2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42
No one is immune from troubles on the road. It may happen that one day on a federal highway, a pebble from a dump truck in front will get into the windshield. The result of such contact can be different - from a small chip to a deep crack. But in any case, the windshield will be deformed to one degree or another. Of course, driving with such a problem is hardly comfortable. Therefore, today we will look at how do-it-yourself windshield crack removal is done.
What is the danger of such damage
Even with a small impact, the integrity and strength of the glass is broken. Yes, the windshield of a modern car is a triplex. It's hard enough to break it. However, over time, the "web" will crawl further.
Small scratches appear at first,which will soon develop into a real crack. In addition, such defects significantly impair visibility, which directly affects traffic safety. And if there is a large “web” on the front, you can be held accountable by traffic police officers by issuing a considerable fine.
What to do first?
So, a foreign object has got into your glass. What needs to be done first? First you need to eliminate surface contamination. Apply transparent tape to the crack. It will not allow dirt to penetrate while you drive to the repair site. After all, road dust will act as an abrasive, each time reducing the strength of the glass. When you get home, you can remove the adhesive tape and start repair work. However, you will need a special windshield crack remover. We will talk about this below.
Required tools and materials
At first glance, removing chips and cracks on a windshield seems like a fairly simple operation. However, the work requires special attention and accuracy. It is best to perform this procedure in a dry, well-lit room. What tools do we need in order to remove cracks on the windshield? In the course of the work, we will need:
- Drill or electric drill.
- Scriber for glass cleaning.
- Diamond drills.
- Brackets for fixing the applicator.
- ultraviolet lamp.
- Suction cup and mirror.
- Surface cleaning brush.
- Hair dryer
We also need a photopolymer,solvent for working with polymers, degreaser, wipes for cleaning and final polishing of glass.
Note that you can buy a ready-made kit for removing cracks on the windshield on the market. It can be both professional and disposable. In the first case, you get a hand pump, an ultraviolet lamp, a mirror, brackets for attaching the polymer and a device for their injection (the so-called injector) as a set.
Disposable kits only include windshield crack remover adhesive and wipes. The rest of the items you will have to buy separately. Such kits are a small plastic pad and a tube with a polymer composition. It will not work with it to remove cracks on the windshield (only suitable for chips).
Getting Started: Getting Ready
At the first stage, we need to carefully process and degrease the damaged area of the glass. We remove all the dust and dirt inside with a scriber. Next, we go through the area with a hairdryer and, at the end, degrease the chip or crack.
After that, we pick up a drill and a diamond drill. We process the place of the chip with the tool. With a drill, we will align the walls of the glass, so that the polymer composition will fully penetrate inside. On the outside of the windshield, we install a bracket for the injection device.
Fill with photopolymer
Depending on the scale of work, we put in a special injector from two to tendrops of composition. The injector is installed in the bracket. The installation accuracy is controlled by a mirror. The composition must be applied exactly to the center of the chip. With the help of screws we adjust the tightness of the injector with the surface. From the side of the cabin, we heat the glass with a hairdryer or a lighter.
Use a hand pump or injector plunger to remove air from the work area. Next, the polymer is filled into the crack. Make sure there are no air bubbles in it. If so, they can be removed with a few swap-pump cycles. After filling the chip or crack with a polymer composition, remove the injector from the glass.
Next, the final film is installed on the surface. An ultraviolet lamp is placed in the place where the injector was. When the polymer hardens (usually 15 minutes), the lamp and film can be removed. On the surface you will see the remains of the repair adhesive. Do not be afraid, this is a natural phenomenon. You can remove excess parts of the polymer using a special blade that comes with the kit. The removal of cracks on the windshield is completed by the final polishing of the surface.
Pay attention! Repair of long cracks is carried out with brackets of the "bridge" type. This type of attachment allows you to move the injector along the crack as the composition is filled.
Helpful tips
When choosing a set for removing chips or cracks, you need to pay attention to the transparency coefficient of the material. Some vehicles have factory-tinted windshields (and this is notfilm). The transparency coefficient is indicated in the instructions for the photopolymer. Glass details are in the vehicle documentation.
In the course of work, set the correct wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp. Also watch the curing time of the repair adhesive. All these data are indicated in the instructions for the kit.
If the injector is not used for the first time, carefully prepare it for use. The presence of dirt or fine dust may cause bubbles or other problems. And finally, do not forget about protective devices. Because photopolymer is a chemical, wear rubber gloves when handling it.
How effective is this?
Subject to the technology of work, you can almost completely hide the defects of the windshield. Why practically, because the transparency coefficient of the polymer, even with the right selection, will differ from those values that triplex glass has.
At a distance of one or more meters, the defect will be completely hidden. However, if you look at the glass from a certain angle, you can see the repaired crack. As for the reliability of the connection, the composition glues glass parts well. If the problem was fixed in time, the strength of the windshield will be at its former level. The main thing is to prepare the surface well, removing all dirt and dust from it.
Conclusion
So, we figured out how to repair chips and remove cracks onwindshield with your own hands. The operation is simple, but requires certain skills and abilities.
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