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#1
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Does windshield rock chip repair prevent crack propagation?
Got a nasty rock chip in my windshield. Three impact divots connected
by a crack about 1.5" long. Short star pattern at each impact. It's well out of the normal field of view, but I'm very concerned about the crack propagating. Googling informs me that the rock chip repair people are good at filling in holes, but there's a lot of hemming and hawing about whether they can keep a crack from propagating. I hate to blow $60 on a chip repair and have to replace the windshield next month anyway. Any chance that a vacuum pump and superglue will help? The kits you buy at the auto store show examples of fixes other than cracks. Doesn't have to be pretty, just not crack more. Direct personal experience? Thanks, mike -- -- Return address is VALID but some sites block emails with links. Delete this sig when replying. .. Wanted, PCMCIA SCSI Card for HP m820 CDRW. FS 500MHz Tek DSOscilloscope TDS540 Make Offer Wanted, 12.1" LCD for Gateway Solo 5300. Samsung LT121SU-121 Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below. MAKE THE OBVIOUS CHANGES TO THE LINK ht<removethis>tp://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/ |
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#2
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On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 12:32:46 -0800, mike > wrote:
>Got a nasty rock chip in my windshield. Three impact divots connected >by a crack about 1.5" long. Short star pattern at each impact. >It's well out of the normal field of view, but I'm very concerned about >the crack propagating. >Googling informs me that the rock chip repair people are good at filling >in holes, but there's a lot of hemming and hawing about whether they >can keep a crack from propagating. >I hate to blow $60 on a chip repair and have to replace the windshield >next month anyway. > >Any chance that a vacuum pump and superglue will help? The kits you buy >at the auto store show examples of fixes other than cracks. >Doesn't have to be pretty, just not crack more. > >Direct personal experience? >Thanks, mike >-- A =small= circular hole drilled at each end of the crack will keep it from propagating. Holes completely through the glass. Fill in with any transparent gunk of your choice, so long as it doesn't drip out while drying/curing. Lg |
#3
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The fix keeps water out of the fracture. Water can freeze and
expand in there and spread the damage. The patching can't restore the strength of the glass, so any more stressing (cold water on a hot windshield) will make the crack take off. Dan |
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#5
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>You can stop the crack by drilling holes at the exact ends of the
>crack I've NEVER seen that done to glass. Common practice with acrylic aircraft windshields, though. The auto windshield is two layers of glass, and it's the outer one that usually cracks. Trying to stopdrill it is probably futile. Dan |
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#7
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"Lawrence Glickman" > wrote in message ... > What does OP have to lose by doing the little experiment? Not much. > If he doesn't act now, you know it is only going to get worse. > > Lg It is a common practice in preventing propagation of cracks in metals...referred to as removal of stress raisers. That is why you grind away sharp casting seams when prepping an engine for high performance operation. You remove the stress raiser before a crack can form. It would doubtlessly be effective in glass if it could be applied easily and consistently. As far as I know, it isn't done often in automotive glass. |
#8
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Actually, he can probably make it much worse if he doesn't "do the
drill" right. As I'm sure would happen if I tried that... HA HA. I'd go ahead and either try the chip kit from the local auto store or have a glass place give an opinion on what they think. They are the experts. My local guys have always been very straightforward with me on cheap ways to fix the glass and avoid giving them any money. |
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#10
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"Lawrence Glickman" > wrote in message ... > I have drilled glass and glazed ceramics many many times. The thing > about auto glass is it is pre-stressed so it doesn't break into shards > but rather billions of tiny bits. This can be seen if you park your > car in the sun and wear polarized sunglasses. > > A wrong move with the bit, and kablammo, the entire windshield will > disintegrate in a second or less, into a kazillion bits that will take > a week to clean up. So there IS some *risk* involved. What you say is true of auto glass other than the windshield. A side window will break into tiny pieces if it is broken but a windshield is designed to stay together as much as possible for obvious reasons. Bob |
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