Windshield Repair Forum

I have to pipe in on Jeffs comment.

Just today, we pulled down our cutting table to cut a sheet of flat laminated glass for a Catepillar front loader. For anyone that is not familiar with cutting laminated glass, I will give a short overview. Score both sides of glass at the same location with a glass cutter. Glass is then split at the score which causes the glass to separate except for the laminate. It is hard to just take a razor and cut the laminate without splitting out the glass so the trick that is used, by us and most that cut laminated glass, is to take alcohol (or acetone) and pour it across the area and let the alcohol disintegrate the exposed laminate. No cutting necessary!!!! It is then cleaned away to avoid any damage to the glass.
Think twice before you go putting alcohol or anything else in the damaged area.

Sorry grace, I didn't read your full message before posting.

I would say that it does NOT return. This is called DELAMINATION. The separation of the glass from the laminate layer. Once it is started, no stopping it.
There was some talk of this on another thread. Delamination is most commonly seen in windshields as being a milk colored area on the windshield and typically, but not always seen near the edges.

Also forgot to mention that the moisture evaporator has thumbs up from me. Have been using one for years with fantastic results. Just gotta be patient and use it properly!!!

sydfloyd44 wrote:I would say that it does NOT return. This is called DELAMINATION. The separation of the glass from the laminate layer. Once it is started, no stopping it.

It must stop affecting the laminate or the proceess of separating the glass would ruin the laminate by using denatured alcohol. I have never had a problem with the laminate using denatured alcohol and I have been cutting glass for 40 too many years. This may be different in a confined area such as a w/s chip. Also after cutting lami and using denatured alcohol to separate there is a visible sign of moisture left on the surface of the glass from burning the alcohol. It may be from the air or the alcohol may have impurities. If the alcohol has impurities the alcohol in a chip would flash off leaving the moisture behind. The milky coloring is from water traped at the edge of the glass and wicking into the laminate. You see this mainly on rubber set laminated glass that is improperly sealed but we are seeing this on high dollar big rigs at the top of the shields. HTH

I too think that the "alcohol is a no-no" issue is not supported by the fact that glass cutters use it to separate laminate cuts. Perhaps even the opposite...

If the alcohol is catastrophic to a piece of laminated glass, then certainly it would destroy the glass being cut, as the PVB would be damaged and delaminated all along the cut. Really, it can't permanently soften or ruin the PVB. I have played with alcohol on a broken piece of w/s, and it does make the PVB gooey given a few minutes. But it doesn't stay gooey.

Apparently, the damage ceases once the alcohol evaporates.

1. The only negative effect I have seen from alcohol or acetone is that it can leave a slight "daisy", even prior to the repair. It's not bad, just slightly more than normal, and certainly better than a wet repair, btw.

2. Is there really any evidence to show long term negative effects to the repair when using such a solution? I don't recall any specific studies, etc...

Obviously, there are two sides to the issue. But it seems it's still just opinions to me.

I think we could say, avoid solutions if at all possible, or use them as a last resort.

But if it gets the break "drier" than without it, it's worth it, IMO.