disappointed in any of the videos that I have seen on long crack repair, but that's just MHO.

Good luck!

bill lambeth · Post by **bill lambeth** » October 3rd, 2008, 1:37 pm

Cracks are a pain in the you know what and are to much work for the amount of money.I think that it is important to ba able to do a good job on a crack in case you have a star that runs on you.I agree with Brent that you should replace a long crack.

screenman · Post by **screenman** » October 3rd, 2008, 11:16 pm

Bill, try telling that to a customer with a $2,000 windshield and no insurance, many are happy to pay big bucks for a quality repair.

ghost rider · Post by **ghost rider** » October 4th, 2008, 5:55 am

Hawaii Guy,
I'm with Screenman on this one. Long cracks are sometimes hard to do, but necessary to keep your customers and to keep you customers happy.
Now I have a question for you that may shed some light on your crack problem. I have a GM dealer that bought 2 cars at the GM dealer auction that came from Hawaii. cars were one year old (probably rental fleet), but had windshields that looked 20 years old. very weathered looking, I guess, don't really know how to explain it. They were not pitted, just very dull. They didn't notice it until they removed a sticker from the windshield and saw the shiny new glass under it. Have you been in Hawaii long enough to have seen this? Could whatever is doing this be the cause of your crack problem?

Hawaii Guy · Post by **Hawaii Guy** » October 4th, 2008, 2:34 pm

Thanks to all respondants..... Brent, I'll go along, but still mostly Goofy
Bill, I agree but being a retired fireman I love a challenge and hate to give in or lose. Screenman, Quality is what I strive for and have no problems with star breaks or bullseyes. I always sell myself short of what I can achieve so as to impress the customer and sometimes even myself, but the cracks are another story. I still would like to hear what others are achieving because I do not feel that 50% improvement is nearly good enough. Can you express to me in percentage how good the end result usually is? I also agree in a " Practice to Perfection" Theory and will get a windshield (or windscreen to you) and practice and then practice some more. Ghost Rider, i just moved to Maui this year (January), Can't really addresss the problem you saw, but could be hard water. I have had a problem with cracks from the begining (even in California), for a while I thought I was just being too critical, but I just can't let it go, Never Surrender. I always have expressed my thoughts and ability to the customer and have never had anyone express dissatisfaction, in fact have even had some that thought it was better than they expected.

Windshield Doc · Post by **Windshield Doc** » October 5th, 2008, 6:02 pm

When doing a long crack I use clear tape to keep the resin from escaping, which works very well. Is his the method you all use? Also do and of you put your curing light on the inside of the windshield. I had a veteran of the trade tell me this was a good idea then others say it is not.. Any suggestions

GlassStarz · Post by **GlassStarz** » October 5th, 2008, 6:49 pm

hardly any uv will get to your repair if you put the light on the inside just doesnt work!

screenman · Post by **screenman** » October 5th, 2008, 11:27 pm

Ah, the old lamp inside trick, now I wonder why we have all not get red and burnt faces when driving into the sun, maybe it is the UV protection built into the screen, another test you could try is to place some pit fill under a tab on the outside of the screen and place your lamp inside, of course make sure there is not UV at all indirect or direct getting to the pitfill or this will negate the test, We have left this for over an hour before with no curing of the pitfill taking place.

The idea of the tape is to stop air getting, I prefer curing tabs sliced into strips rather than the fiddly film, but that is just my personal preference.

As for different tools for the job, I use Delta systems and use cappilery action for all my long cracks, with maybe a little use of a hand held plastic injector on longer cracks, 6 inches and above to speed things up a bit. the hand held is slid along the crack chasing the air out and putting the resin in. Once dry a 12 inch crack will never take more than a few minutes to fill. The once dry bit is something that stops most long crack repairs from working well, so it is incredibly important to get this part correct.

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