Removal of cracks in the windshield: means and methods

No one is insured against troubles on the road. It may happen that one day on the federal highway in the windshield will hit a pebble from the ahead of the dump truck. The result of such contact can be different - from a small cleavage to a deep crack. But in any case, the front will be deformed to some extent. Of course, traveling with such a problem is hardly comfortable. So today we will look at how the cracks are removed on the windshield with their own hands.

Than such damage is dangerous

Even with a small impact, the integrity and strength of the glass is impaired. Yes, the frontal of a modern car is a triplex. It's difficult to break it. However, over time, "spiderweb" will crawl further.

First, there are barely noticeable scratches, which 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 bring to responsibility the traffic police, writing a considerable fine.

What should I do first?

So, in your glass hit a foreign object. What should I do first? First you need to eliminate surface contamination. Apply a transparent tape on the crack. It will not let dirt get inside while you go 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 scotch tape and start repair work. However, you will need a special tool for removing cracks on the windshield. This we will discuss below.

Necessary tools and materials

At first glance, removing chips and cracks on the windshield seems a fairly simple operation. However, 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 the cracks on the windshield? In the course of the work we will need:

• A drill or an electric drill.
• Scraber for cleaning glass.
• Diamond drills.
• Brackets for fastening the applicator.
• UV lamp.
• Sucker and mirror.
• Brush for cleaning the surface.
• Hairdryer.

Also we need a photopolymer, a solvent for working with polymers, a degreaser, napkins for cleaning and final polishing of glass.

Note that in the market you can buy a ready-made set for removing cracks on the windshield. It can be both professional and one-time. In the first case, you purchase a hand pump, an ultraviolet lamp, a mirror, brackets for fixing the polymer and a device for their insertion (the so-called injector).

Disposable kits only include glue to remove cracks on the windshield and wipes. The remaining items you will have to buy separately. Such sets are a small plastic overlay and a tube with a polymer composition. Doing the removal of cracks on the windshield with it will not work (it is like only for chips).

Getting Started: Preparation

At the first stage, we need to thoroughly process and degrease the damaged area of the glass. Remove all the dust and dirt inside the scriber. Next, we pass through the area with a hair dryer and at the end degrease a chip or crack.

After that we take in hand a drill and a diamond drill. We work with the tool for the cleavage site. With the drill, we level the glass walls, so that the polymer composition will penetrate inward to the fullest. On the outside of the frontal mount the bracket for the injection device.

Fill the photopolymer

Depending on the scale of the work, we place in a special injector from two to ten drops of the composition. The injector is installed in the bracket. The accuracy of the installation is controlled by the mirror. The composition should be applied exactly to the center of the cleavage. By means of screws we adjust the density of the fitting of the injector with the surface. From the salon we heat the glass with a hair dryer or a lighter.

To remove air in the working area, use a hand pump or an injector piston. Then the polymer is filled into the crack. Be careful that no air bubbles form in it. If so, they can be removed by several pumping-pumping cycles. Filling the chip or crack with a polymer compound, we remove the injector from the glass.

Then the final film is installed on the surface. The place where the injector was, put an ultraviolet lamp. When the polymer solidifies (usually 15 minutes), the lamp and film can be removed. On the surface you will see the remnants of the repair glue. Do not be afraid, this is a natural phenomenon. Remove excess parts of the polymer can be with a special blade, which goes in the set. Removal of cracks on the windshield is completed by the final polishing of the surface.

Note! Repair of cracks of a large extent is done 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 selecting a set for removing chips or cracks, you need to pay attention to the transparency of the material. Some cars have factory darkening of the windshield (and this is not a film). The transparency coefficient is specified in the photopolymer instructions. The glass data is indicated in the vehicle documentation.

In the course of the work, install the correct wave of radiation from the ultraviolet lamp. Also, monitor the polymerization time of the repair glue. All these data are specified in the kit's instructions.

If the injector is not used for the first time, carefully prepare it for operation. The presence of dirt or fine dust can lead to the appearance of bubbles or other troubles. And finally, do not forget about the protective devices. Since the photopolymer is a chemical substance, work with it in rubber gloves.

Is it effective?

With the observance of the technology of work, you can almost completely hide the defects of the windshield. Why is it practical, because the transparency coefficient of the polymer, even with the correct selection, will differ from the values that are available for triplex glass.

At a distance of one or more meters, the defect will be hidden completely. However, if you look at the glass at a certain angle, you can see a repaired crack. With regard to the reliability of the compound, the composition well glues together parts of the glass. If the problem was eliminated on time, the strength of the frontal will be at the previous level. The main thing - to qualitatively prepare the surface, removing all the dirt and dust from it.

Conclusion

So, we figured out how to repair the chips and remove the cracks on the windshield with your own hands. The operation is simple, but requires certain skills and abilities.