Auto Glass Repair - Introduction to Windshield & Auto Glass Repair
Learn how to repair windshields with our free course on Windshield Repair. Know which Windshield Repair Kits are available and which kits fit your repair needs.
Be informed by seeing a comparison of the kits and processes before
you begin, and be able to determine whether a windshield can be repaired
or needs to be replaced.
These kits are used to repair bullseye, spider web, star, chip, and combination windshield
damage. Some kits can repair cracks. See kit comparison chart
for specifics.
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Windshield Repair 101:
UV activated resins also have advantages in that there is no mixing required
for the resin, it will remain workable as long as it is shaded from UV
light sources, the sun, and curing can be fairly quick once the vehicle
is moved to a sunny location or a UV lamp is applied to cure the resin.
The easiest method for UV resins is locating the vehicle in a shady spot
or indoors while applying the resin to the damage. And then moving it
to a sunny spot to cure, harden, the resin.
The injection methods vary slightly between the syringe type injector,
and the bridge injector. They both also have advantages that are worth
mentioning. One of the main advantages of bridge type devices is that
they are reusable. If you have more than one damaged area, you can move
the bridge injector from one damaged area to another, and you can store
the bridge injector device for future use if desired. It also usually
requires less resin per damaged area than does a syringe type injector.
Visibility of the damage is also a little easier with the bridge devices
since the rubber mouth on the injector is fairly narrow allowing some
visibility from the outside of the windshield and more light in and around
the damage pit whether viewing the damage from the outside or inside of
the vehicle.
The main advantage of the syringe type injectors is the ability to apply
a vacuum over the damage as an aid in the injection process. The main
disadvantage for the syringe type injectors is that each damaged area
requires a new adhesive seal or ring to attach the pedestal to each damaged
area. Note that some kits provide more than one adhesive seal, but most
provide one. The other advantage for the syringe type injector is that
it provides a very tight leak free seal, where the bridge devices require
a light but positive amount of pressure between the device and the glass
to accomplish a good seal. This is generally not a problem for the bridge
devices but requires a little extra effort or attention.
In addition to the spot damage repairs you will be introduced to
Long Crack repairs.
Crack type damages must be handled differently and are
not recommended by most of the repair kits. There are a few kits that
do support crack repair. You can take a look at our
kit comparison chart
to see which kits we have listed that support crack repair. The main
prerequisite for repairing cracks is that you have a very low viscosity
resin and a good supply of curing strips. There are also differing methods
and some tools available to help with cracks. Note that none of the kits
recommend repairing cracks over 12 inches in length or cracks that have
spread to more than one edge of a windshield. It is best to limit cracks
repairs to shorter cracks of no more than 4 to 6 inches in length.
In each of these methods you will be familiarized with the tools and parts
generally supplied with the repair kits. You will also be familiarized
with the conditions and preparation for the repair, and then walked through
the repair processes of Making the Repair from start to finish. Once
you have gone through the course material, you also have available to
you a comparison chart to refer to when choosing repair kits along with
a visual step by step run through of the methods and procedures recommended
by each of the kits along with a list of the parts contained in each of
the kits.
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