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.

September 2010

Full Version:
www.deltakits.com/wisecrack/

Delta Kits Home:
www.deltakits.com

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Happy Labor Day!

“Labor was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased.”

- Adam Smith, Philosopher and Author of "The Wealth of Nations"

-Bob Ellert

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Delta Kits Training and Certification Dates in Eugene, Oregon

Eugene windshield repair classes are FREE with the purchase of a Delta Kits windshield repair system. However, space is limited and reservations are required.

September 17th, 2010

October 22nd, 2010

November 12th, 2010

December 10th, 2010

**All dates are subject to change.

-Korey Gobin

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On-The-Road Training and Certification Course

 

Delta Kits will be holding an on-the-road training and certification course in Las Vegas on October 9, 2010. This is the Saturday before NACE. The full day training class will be held at the Hampton Inn Tropicana. Space is limited and reservations will be taken on a first come, first serve basis, so you must call into Delta Kits to get signed up. Due to shipping needs, the cut-off date for getting signed up is Sept. 30, 2010.

-Korey Gobin

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It’s a Great Time to be a Headlight Restoration Tech!

Why does the average customer want a headlight restoration service? Because it’s a cost-effective alternative to headlight replacements, it makes the vehicle look better, and it increases the resale value. But what’s the other key reason why many customers want their headlights restored? It drastically improves their driving visibility, which keeps them safe on the road.

With the fall season arriving, drivers will notice less daylight and harsher weather conditions to drive in, and that means decreased driving visibility. Commutes to and from work will become more of a challenge for drivers, and many of them will start preparing their vehicles for severe driving conditions. A higher demand for headlight restoration services, coupled with profitability, is enough to put a big smile on any headlight restoration technician’s face.

If your business doesn’t already offer headlight restoration, you should research this inexpensive and profitable service. You can visit the headlight restoration page on the Delta Kits website or the windshield repair and headlight restoration forum, and you can watch a number of informational videos on the Delta Kits website. You can also contact us at Delta Kits if you have any questions on how to get started.

-Bob Ellert

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How to Repair a Windshield in Hot Weather

In order to complete optimal windshield repairs in hot weather, there are several points you need to consider. Watch this video to see the recommended procedure for doing a windshield repair in hot weather, so you can avoid crack-outs, premature curing of the resin, and other problems.

-Korey Gobin

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Join Delta Kits at the 2010 NACE and SEMA Shows

Delta Kits would like to invite everyone to stop by and visit us at one of these upcoming trade shows:

2010 NACE show. Home to the 2010 Windshield Repair Olympics, this tradeshow is being held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. The show begins October 10 with a conference and the Expo lasts from October 11-13. NACE is an event specifically created and designed for the collision repair industry providing B2B education, unmatched networking, events, and a world-class exposition of the latest products and services available to the collision repair industry. Please join us October 11-13 in Las Vegas, NV at Booth G629.

2010 SEMA show. This show is held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. The SEMA show lasts from November 2 -5. The SEMA Show is the premier, automotive specialty products trade event in the world, drawing the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place. The SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, and RV markets. Please join us November 2-5 in Las Vegas, NV at Booth 12265.

-Bob Ellert

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What’s New on the Forum?

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 to get advice from thousands of windshield repair technicians and business owners from around the world. Below are a few of the hot topics from August:

Windscreen repairs to trains/trams/metro’s Can you repair the windshield on a bus? What about the windshield on a train? See what others are saying.

What do you do when filled the chip, and then… Have you been working on a windshield repair and the damage appeared to be filled during the pressure cycle, but then you encountered air in the break, or “black lines” in the vacuum cycle? If so, you’re not alone.

Sanding disc reusable? How many sanding discs does it take to do one set of headlights during a headlight restoration? Is it worth reusing the sanding paper? See what others are saying.

Advertising How are technicians promoting their headlight restoration services? What’s bringing in customers? Follow the link to find out.

As of August 31, 2010, the world's largest windshield repair forum included 40,528 posts on 5107 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 the new Delta Kits Certified windshield repair technicians who attended our August 20th training course!

-Korey Gobin

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Delta Kits Customer Speaks Out!

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Delta Kits Dear Korey,

I ordered the premium pit resin #144-14, 7 ml on 7-19-2010. I used it on 7-21-2010 on an 18 wheeler windshield. I noticed it took less to seal the break and had fewer shavings. The heat on the east coast has been near 100F degrees daily for 2 months. I was using pit premium 144-2 prior to this. With the high heat this resin liquefied fast and would run down the windshield, prior to getting the square over it, or would slide downward. The new pit resin stays put and I seem to use less of it, to seal the break. I have used this resin since that date on 13 breaks ranging in size from ¼ inch to 2 inches and about 6 chips, mostly big rigs. The results were fantastic and I no longer have the run problem or excessive air bubbles. If you are working in the extreme heat, I highly recommend a test trial of this product. I paid a few dollars extra for the product, however I am using less of the pit resin, which should save me money over the long run.

Thanks Brent for recommending it on one of your July post.

Cordially, DB

-DB

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Tech Tip: Don’t Take your Injector Seals for Granted!

If you can remember to change your injector seal after every 10 windshield repairs, it will help you avoid increased repair times, wasted resin, and most of all, poor quality repairs. Read on and you will learn even more about injector seal replacement.

Q: Why should I change the injector seal after every 10 repairs?

A: After 10 repairs, the inside walls of the seal begin to wear. This can allow resin to blow past the piston and up into the injector while you are applying pressure to the damage. When this happens, even though the seal is not visibly leaking, your pressure and vacuum cycles will be less effective. This opens the door to poor quality windshield repairs.

Q: Should I flip the injector seal around and use it the other way to get more life out of it?

A: No. It's not typically the end of the seal that wears out, so there would be no benefit to switching ends, even if they were exactly the same. If you look carefully at both ends of the seal, you will notice a stamp that reads “This Side In” on one end. That side is not a flat surface, due to the writing that’s stamped onto that end of the seal, meaning it will not seal properly if that side is placed against the glass. Both ends are not the same, but the differences are subtle enough that many technicians may not notice the difference without that writing. You will also notice on the end of the seal with the writing that the hole is flared out slightly. This is to make the injector slide in easier. On the end of the seal that touches the glass, the hole is tapered in slightly to create a bit more pressure just as the resin enters the break, and to help prevent leaking.

Q: What if I forget how many repairs I’ve done with my seal? How do I know if it needs to be replaced?

A: The obvious sign of an old injector seal is a constantly leaking injector. When your injector is leaking, that means that you are losing pressure and vacuum. With reduced pressure and vacuum, the repair will take much longer and make the damage more difficult to completely fill. Other signs of a worn out injector seal are the excessive flaring of the seal as it meets the glass, and being able to push the piston all the way down without resin leaking from the injector seal.

Q: What can I do to get the most out of my injector seals?

A: Make sure not to over tighten your injector when you are positioning it over the repair, and try not to press your injector plunger all the way down into the seal. If you are using seven drops of resin as recommended, there is no reason to ever push your injector plunger all the way down.

Here's a great tip: Take the guesswork out of determining when you should change the injector seal. Grab 10 curing tabs and line them between the foam and the tray in your tool box. Once you’ve used those 10 curing tabs, you will know it’s time to change that injector seal. A special thanks to “Roo” for mentioning this tip on the forum!

-Bob Ellert

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Safety Tip: Keep your Repair Materials out of a Child’s Reach

For those of you who keep windshield repair or headlight restoration equipment at home, or have children in or near your work area, remember to keep your repair equipment out of reach from children. With little ones, almost anything can be a choking hazard, and some of the tools used by technicians can puncture skin when not used carefully. Windshield repair resins can be harmful if ingested, but are also harmful to skin and eyes, so please be sure children do not have access to your windshield repair chemicals.

Not only is it important to keep the supplies you’ll be using in a safe place, it’s also important to make sure children can’t find discarded items like used razor blades, used curing tabs, and used end seals.

One simple solution is to keep a lock on your toolbox when it’s not being used. Delta Kits’ headlight restoration and windshield repair toolboxes can accommodate locking devices, and most locks are very inexpensive to purchase.

Second, don’t throw razor blades into the trash without taking proper precautions. Specially made razor blade disposal containers or sharps containers can be purchased from your local safety supply store or from a variety of Internet stores. At Delta Kits, we use a red sharps safe disposal container with a self-locking lid to collect used razor blades. When completely filled, we dispose of the entire container in accordance with local regulations. Another option is to use an empty plastic container with a screw-on lid. Keep in mind that the container needs to be puncture-resistant to keep blades from poking through. Be sure to clearly mark the container “USED RAZOR BLADES”, and call your local sanitation department for proper disposal recommendations.

This was mentioned in the last newsletter but it’s worth repeating: remember to keep your Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) available. A MSDS is a document that contains information on the chemical make-up, use, storage, handling, emergency procedures and potential health effects related to a hazardous material. A MSDS is included in every shipment from Delta Kits containing a product that is issued a MSDS, such as windshield repair resin and headlight restoration coating. Learn how to locate the chemicals in your MSDS, and make sure you have emergency contact information available. You can prepare yourself prior to any accident by following the proper emergency response procedures.

-Bob Ellert

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"Sacrifice sounds like such a harsh word. Yet, Christ asks us do to the most seemingly challenging things at our most vulnerable moments. How willing are we to go the extra mile? "
Delta Kits Monthly Encouragement

Mark 14:35-38

35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36"Abba,[a] Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." 37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

-Korey Gobin

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