Windshield Repair Forum

Lots of rain in our area recently. I have a moisture evaporator like the one Delta sells. I recently repaired a star for a customer and while I placed the evaporator on the windshield, a three inch crack ran from the star. I was able to repair the star and small crack well, but was wondering how to avoid this in the future. What is the best way to use the evaporator? Are there better ways to remove moisture from damage?

Most of the people in our business do not bother to try and remove moisture its is what put a good tech way above the rest.

The moisture evaporator is a great tool must must be used carefully.

Clean out pit of damage to allow moisture to exit, put mirror behind chip,and place evaporator over chip before heating whilst looking into mirror warm evaporator up this warms the glass at the same time when evaporator starts to glow dull orange turn off and leave on screen for about 10 seconds more or longer on trucks or buses.

Allow screen to cool and inspect, repeat process if required.

The reason why I do it this wais so I do not shock the glass by placing the already warmed up evaporator onto the cool glass.

Can anyone guess why we leave it longer on trucks and buses.?

--- because they're bigger?

Seriously, I was instructed to move the evaporator in a circular/spiral pattern from outside the chip toward the center.

For evaporating moisture (not simply using as a heat source), hold the evaporator directly over the break for 20 seconds, and if all moisture is not removed, allow to cool and repeat.

Make sure prior to doing this that the shield/screen temperature is optimum. You do not want to do this on a very hot or very cold shield/screen.

Control the temperature of the shield/screen, then evaporate moisture.

When you put the evaporator on the windshield, do you actually touch the glass or just hold it above the glass?

I tend to hold it on the glass it works best for me this way.

As for the reason we leave it on truck screens longer the answer is the glass is thicker and therefore the chip deeper and needs more time for the heat to reach the bottom.
As the power supply for the chip dryer can vary I still prefer to use visual guides rather than times. A high power fully charged battery will will heat the evaporator quicker than a low power half charged one. In all the time I have been using the evaporator which is a great tool I have never broken a chip out further than aboput 1 inch.

I've been having success by sliping a little isopropyl alcohol in the crack/chip first to mix with the moisture and lower the boiling point and then drying in the usual manner.

Just a FYI....

Isopropyl alcohol leaves a film/residue behind so you may be adding contamination and/or reducing the clearity of your repair. Also when adding any liquid to damage, be carefull not to flush dirt into the damage.