Windshield Repair Forum

I do not rest my drystar directly on the glass but rather leave a 3/8" gap when heating.Is this the right way?Better safe than sorry I say.

The nice thing about the drystar is when and if it does crack out it only goes about an inch, which is easy to fill.

I followed screenmans lead and got my micro torch back out on a nasty impact star this am after a cold damp night last night.(no not England ,LA(lower Alabama)Stayed away from the contact area and worked my way in to the damage area and stayed well off the glass with flame.At numerious times I felt with my hand(touched glass) the temp of glass and if too hot to touch backed of and circled away from the damage area.No water in damage area and great repair.Next I used my Drystar on a bullseye with w/impact area (small crack) 20 seconds pushed button on when touched glass .Still some moisture so held small distance away from area and monitored temp to not get too hot.Result,,Dry repair that looked great.I guess the moral of the story is no matter what you use is if you give an area of the glass a hot shock with a torch or Drystar you could have crack out. I took more time with my dryout cycle of the repair and as such the results were worth the extra time.I feel that I have been in too big a hurry in the past when I used the micro-torch and its intense heat is what got me in trouble .I am sure this would be the case also if your not careful when also using a Drystar.I am learning the value of patience............................

the biggest customer for mini torches are crack heads for good reason use that hot torch and think about crack or cracks cause thats all you gonna get with that much heat they have tools likr deltas that make it easier and less likely to crack out why cut corners? why cook the laminate? evrything you can do with that torch has the potential for brain damage so remember kids CRACK BAD! MONEY GOOD!

Unlike some others, when temps drop into the low 20's or dip into the teens I've found it better to heat a larger area around damage. Why? Simply because your slowly heating area around damage without shocking glass in that small damage zone. I use a direct flame torch to heat 8-12" circumference, work inward and finish drying with either drystar or heat pen. To this day have never cracked out something using this method. Remember, only two things cause damage to spread. First is a rapid temperture change and the second is vibration.

GlassStarz, Why is the torch any hotter than the drystar, you do not have to hold it as close to get the heat to transfer as you do the drystar. I am not a crack head bald head yes but definately not a crack head.

As I said in a previous post they both work well. In fact I can tell you I have had more crack out using the drystar than a torch. The drystar is heat intensive over a very small area. This is great becuase it helps the glass cool quicker to the surrounding area. But this can also cause shock have you tested the temperature of the glass when applying the drystar for twenty seconds? I am sure it is as hot as a torch held a few inches away. The glass and PVB get very hot in some weathers hotter than I would use to dry out with. Does the PVB run out of the bottom of the shield no, in that case warming it up gently with a torch will do no damage. Overheating with any heat source will do damage.

To much pressure on either the injector or bridge will also cause a crack out. On some injectors it is possible to force the resin in at up to 250lb per square in, this will cause some breaks to run.

This should be good Glasstarz vs. Screenman. Let me know when the BIG event is coming.

Do you feel the love:eusa_danc :eusa_danc :eusa_danc

When you guys are talking about a mini-torch, does the flame come out like an actual torch (like a jet engine) or does it come out like a glorified cigarette lighter?

It is adjustable jet or flame with or without after burner. Personaly I use the jet.