Do-it-yourself windshield chip repair
Content
The trouble happened: a pebble flying out from under the wheels or a spike from the tread of a passing car hit the windshield of your car. But, there is no reason to despair yet. Stop for a second and assess the situation.
Why is it so necessary to repair the windshield from chips in a timely manner?
Glass chip. And this has its own plus. A chip is not a crack. Repairing a chipped windshield is less of a problem than repairing a cracked windshield.
What for? At least in order to take preventive measures that will help you cope with the windshield chip repair procedure in the future. Do not be lazy, seal the chipped area with transparent tape - this will then reduce the process of cleaning the defect from dirt.
Why so much attention to the chip on the glass? Elementarily simple. Timely repair of windshield chips allows you to stop the process of turning a chip into a crack, and avoid a more costly procedure - repairing cracks on the windshield of your car. Choose, you are a practical and sane person.
Repair of chips on the windshield does not require special professionalism and deep knowledge of the device of the internal combustion engine. All you need is your desire, a “field” ambulance kit for glass in the form, for example, of an Abro windshield chip repair kit, and time.
Why Abro? Not necessary. The set can be of any manufacturer that you choose in the auto shop. The main thing is that it is completed and the expiration date corresponds. Otherwise, the polymer applied to the chip will either not “take” or will have a low transparency coefficient, and even polishing the glass will not help you.
The cost of a windshield chip repair kit is several times less than the amount you will hear in the service. And the choice, of course, is yours. But there may be several chips during the season, then it is probably easier to change the car right away. Windshield chip repair is within your power. Do not doubt.
Windshield chip repair steps
Repair of chips on the windshield is preferably done in the garage and in appropriate sunny weather. Although this is not an axiom. There is no weather - there is a wife's hair dryer or a neighbor's building hair dryer. There is always a way out.
Assessment of the degree of defect. Using a flashlight, evaluate the area of the chip, and maybe microcracks have already gone from it, which are invisible to the naked eye. If so, then the edges of the cracks must be drilled to prevent crack propagation. For this you need: an electric drill and a diamond drill.
Preparation of scola k overhaul. If there are no cracks, then we will continue to repair the windshield chip using a kit. Thoroughly clean the defect area: remove, rinse dust, dirt, glass micro-fragments from the cleavage cavity. Dry the area thoroughly with a hair dryer. It is not recommended to wash the repair site with chemicals - a film is formed that will prevent the polymer from doing its job. Just water and a brush or needle from the kit. Degrease the chipped area with alcohol.
Installation of a mini-injector. The repair kit has a self-adhesive "circle" and a plastic "nipple" for the syringe. This is an impromptu one-time injector. We install it according to the instructions.
Polymer preparation. We fill the syringe from the set from two containers (if the polymer is one-component, then it is even easier, no need to mix).
polymerization process. We install the syringe in the "nipple" and make several pumps: vacuum - 4-6 minutes, excess pressure - 8-10 minutes, again vacuum. How these procedures are carried out by the manufacturer of the chip repair kit is described in detail in the instructions.
In the kit there is a special metal bracket for fixing the syringe to the "nipple" of the injector. After creating pressure in the syringe, the design is left for the time specified in the instructions. Typically 4-6 hours.
The final stage – cleaning the repair site from excess polymer. We remove the injector and use a blade or a construction knife to remove excess glue. But, finally, the polymer will harden within 8-10 hours.
Everything. The windshield chip has been repaired, it is possible to polish the place of repair or, once you have taken it, the entire windshield. The goal is achieved, the chip is eliminated, the risk of a crack on the windshield is minimized. Let's hit the road. Let as little as possible you have to repair chips on the windshield.
Even if the damage is immediately stopped and the impact site is sealed, dust and dirt will still get inside, this will not allow the polymer to completely fill the damaged space and displace the air. The crack will create glare due to the change in the angle of refraction. The quality of work depends not only on how quickly the repairs were completed, but also on the quality of the materials used and the level of professionalism of the craftsmen.
If a crack has formed on the glass after impact, then in most cases such damage is accompanied by peeling of the plastic layer located inside. Not a single specialist can ideally correct such defects; clouding and other visible signs of repair will still be noticeable at the site of damage, the degree of which depends on the age of the crack or chip, shape and other features.
The polymer that fills the damaged areas is similar in composition to the structure of glass, but there is still a difference and, if desired, the treatment site can be seen with the naked eye. Repair of cracks in glass according to the technology is no different from the repair of chips, except that it takes more time due to the larger area of defects.
Be that as it may, after the impact, you must immediately stop and seal the place of damage, nevertheless, the less dust gets inside, the better. Be sure to put a sheet of paper under the adhesive tape so that the glue from the tape does not get inside. The cleaner the place of the defect, the better the repair will be and, accordingly, there will be minimal differences externally. Most importantly, after the repair, you can not be afraid that the crack will not start to spread and soon the so-called "spider" will not form on the windshield.
Good luck to you lovers of your car.
