Windshield Repair Forum

does anybody know where or how to get practice glass?

I have been told to go to a replacement shop. they throw all the old WS into the dumpsters.

I didnt even think of that! I was thinking along the lines of a junk yard but I knew they would prob charge too much.

Dgarza,

Junk yards might charge you too much to outright "buy" a windhsield.

However, if you speak to the junkyard owner/manager, they would probably let you practice/repair every windhsield in their inventory (on-site), especially if you are adding value to their product.

I started "practicing" at a local "junkyard" that also sold/financed/serviced thier own vehicles. The owner/manager was so impressed with the way the repairs turned out on the junkers, that he started paying me cash $$$$ for repairing windshields on his non-junked cars. It's a Win-Win situation:)

I went to my local glass shop and I told him I was doing a project on different types of cracks on windshield and the temperature changes that affects these cracks. I was thinking that they wouldn't even bother with me but I used the Coitster method..just do it... and asked. The guy told me to pull the car in the back and gave me a nice 2x4 feet laminated glass for free. $8/square feet, that's $64. As you can see, the Coitster method applies to alot of things.

If you build it, they will not come.

They were just happy to avoid paying the $$$ for the extra WS in thier dumpster.

It costs to haul trash, it's profitable to turn trash into a viable product:)

Glass shops around here don't seem to want to help out a windshield repair guy (maybe afraid of the competition), but I've found the junkyards to be the best place. Most of them around here have the windshields already out of the vehicles and pretty well cleaned up. I pay $30-$40 per windshield, and was able to do hundreds of repairs on each one. To me it was worth the price to be able to practice at home, and I bought one of Liquid Resins pvc stands to set it on.

just called my local replacment shop and told them I wanted one they were throwing out for my son school project. He was more than happy to help. Can I practice on the windshield with it laying on the ground or should it really be upright?

Upright, dgarza.

Also, under regular sunlight conditions.

The latter will cause you to be extremely careful in re UV bounce and the importance of shielding the repair properly.

can you explain?