Windshield Repair Forum

At the expense of being called a fossil or worse, I see no reason to apply resin to a repair area before setting up the injector.

None.

It seems to me to be an extra and unnecessary step in the repair process as well as intoducing the possibility of premature entrance curing from bouncing UV rays.

The next thing I will discover is that after doing so, it's best to apply a few more drops followed by some thumb pressure in order to complete the repair and then pressure cure it with elbow grease.

A replacement shop type repair.

This isn't meant to be either argumentative or controversial.

But I think I know why bridges and injectors were developed in the first place.

Consequently, some kind of first step natural resin inspiration seems to me to be not only wasted time but a reversion back to eight dollar, Ace Hardware kits which are as useful as rubber gloves on a toilet plunger.

I can see some possible logical merit to the new-age practice of probing and flexing through an open-end, resin- filled bridge-applied injector as some suggest but even that practice needs further investigation as to whether it saves a step.

Arguable perhaps but makes some sense.

However, I see no advantage to prematurely applying drops of resin over a repair area and waiting to see what happens before just figuring out and analylizing what needs to be done ahead of time and then proceeding.

Other than to reply to direct questions, I'll leave it to others to comment on the advisability of this extra step.

Perhaps we might learn something new and there is always room for that.

This is just like pressure curing or not... it works both ways, it's just a personal preference.

As I recall last time this was "debated", nobody claims that it results in superior repairs. It's just another way to do it. Sometimes it really does cut down on the required cook time. And nobody is recomending NOT using the bridge/injector... only waiting a few seconds first. At least I'm not....

I don't make it a habit to do this, and you don't have to... but I have done quite a bit of it in the past. It's kinda fun, actually. I did one the other dayjust for the heck of it and I got it filled 90%+ in less than a minute, before using the injector to finish it. It may have filled just as fast if I had used only the injector as normal, but who knows?

I have never put resin on the chip prior to mounting the bridge... probably due to the concerns you mention about UV exposure, etc. But that's getting picky over the details rather than the fundamentals of it. You don't have to do it prior to putting the bridge on. You can mount the bridge however you like, then slide it to the side and try the technique. Then slide the bridge back over the chip and have at it.

Some equipment is more suited for doing this than others I'm sure.

I do have a habit of stopping the pressure cycle after a few seconds, and sliding the injector to the side to check out the resin flow, or lack thereof. This is a good time to try probing to help resin flow if needed. It a very quick process.... I'm only talking a few seconds, then back on with pressure/vac cycle.

Whatever floats your boat...

While you claim your post is not meant to be contoversial or argumentative, it is small minded. As well, that disclaimer doesn't stop your post from being simply a direct attack at a method that differs from yours. You liken this method to an "Ace Hardware Kit"or a "replacement shop repair". I was trained in this method when I was taught windshield repair eight years ago, and it is and has been very sucessful. I will put my repairs up against those of anyone. You say you know why bridges and injectors were developed in the first place, surely you don't feel that you are the only one with the experience or intelligence to figure this out. I use a bridge and injector on my repairs and don't condone repairs being done without them. This was brought up because many newbies have had toruble getting resin to flow into damage espescially star type damage and I believe this will greatly shorten their learning curve on such repairs.

Well, Glassdoctor.

Cogent reply.

Seen that technique mentioned before and always wondered why the extra step.

Nothing wrong with experimentation in this business.

I've been a part of that experimentation for 17 years.

In spite of being small-minded.