Maximum size chip?

[Anonymous]

What is the maximum size, and depth chip that you will pit fill? A customer brought me one today with an old repair, that had lost the pit. It must have been the size and depth of an aspirin tablet It was almost to the laminate. I roughened it, and filled it for him with no guarantee. Do any of you use a low cps resin to fill the depth, cure, and then pit fill?

[Anonymous]

I have successfully filled chips as large as a 50-cent piece; mostly bullseye combos with only one or 2 leg and not too much crushed glass at the impact site. I have also filled those peculiar "horseshoe" cracks up to 3" diameter. Depth: as long as the laminate isnt damaged, depth is not an issue with me. One the laminate is damaged, or both layers of the glass have been fractured, I recommend replacement.

I read your post again. Are you asking about the size of the entire damage, or about the pit itself? If your question is regarding the impact site, I can repair up to 5/8" using the large pit adapter. However, using that accessory deminished the amount of vacuum and pressure that can be applied and increased the repair time..often up to double normal time.

If the pit is very large, I remove as much as the crushed glass as I can before beginning the repair. I might even apply some pit resin to stabalize the fragments, then proceed. To finish up, it might take a second application of pit resin to completely fill the pit to eliminate the little dimple in the center that occurs when a larger amount of pit resin cures.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Grace. Yes I was talking about the pit area. When they are that large and deep I wonder about the long term success of the repair. You say you put pit fill resin in first to stabilize fragments. Doesn't that cause a problem with your regular resin flow when the two mix? You bring up a good point also on the crushed glass. When you have a large combo with a small impact, and a large area of crushed glass underneath and to the sides, do you clean or drill out the pit area only, or do you clean out as much crushed glass as possible, making the pit fill area much larger? I try to keep the pit area as small as possible, but the crushed glass always has that hazy appearance after the repair because of all the crushed glass mixing with the resin. One tech once told me he cleaned out all the crushed area, and just filled with lots of pit fill to cover the area, because you get a clearer repair. What do you think?

[Anonymous]

Marty, when I find it necessary to use pit filler prior to beginning the actual repair I apply it to the pit area and cure. For this I use a very thick pit filler so it stays in the pit area only, and does not flow into any of the legs or block off any channels. Once it is cured, it doesnt cause any trouble with the regular repair resin. Yes, if there is the posibility of a cloudier repair when using this method. For this reason, I only use this technique when absolutely necessary, because the visual results produced by the regular repair resin are much better. When the thinner resin is "absorbed" by the crushed glass it produces a much clearer finished repair. This is one of those things you have to develop a feel for. Get you a scrap windshield and practice, practice, practice.

[Anonymous]

so gold star after curing the pit resin do you drill the break to continue the repair process.

[Anonymous]

Each one is different, but it is usually necessary to drill.

[Anonymous]

Marty, like Grace I too if absolutely necessary, will use a thick pit filler (plate glass filler) to seal the large pit. However, when doing this I clean the large pit with my probe first to reomove the bulk of crushed glass. Once the pit is cured and scraped, I will then drill in the actual break area, as you can't drill thru the pit fill resin with great results. Tap a mini bullseye, and complete the repair. Once the repair is filled, cured, and scraped. I will (useing an old dull drill bit) drill/grind out the pit fill around the edges real good (on the large pit) apply some thinner resin ie: star, probe it in, ensuring every shiney part of the glass has made contact and been probed, then refill with pit fill and cure. The results are less cloudy looking, the repair always fills, and sue it takes an additional 5 minutes, but its my reputation and my customers satisfaction that matters the most.

[Anonymous]

How many of you use thin resin for the bulk of a large pit, then add a little pit fill and cure? I would think all pit fill would make a little clearer job. Why is this done? Also how do you prevent a wavy large pit fill? I've noticed on some larger pits, even though its flat and shiney, it looks a little wavy. Thanks all.