Impossible Repair?

[Vikingfann]

I don't have the ability to see the pictures yet - (when will I?), but my process on one of those large impact areas is to work from the outside in. Drill and fill the furthest outside cracks and work around filling areas as needed working toward the center. Tape can work to "contain" the resin in the center area when you get to it and provide a smoother area for your injector to seal to. I use clear 2" packing tape. Obviously the repair will be noticable but the improvement is enough that (California) law inforcement won't make an issue of it as long as it's not directly in the drivers vision area above the steering wheel.

Jere Ellis - owner
Attack-A-Crack Windshield Repair
Lake Elsinore, CA

[Frank EU]

Vikingfann, go here for the answer about the images:

viewforum.php?f=14 (announcements)

I believe it is only once you have posted ten proper posts.

[puka pau]

The photo clearly shows two distinct damages. The one on the left is obviously caused by an impact from a projectile, the stress crack damage on the right is caused by the glass flexing in response to the impact that caused the damage on the left. I qualify not only the damage but also the customer ( if a retail customer - if a fleet client, I just go ahead and repair it) prior to beginning a repair like this. I always describe appearance of the completed repair (of course if you haven't repaired a bunch of these or have had inconsistent results, it's a bit difficult to describe domething you've never seen) and receive assurance that the substandard cosmetic appearance is acceptible. I also inspect the damage carefully for any of several anomalies that might be present. As an example, observe the whitish ring that almost circles the damage on the left. It's difficult to tell from a photo, but often this may be a crack surrounding a chunk of glass that's almost separated from the damage. I probe around this area to confirm this one way or another. If confirmed, this chunk of glass often will stand proud of the surrounding glass. In that case I either attempt to remove the chunk or pass on the repair if I couldn't easily remove the chunk because that chunk is loose, is elevated above the surrounding glass and will catch the wiper blade if it's in the path. Its possible to repair both damages in less than 45 minutes if the temperature and viscosity of the resin are appropriate and if you use multiple bridges. To repair the cluster of cracks on the right I would typically have at least three bridges going simultaneously on that damage while having a fourth set up on the damage on the left. I would normally charge over $100 for a repair like this and if an insurance company refused payment in full I would require that the customer contribute the balance out of pocket.

What I find curious in many of the replies is the assumption that unless the damage basically disappears the repair should not be undertaken on a retail customer's vehicle. I have no idea where this attitude comes from. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the primary purpose of WSR to save the customer the cost of replacement and save the factory seal? There seems to be an inordinate concentration on cosmetics at the expense of structure. Not that cosmetics aren't important, but in this situation I see no reason not to discount cosmetics in favor of structure. Actually, if this damge is competently repaired it should improve the appearance of the damage by at least eighty percent and I would think that that would be entirely acceptable to most retail customers.

Cheers;

Puka Pau

[Dave M]

Looking at the pics, I assume the ruler is up against the inside of w/s. If this is true than the crushed glass at the impact point is about 3/4 inch. I try to follow ROLAGS and regarding repair limitations and when replacement is recommended, number 7.7 states "Damage with a pit size greater than 3/8 inch (9 mm)." In this case I'd prefer cosmetics over structural integrity.
What I would like to see is a pic of a repair on this type of damage about 6-12 months later. This IS my attitude and opinion and I stick by it!

[scrubs147]

The ruler is on the outside of the windshield and it is resting (standing vertical) just below the wiper.

[puka pau]

Dave; every dimension of this damage is well within the ROLAGS guidelines - if that's your "best practices" metric. As an example, the pit extends from the 2 1/4" mark to the 2 9/16" mark which makes the widest dimension of the pit 5/16" which is 1/16" shy of 3/8". Sorry. Close but no cigar. The diameter of the impact damage on the left (a combination break) and the bundle of stress cracks on the right are within the ROLAGS specs as well. The crushed glass in the break will contribute to the strength of the infused resin; consider the difference between cement and concrete. Concrete is cement infused with rocks and pebbles. Same difference here.
The introduction to the ROLAGS specs outlines the mission statement: Improve optical clarity, restore a smooth surface, stop the damage from spreading and retain the original bond (all of which would occur if this damage were competently repaired). But then they do a 180 and include the laundry list of damage that should not be repaired - none of which makes a whole lot of sense to me considering that, if nothing else, we're working on laminated SAFETY glass. I mean, what horrible happenstance could possibly occur by repairing damage exceeding the ROLAGS specs? Imagine the All Star baseball game. Top players from each team in both leagues. New rule. If a batter hits a ball further than 175ft, the hit is disqualified, doesn't count and the batter goes back to the dugout. Make sense to you? No? Well that's exactly what the ROLAGS specs do. That's why I don't pay any attention to them. My opinion is that a professional trade organization should be encouraging innovation and experimentation rather than stifling it with meaningless specifications and bogus "best practices". How this occurred is a topic best left to a future discussion.

Cheers;

Puka Pau

[scrubs147]

I am glad I started this thread as it encourages me to step up my repairs in what seems to be an impossible repair. I now have to go get a windshield from the junk yard and do some serious smashing with a hammer... does DeltaKits make a really big (shoulder mount style) slide hammer? There is nothing more gratifying than taking your expertise to the highest achievable level in any industry, and I believe that's what this forum is all about - trying reach the highest performance!

Thanks again to all and hope ya'll have a better New Year!

[Frank EU]

Try a heavy-big-sized bulls eye maker (rubber band with larger than normal bearing-ball)
In doing so, you should be able to create something similar to the one you called ''impossible''.
Hammers don't work.

[GLASSTIME]

I had a break simular to this. I didn't have the huge void in the middle , just the multiple half moons but in my case they were full circles. Some in which connected and some did not. Must I stress this was a practice on a vehicle at my mother in laws back last summer. I believe I emailed the photos of the before and afters to Korey. The results wasn't all that great. Remember though my break was full circles.

I would imagine where the half moons don't connect you would drill to bridge those?
Then drill top, pop a bull and begin to fill the half moon cracks. As far as the void, I have filled much worse and they turned out wonderfully!

I would encourage you to first find practice glass and do what Frank said!

[scrubs147]

I have actually tried hammers before and you're correct, they just bounce. I actually tried a sling shot once... had to get another windshield from the junk yard (no, I wasn't drinking). Half moons & small cracks I don't have any problems with, it is just the mangled scrambled sand-like group of glass in the middle.