How to get rid of moisture in legs of star break?

[BrightFastWSR]

PLS. look at the photo:


I pour some water in a star break, after it soaked with water, most of reflect light in the break dissapear and the leg showed shorter than before.

Then I heated glass, from the first picture you can see moisture around the impacting point dissapeared and showed a half bullseye, and the leg dissapeared after heating.

When the windshield cooled down, from the second picture you can see part of the leg appeared again.

From the third picture: When pressing on the leg, the leg turns longer to the length before water pouring in, when releasing the pressure, the leg turned back to pic. 2 again, which showed it should be moisture made some part of the leg unseen.

I tried several times to heat the leg, however, each time I heat it, the whole leg disappeared. After it is cooled, just like before illustrated in pic.2.

the moisture still inside and never coming out.

It seemed the moisture trapped inside just like some water in a long thin bottle with a tiny bottleneck, when you heat the whole bottle, the tiny bottleneck expands and sealing the outlet.

How to get moisture out of the leg? I am kind of frustrated on it. Thank you.

[Kgobin]

What are you using to remove the moisture?

[BrightFastWSR]

I use an electronic cigarette lighter to heat the glass:

[t4k]

I use an electronic cigarette lighter to heat the glass:

From the inside of the glass?

[Mr Bill]

Are you sure that there is still moisture in the crack? Maybe it is just a tight crack that becomes visible when you apply pressure. Since it is just a practice glass, why not place it in warm sunshine for a day and try to dry it out that way. At least you will find out if there really was water still trapped in the break. The "dry star" is the best tool for moisture removal. Use Deltakits tools for professional results.

[DryStar]

Brightfast,

Not sure that little lighter thingy would work for me. The drystar heating element is at least 25 times that size. Occasionally I'll use a butane heat pen that works well on non-windy days. Did you feel the damage after you applied this tool? If you did it should have been very hot to the touch. If not...it's probably not removing moisture very effectively.

[Glasseye]

Agree with Drystar, that heater you are using looks too small. The heating element in a " drystar" is approx 3/4" in diameter ( similar to a cigarette lighter in a car). Normal exposure time is about 20 seconds to achieve moisture evaporation. Recommend you obtain one of these and practise with it.

[Master chip]

To do quality work you have to have the right tools. I agree with the last comments. Invest in a good heater and temperature gauge to reach your goals. You are on the right track to be ahead of your competition.

[screenman]

After heating use the heatsink to get the heat back out of the glass, legs can be hard work to dry, but with patience you will get there. Without a heatsink I have found that the legs can stay shut or partially so for 15 to 30 minutes and even more after heating.

I heat in circles around the star chasing the water out of the legs and keeping the centre cooler. Heating from centre outwards will close the legs before moisture can escape.

[BrightFastWSR]

I am sure it is moisture and I heat from outside.

I had tried to use a butane heat pen, but it was difficult for me to control the heat temperature as the temperature of the flame was too high and made the windshield cracked out.

Then I made another break on the practising windshield, and I had tried to use a hair drier and heat the windshield over 212 F for a couple of times, but when I checked I found the moisture was still in the legs after it cooled down.

I am so frustrated, and I prepare to buy a hot air gun(or heat gun which can blow hot air with temperature around 572F) and have a try again.

I also have bought a surface temperature detector to prevent overheat the windshield from cracking out, anyone can tell me how high temperature should be heated on the windshield to evaporate the moiture out of the legs for sure? Thank you very much.