american windshield repair systems

Post your windshield repair tips, questions, advice! Note there is a sub-forum specifically for business development questions.
cracksout
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Re: american windshield repair systems

Post by cracksout »

Can someone give me the steps from 1 to so on, on how you repair different kinds of chips? I learned from a company, but this forum seems to have quite a few people with a lot more knowledge. I have an American kit. It works ok, but Im not a fan of the drill or the resins they sent me. It could be the bits, but I am gonna replace it with a Dremel soon when I can spare it. Also, could you guys recommend some quality resins? Thanks in advance
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Mr Bill
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Re: american windshield repair systems

Post by Mr Bill »

This website has many instructional videos. Youtube has a lot of instructional videos too.
Have you watched any of them?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re8_I-Z ... 4wBY5jrccg
cracksout
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Re: american windshield repair systems

Post by cracksout »

Mr Bill wrote:
cracksout wrote: I saw a guy put on here a repair which I thought was pretty good and he got picked apart.
That's just the nature of this forum.
Its not malicious, but everyone has an opinion. :D
The American injector has a black seal. Doesn't that make it hard to see air in the break, when you look in the reflection of the chip in mirror as you repair it?
It wasnt malicious, from what I could tell. I thought they were trying to be helpful. What are your steps to a proper repair if you dont mind?
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Mr Bill
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Re: american windshield repair systems

Post by Mr Bill »

I have several injectors, including an American injector which I do not use.
If I was using an American injector, this is what I would do:
Using your probe; clean loose glass out of pit.
Mount injector on WS.
Screw down until you make contact with the windshield , then 1/4 turn further.
Add resin to injector.
Screw in plunger until resin begins to penetrate the break.
Wait 2 mins then unscrew the plunger part way to pull a vacuum.
Wait 2 mins then screw in plunger until the resin is under pressure again.
Watch to see if the resin is penetrating.
Wait 2 mins then pull another vacuum.
Gradually screw the plunger in a little further each time you cycle between pressure and vacuum.
If there are crack legs, probe each leg to facilitate resin flow.
I never use heat to facilitate resin flow.
Heat is counter productive, as it makes the glass expand and the crack legs will temporarily dissappear, only to reappear afer the glass has cooled down.
When you are satisfied that all of the air in the break has been replaced by resin; remove injector; add a drop of pit filler and cure tab ; then cure using UV light for 5 mins.
In the case of crack legs, if the resin is under pressure, it may take 5 mins or more to travel all of the way to the ends of the cracks. If the resin cures in 5 mins, and it takes 8 min to reach the end of the crack, the resin will never make it all the way to the end of the cracks, if UV is present.
Be sure to take steps to block UV.
Use a UV screen or put a towel over your work during the repair process.
Did I miss anything?
Help me , fellow techs, by adding your two cents.
EMCAutoGlass
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Re: american windshield repair systems

Post by EMCAutoGlass »

Mr Bill seems to be spot on, but I'll add a few comments. I agree, you do not need a lighter. I have never used one, and personally, I think it looks unprofessional. There is an entire discussion on this topic on the forum as well. Bottom line, it can give a temporary false appearance because it will close up the legs. Once you leave and the glass cools, the legs open back up with no resin in them. I don't drill much, but I always clean out the impact point thoroughly with a scribe and use a dust blower to blow out the dust. This makes a better path for resin flow and your finished product will look nicer. Always check every leg prior to filling to make sure you know where they are, and note their appearance prior to filling. Now you have a frame of reference when they start to fill, and look at them from the profile (side) while on pressure. Flex with a probe to assist resin flow and watch the leg open, and the resin flow into the tip as you release pressure from your probe. Press your probe near the injector, not at the end of the leg. Always use plenty of pressure/vacuum cycles (follow manufacturer's recommendations), especially for bull's-eyes and combos. Watch closely to see the air (black) get sucked out during the vacuum cycle. If you don't have a smooth pit after scraping, you can either cut it out with the corner of a razor blade and try again, or put more pit resin on it and scrape it down again. I prefer to cut out the bad pit and start over.

My biggest recommendation is to get a training DVD from the manufacturer (if they have one) and watch it over and over. Then practice. If you have issues with using the equipment, contact the manufacturer. Hands on training from the manufacturer is your best bet, depending on cost for you. I had manufacturer training and it gave me quite a leg up.

I think you can make top notch repairs with any equipment out there. They all accomplish the same thing and use the same principles (remove air, replace with resin). You can skin the cat several different ways, but it's still a skinned cat in the end. The technician makes the difference.

Lastly, do not ever skimp on resin. Use only the best stuff out there because it's the only thing you leave with your customer. If you offer a lifetime warranty, you'll need a good resin which will hold up for a long time. The extra cost per job is only a few cents and worth it.

I hope my usual long-winded reply helps.

-Marty
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Re: american windshield repair systems

Post by screenman »

Mr Bill, I can see you have missed the dry out process, in my opinion for most techs the most important part.

Also timing, I have never gone this way preferring to observe and adjust when needed, this because every chip/crack is different.

As a tip, if and this seldom happens using the equipment I do a leg or part of the chip will not fill then I use a carbide probe and a tapper to break the damage more.
cracksout
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Re: american windshield repair systems

Post by cracksout »

These tips have been extremely helpful.
@EMCAutoglass, the company I used to work for had a better quality resin than what I am currently using.
What resins would you recommend?
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Re: american windshield repair systems

Post by EMCAutoGlass »

There are a lot of good resins, as well as bad resins out there. Honestly, I haven't used that many different resins, but Delta and GlasWeld resins have both worked well for me. I think a couple guys on here like Glass Technology. I have mostly been using Delta resins lately with good results. Delta seems to have done their due diligence in testing their resins and they've been using them for a long time. They have great customer service too. I recommend staying away from "bargain" resins; less than $20/$25 per bottle. I'm sure some other guys will have more to add to the topic of resin.

-Marty
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Mr Bill
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Re: american windshield repair systems

Post by Mr Bill »

screenman wrote:Mr Bill, I can see you have missed the dry out process, in my opinion for most techs the most important part.
Here in California, we are in the third year of a serious drought, due to lack of rain.
In England, where it rains all the time, water in the break is a more common occurrence at this time.
Personally, I don't time cycles of pressure and vacuum, however, I am trying to give basic instructions to someone who is just starting out.
When I attended DK training in Eugene, I was taught by DK to time cycles too. I think it is a good practice to do this until the tech gets a better feel for the WSR process.
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Re: american windshield repair systems

Post by Brent Deines »

Excellent point Mr. Bill. Most experienced technicians don't time their cycles, myself included. As you become proficient with whatever system you are using you will know how long to leave in each cycle and how many cycles you need simply be observing how the damage is filling. The reason we encourage new technicians to use a specific time for each cycle is so they get the best possible results. This sometimes slows down the process a bit but stresses that filling the damage properly is more important than how long it takes to complete the repair.

We also recommend going back to the basics, including specific cycle timing, for technicians who are having problems getting the damage to fill correctly. There is almost always one or more simple corrections that need to be made to get back on the right track but bad habits are hard to break.
Brent Deines
Delta Kits, Inc.
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