Windshield Repair Forum

What is the purpose of this tool, and do you guys use it?

Dumb question I know I just saw the video but it did not make sense to me.

Also do you guys make a bullseye break on top of the existing break, for example you have a perfect star or bat wing break, would you make a bullseye on top of that kind of break.

The 77-7SH was developed to create perfect mini bulls eyes to terminate the end of long cracks. The Slide Hammer doubles as a probe for greater versatility. I would only use the slide hammer as a probe on combination breaks, star breaks, and bulls eyes.

I think the slide hammer is a great peice of kit, I use it more often than some, certainly for stopping a long crack, for opening up a batswing, for opening up a tight starbreak. Now I know I will get slammed on this as Delta recommend very little drilling, however I do a lot of truck screens and often time is a very important issue, so opening up a break for me helps speed up dryout and filling. Make sure you drill downwards guys and not upwards then the pit will have less chance of an air bubble. I would seldom drill and pop a combination or bullseye, it is very important to understand how a break runs and how it looks from a sideways perspective.

I think I am going to order it and try it out.

Now I have tested for a while on a test windshield and th no drilling approach to me does not leave a clean repair I seem to always get a better looking repair with some slight drilling on all breaks, maybe I am doing something wrong. Hopefully someone can lean in on this.

Remember you can call into Delta Kits and we will walk you through a windshield repair. All of our staff is Delta Kits Factory Trained and Certified in addition our trainers are NGA and NWRA certified.

The slide hammer is a wonderfull tool at a very affordable price, you should get one too.

Terrific piece of equipment and great value. Super simple to use and delievers more consistant results from the first use. I used to rely on sewing needles and suction cup remover to tap with to create an anchor. Sewing needles took a little while to get consistant results and I have slapped quite a few knuckles as well over the years. The slidehammer also works great as scribe. While I still keep needles in my box I now reach for the slidehammer first.

I give this tool a technician to technician, real world use verified thumbs up!!!!

Note: If you own one and your tip is getting mushroomed, DKI sells replacement tips.

I use the slide hammer as Screenman uses it. I know that Delta doesn't like drilling much, but I do open up some tight breaks by drilling partway through the first layer of glass and tapping a mini bull. If you have a starbreak with two adjacent crack lines close to each other, you can also drill between the crack lines and pop a bullseye that touches both lines. Then you can fill both at the same time. I don't have to do this very often but once in a while I'll get a star break with two lines that just won't fill from the center.

A "cleat" can be formed in a long crack by drilling just off to one side of the crack and tapping a half moon. If you have a very tight crack that won't accept resin from the surface, you can do this to inject resin into the crack. Usually I only do this just in the last few inches of a crack line where it is the tightest and resin won't flow very far down the crack from the end hole.

If you do long cracks and drill and pop the end, sometimes the crack will not automatically go into the hole you drilled. You can take the bit and put it EXACTLY in line and between the crack and lightly tap a few times. This will almost always break the crack into the hole.

You can do this with a sewing machine needle too, but it is harder to lose the slide hammer, and it can be a much more exacting tool than a needle or a probe being hit with a second tool.

I have also used it to try to open badly done (previously repaired) breaks. If you drill, (almost always previously done in this case) and tap in different directions in the bottom of the hole. This doesn't work if hole is drilled to the laminate. You can also fill partially filled breaks by drilling and tapping around the perimeter to open up the break so resin can flow. Each chip is different, you have to use your own judgment as to whether redoing a chip is even possible or worth the effort.

If you have a daisy break and one of the "petals" won't fill, and you drill into the unfilled area to inject resin and it still won't go in, try to tap it with the slide hammer to pop a chip lose in the bottom of the hole. The glass will break where it is the weakest and that's where you want the resin to go.

I hope this helps.

Nomad, wow!!

Thank you for all this info, I wish I would have been trained properly from the beginning, The guys that trained me didn't know a thing and I knew more then them after about a week thats why I broke off and started my own show, but their is so much young grasshopper needs to learn.

This forum truly has been helpful I spend many hours reading past posts so thank you guys and thank you delta kits.

I use it every day...money well invested. When I have a stubborn crack leg and I've exhausted trying heat and probing it, I give it a little 'pop". Saved me many times from drilling the tip of a crack.