my first repairs

[cdirks]

Hello to everyone!

I thought I might tell you how my practice repairs went today. It was the first time I had ever tried it. My very first repair I believe I got a 90% improvement. It was very difficult to spot when finished. My second one was not as good but not terrilbe. My third one was a half moon or an arc shaped crack. I drilled in the middle and started the injection. At one end there was a spot that absolutely would not fill. At the other end an air bubble would move during the pressure and injection cycles. I basically chased that air bubble around. It would go to the injector seal but never go out. These first three repairs were on my practice windshield. My fourth repair was on me and my Dad's business vehicle. When I started the injection cycle on the star or combination break the legs would not fill. I called Delta Kits and while I was on the phone my Dad was talking to the vehicles previous owner. He said that one had been repaired once. He had had another tech look at it and he could tell that someone had tried to fix it before so he left it alone. I didn't know this so that explained why the legs would not fill. The most I could do was put pit resin on it cure, scrape, and polish. My fifth repair was a star or "batwing" break on my parent's car. I put the injector on it and it would not fill. I drilled it and it filled very well. I think I got an 85% improvement on that one.

[screenman]

Did you dry out? and did you use UV protection, no I do not mean sun cream.

I wish you luck and I also wish that you take some proper training.

[cdirks]

There was no moister in the breaks. I did the vehicle repairs in the garage so UV was not a problem. The other repairs were done in my basement on my practice windshield.

[t4k]

. I did the vehicle repairs in the garage so UV was not a problem.

If you can see without the use of any type of lighting, there is UV present. That is the rule of the thumb I use and I always use UV protection no matter where I perform the repair.

[cdirks]

Thanks for that bit of information t4k. I do plan on getting a bubble done when I go to Delta training. The June session was full so now I'm signed up for July.

[t4k]

Very nice. You can never learn too much on any subject including W/S repair.

[cdirks]

Screenman I think what you were asking was if my resin dried or cured prematurely. It didn't. I had no trouble with the resin. Thanks everyone for asking questions and giving advice.

[screenman]

In the real world you are likely to find most damages are wet, this is why I advice a lot of wet practise.

I was asking about the premature curing you are correct, how would you tell this was not the problem in real life?

[cdirks]

Screenman, I do plan on putting moister into some breaks on my practice windshield and then using my moister evaporater and see how that goes. Some breaks I have done have air in them when done. I didn't see it before. What did I do wrong?

[screenman]

Wait till you have had your training, before doing repairs on real car, that is my first bit of advice. What you did wrong is impossible to say from here without a complete step by step guide to what you did and picture of before and after.

When you use the drystar inspect the break first and make sure it cools down to exactly how it was before you applied the heat, legs close up when the glass is heated and I have found they stay shut for a long time. The heatsink is a fantastic piece of kit to add to your box, and is something I use on 90% of my jobs.