Windshield Repair Forum

Hello Everyone,
I'm Jerry in Gilbert, AZ. I'm in my late thirties now and back in school full time studying engineering. I'm looking to get into the WSR business as a small part time business. I've actually talked to a few car washes around my area and they are open to me setting up and offering WSR services to their customers that come in for car washes. I've been reading the board here in my down time and it's very enlightening. I'm researching kits now and having been leaning towards the Delta Kits and GT specifically.

While I'm aware there's always going to be brand loyalty and bias, but I'd like some objective (if possible) opinions on either kit. Will both kits allow me to perform the same types of repairs, are repairing cracks realistic and doable, Does the extreme AZ heat present specific problems performing repairs?

Which ever kit I end up buying, I will take the factory training class as well. I'm not looking to get rich in this business, just supplement my present income and this seems very interesting and fun to me.

Thank you for reading and your time.
Jerry

Repairing cracks can be a pain.
All of the dirt on your windshield can end up inside cracks, making repairs difficult.
At a car wash, the repairs need to be done on a completely dry windshield.
Water and resin do not mix.
A hot windshield needs to be cooled down. Hot windshields crack easily during repairs.

Factory training along with lots of practice on an old windshield are a must. You can get a windshield from a junkyard pretty cheap. A basic stone chip system with one bridge/injector will work for now and will give you a chance to try it out. If you find that it's for you, then you can start adding more tools to the toolbox down the road. If not, you're not out that much money. Just Google "windshield repair tools" and you'll find all kinds of information. Just avoid the cheap resins (less than $20). That's all you leave with the customer, and we're only talking a couple cents extra per job for a good resin. Delta Kits has the biggest selection of tools/kits out there, and have great customer service (which is a big plus in this industry). In the beginning, just stick to standard chips before you dive into crack repair. Crack repairs can take much longer, and most carwash customers don't want to wait that long anyways. Bill's points are all right on. With the heat in Arizona, windshields will regularly be 150+ degrees. Finding shade, or bringing your own canopy will be important. Beware a canopy on a windy day! Wherever you buy your kit, they should provide training/videos on how to properly cool a windshield, as well as plenty of other training videos/manuals. You'll have plenty of administrative requirements starting out as well (FEIN, state taxes, setting up with the insurance third-party-administators for billing, etc.). Bottom line, do your research, make some phone calls, get training, then practice, practice, practice, start small, and start building your business. Good luck!
-Marty

Mr Bill and Marty,
Thank you for the responses. I've been reading the board and researching like a madman.

Oh I forgot to ask Marty, I read somewhere here (don't remember now as I've read hundreds of posts now) that a member uses a towel with ambient temperature water to cool the windshields down. As an engineering standpoint this makes a lot of sense from a thermodynamics standpoint, have you ever used this technique? I know water mixed with alcohol will quickly cool the windshield too, I just don't want to cool it too quickly. Summer will be here soon so I'll get lots of practice with both techniques. Thanks again, guys!

Find some shade if you can.
Roll the windows down; then put a chip saver over the chip to keep it dry.
Next lightly mist with water.
Let that evaporate, then mist again.
Repeat as necessary.
Cooling the windshield too quickly will crack it.

I use water and alcohol .

I'm in Yuma and I do what Mr. Bill does. The evaporation of the water will cool the glass quite well. Just be patient and try to move the car into a shady spot or use an umbrella or something to keep the sun from heating it too fast while you are working on it. I don't work when it is too hot in the summer, the equipment may take the heat but I just can't anymore.

Nomad,
Thank you for the response also. Once I hit 10 posts I'm going to PM you to talk and maybe pick you're brain if you'd be ok with that. I'd even drive to Yuma for the day and buy you lunch if you'd let me pick you're brain and maybe watch a repair or two if that may be something you're agreeable with.

Thanks for all the replies gentlemen.

Jerry

I use the same method as Bill to cool a windshield. I put a small suction cup over the break to keep the alcohol/water out of the impact area. A budget solution is scotch tape. Be sure to use an IR thermometer to keep checking the temperature (around $40). It may take a little while to cool the glass, but it's much better than explaining a new 6" crack to the customer. You can also use a Heat Exchanger ($34 from DK), which pulls the heat from the glass into the tool. I have not used a Heat Exchanger, but my understanding is that you want to cool the entire area around the break to create a uniform temperature of the surrounding glass, not just the immediate area of the break. I imagine that the Heat Exchanger provides a more localized heat removal, without cooling the surrounding glass. Bottom line, take your time, get the glass cool (70-90 degrees), and complete the repair. I am admittedly a slow repairman, but I have never had a customer complain after I explain the process and I leave them with a good repair.
Thanks,
Marty