The Wise Crack

Windshield Repair Newsletter

The Wise Crack, published monthly, is the most widely circulated windshield repair newsletter available! It includes windshield repair tips, news, & marketing advice.

August 2009 Issue

Full Version:
www.deltakits.com/wisecrack/

Delta Kits Home:
www.deltakits.com

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What's New on the Windshield Repair Forum

Delta Kits, Helping Customers, One Video at a Time!

Recently on the forum there was a question raised about how to clean your injector. Subsequently, we posted a video detailing how to clean your injector. Delta Kits recommends that if you are using Delta Kits windshield repair equipment be sure to clean your injector after every use with denatured alcohol. Rinsing thoroughly and then storing the parts separately in your covered tool box is the recommended method and you do not have to remove the seal to do this. Soaking is okay if you remove the seal but not necessary. If you do soak be sure you allow all the alcohol to evaporate prior to using the injector for a repair. If doing one repair after another you can use compressed air to blow off/out the injector between uses, but if it will not be used again immediately be sure to rinse with denatured alcohol.

You can view this and several other videos created to address frequently asked questions that circulate around the windshield repair industry by visiting www.windshield-repair-forum.com or www.deltakits.com.

As many of you know, Delta Kits hosts the world’s largest and most popular windshield repair forum. This is the perfect place to ask questions, and get advice from thousands of windshield repair technicians and business owners all over the world.


Below are some of the hot topics from the month of June:
Where do you put your toolbox?
Cleaning of Injectors

Best ways to remove sticker stains from windshield?

As of July 31, 2009, the world’s largest windshield repair forum included 35,447 posts on 4534 topics.  

If it’s happening in the windshield repair industry you will find out about it at www.windshield-repair-forum.com.  Membership is free, so join the windshield repair forum today.  You’ll be glad you did.
 

-Korey Gobin

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Delta Kits Certified Windshield Repair Technicians

Congratulations to all of the new Delta Kits Certified Windshield Repair Technicians!

July 2009
William Cervanes
Chong Kim
Joshua Poe
Jon Porter
John Williamson

-Korey Gobin

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Tech Tip

Injector Seal

When you fail to get a good seal between the injector and the windshield, each pressure and vacuum cycle is less effective.  A leaking injector seal can lead to increased repair time, excess resin waste, and worst of all, inferior repairs. Many technicians that we talk to assume it is normal for resin to leak between the end seal and the glass. Well, it isn’t normal. In fact, if your injector seal leaks regularly, there is definitely a problem somewhere, so let’s find it.

Do you level your bridge properly? Pay special attention as you are initially setting your bridge over the damage.  Once the injector touches the glass, make sure to add at ½ turn to create a good seal. You don’t want too much pressure against the glass, but you need enough to keep the injector from leaking. Another mistake many technicians make is bringing the back legs down only until they just touch the glass and stopping. Do not do this! Bring the back legs down until they touch the glass and then give each screw 2 full turns. This will be close to getting the getting the seal to uniform thickness, which is the goal, but there are times when additional minor adjustments are needed. By lifting the back of the bridge you are creating a much more even pressure all the way around the seal, which will minimize leaking.

Is all the air out of your vacuum cup? If you are using the B300 Bridge with the pump style vacuum cup, you need to be sure the vacuum cup is completely seated against the glass and is very stable. The red line on the pump is a good guide, but make sure to check the cup itself very closely. If one side is higher than the other or you see a “bump” on one side, keep pumping. A suction cup that is not properly adhered can lift away from the glass, which will increase the likelihood that your injector will leak.

Are you lining up your injector over the damage carefully?  Use your inspection mirror to make sure your injector is centered exactly over the impact point. The 144-7G inspection mirrors are magnified 3X to make it easier to see just what is going on under that seal. If you don’t have a mirror, make sure you check from inside the vehicle.

How often do you change out your end seal? We talk with technicians that are trying to get 40-50 repairs out of a seal. However, you cannot consistently do great repairs unless you are changing your seals regularly. Delta Kits recommends changing your seals every 10 repairs. An old seal is much more likely to leak than a new one, but that is just one reason to change your seal regularly. After about 10 repairs, the walls of the seal begin to break down. This allows some resin to blow past the piston and up into the injector while you are applying pressure to the repair. When this happens, even though the seal is not visibly leaking, your pressure and vacuum cycles will be less effective.

How far down do you push the injector on the pressure cycle? It is important to push the injector piston down into the end seal during the pressure cycle, but don’t over do it. Push the injector about half way into the seal. Use your inspection mirror to watch the seal carefully. As you push the injector down you will see the walls of the seal begin to bow under the pressure. When you see this happen, stop pushing. Never push the injector all the way down.

Are you using two hands? That’s right; windshield repair is just like baseball. Ok, maybe not just like baseball, but it is important to use both hands when you catch a fly ball and when you put your injector in the vacuum or pressure positions. I see too many technicians pull up on the piston with one hand to put their injector in the vacuum position. If you don’t brace the bridge with your other hand you could very likely pull the injector away from the glass and break your seal.

So, if you are having trouble with a leaking injector, pay attention to the details. It will save you a lot of time and trouble. If you still have trouble, make sure to give us a call for technical support.

-Korey Gobin and Jonathan Powell

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On The Road Windshield Repair Training in Clearwater Florida

This intensive hands-on training is conducted by Delta Kits factory instructors, and they will teach you how to take your repair quality to the next level. This training is held in conjunction with the 9th annual Mobile Tech Expo January 14th-16th located at the Harborview Center in Clearwater, Florida.

-Bruce McDonald

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Winner of What's Wrong With This Picture

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Chad Clewis of Time 2 Shine Auto Spa,
We're pleased to say that the results far exceeded our expectations.  We want to extend our thanks and congratulations to all participants.  The winner is Chad Clewis 
Chad Clewis is the founder of Time 2 Shine Auto Spa, in Bessemer City, North Carolina.   Chad is the President and Founder of Time2SHine Auto Spa & Reconditioning.  Specializing in Auto Detailing, Windshield Repair & Headlight Restoration He has operated his business Full Time for the past 5 years. He is married has 3 children and resides in Charlotte, North Carolina Chad Enjoys God, wife, kids, business, fishing & Xbox Live!

We will continue featuring the stories of "What’s Wrong with this Picture" in The Wise Crack Newsletter, so stay tuned for more prizes.
 

-Korey Gobin

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Previous Edition of What's Wrong with this Picture

Not wearing safety gloves: You should always protect your hands with barrier cream and or safety gloves.

Bridge is below damage: Bridge should always be above the point of impact.  

Resin in pocket: Resin should always be stored in toolbox (never on your person)

-Korey Gobin

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Safety Tip

Proper Disposal of Razor Blades and Syringes

One of the many things I love about the windshield repair industry is that we generate very little waste. However, we do use razor blades to scrape cured resin from the glass, and some of us use syringes to load our injectors. Delta Kits one shot syringes do not include needles, and do have a replaceable protective cap, so they really are not dangerous, but it has recently come to my attention that Oregon and other states now have laws pertaining to proper disposal of syringes, even those without needles. 

You may already be using a Sharps container to safely dispose of razor blades, but I find that most glass repair technicians are still throwing syringes in the garbage, which is now against the law in most, if not all states. Sharps containers can get expensive, but the good news in Oregon is that they will also allow the use of gallon bleach jugs and the like. All they ask is that they are marked as SHARPS and when full take them to the local landfill. Unlike florescent bulbs, computers, etc., so far they are not charging for the disposal of these items, they just want to make sure they do not go into landfills loose.  Visit this site to check your state and local laws.  http://www.safeneedledisposal.org/resslaws.html    
 

-Brent Deines

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Delta Kits Trainers Receive NGA and NWRA Certification

Education and training are critical to the success of every windshield repair professional. Techniques and equipment vary greatly within the industry, so first and foremost, every windshield repair technician should receive manufacturer training and certification. Manufacturer training insures that technicians learn to properly use the equipment and techniques provided by the manufacturer.

Manufacturer training is only as good as the instructor teaching the course, so Delta Kits requires that all training and certification instructors are NGA (National Glass Association) and NWRA (National Windshield Repair Association) Certified Glass Repair Technicians. We know this is not something that our competitors require, but our commitment to quality requires us to do everything possible to help you achieve success in the windshield repair business. 

In addition to the NGA and NWRA certification, Delta Kits trainers have thousands of hours of combined experience repairing windshields, and provide technical support for other technicians daily.

Have a technical question?  Call an expert trainer. Call one of Delta Kits’ NGA and NWRA Certified Glass Repair Technicians, Brent Deines, Korey Gobin, Bruce McDonald, or Jonathan Powell. 800-548-8332 x203.

-Korey Gobin

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"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit"
Romans 15:13

Morning Prayer

I want to thank you Lord for being close to me so far this day. With your help I haven’t been impatient, lost my temper, been grumpy, judgmental, or envious of anyone. But I will be getting out of bed in a few minutes and I think I really will need your help then.

A few years back someone gave me the above “Morning Prayer”. I promptly posted it on my fridge….maybe it should have been attached to my alarm clock! It is one of those things meant to be funny, but it really does have a ring of truth to it. I mean, how many of us within an hour or two of getting out of bed are on the road and making comments about other drivers?

It is not hard to lose our tempers or become grumpy by any given situation. When we expect a certain outcome and it doesn’t happen, what is the first emotion we experience? By placing our trust in God instead of ourselves the power of the Holy Spirit will fill us with hope, joy and peace.

-Mindy Beaver

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