Dry Vacuum VS "Wet"

[Anonymous]

OK, some background info so this will all make sense.

I have been doing WSR since '98 and have performed over 15,000 repairs and consider myself a little above average as a tech because I never get in a hurry and always let the repair "tell me" what it needs to get repaired as best I can.

Equipment I have been trained to use:
NOTE: I ALWAYS was completely trained in all equipment and took the necessary time to learn the proper set up and techniques.

Novus and Novus "copies"
Glass Medics "electric vacuum pump" monster
Glass Mechanix GM 3000
Glass Technology 20/20
Glass Technology "Spectrum"

I used the GT 20/20 for the past 5 years coping with the problem that it can't do repairs on vertical glass.

I have been carrying the Glass Mechanix tool solely for the purpose of repairing vertical glass on motor homes and big trucks.

In my continuing effort to improve the quality of my work, I purchased the Glass Technology "Spectrum" about a month ago and "STOP THE PRESSES"

The "Spectrum" is a "Dry Vacuum" injector that renders all "Wet Vacuum" injectors obsolete!

The cosmetic results that I am getting just take my breath away!

Sorry, Glass Mechanix, Delta, but the "state of the art" has arrived!

BUT, the "Spectrum" has one limitation. Its design still won't do a repair on vertical glass.

So, after all the discussin' and 'cussin and senseless sniping I purchased the "Cinch" to have a tool that will work for vertical repairs.

As I said in the previous post, I just got it and in a couple of weeks will be posting the real life results of the repairs I do with it.

I am confident however that I will be pleased along with my customers. I am here to wave the flag for "Dry Vacuum" windshield repair. I only have a handful of car dealer accounts now but I am in the process of calling on more of them to demonstrate the dramatically improved cosmetic quality of repairs that I can perform.

The value of a rock chip repair has historically been in (to the consumer) the preventive maintenance aspect of stopping the little chip from becoming a bigger one. The structural repair has been the primary factor with "cosmetics" coming in second.

The value of rock chip repair to a car dealer is completely different, The money a car dealer spends to recondition and improve the overall appearance of a car is spent for the purpose of enhancing the "saleability" of that car.

My "guarantee" to my car dealer accounts is, the value of my service is in "helping you sell cars", if I can't make the repair look good enough to remove it as a possible objection to the sale of that car, then I don't bill them for it. And, if a windshield that I repaired ever has to be replaced as a condition to a sale then I credit it back or do a repair for free to even it out.

[eraser]

High Vacuum over the damage first works so much better because the resin doesn't mix with the air. Most people have no idea why it would make such a difference but it does. This is because of the density difference between air and resin. The fact is this, resin on the break first usually won't produce as airless of a repair and the air and resin exchanging places take far longer. Any air left within the damage will be visable, so the strongest vacuum is best. In today's world where the technician needs to make as much money as possible but yet expected to provide high quality it is nice to have tools that are much quicker than the old school way. Truth is the higher vacuum the quicker the repair., especially when the damage is evacuated first. The less air and moisture within the damage the better the repair will look. Producing vacuum levels at or over 28 inches of vacuum will allow moisture to vaporize in as little as 100 degrees instead of over 200 degrees. This only applies when resin is not contacting the glass. Also the moisture has to go away. A system with a closed vacuum producing device will not evacuate anything, the same amount of moisture will remain within the space of the vacuum. It is better to pump out the air and moisture. Nearly any tool can be made to fill damage, but it is even better when the damage is bone dry first. All glass attracts moisture, and this can be demonstrated by simply bringing the temperature of the glass to the dew point and watch moisture form. In what seems to be a dry day will still have moisture within the damage.

[Vetter Glass]

The only exception I see is for fresh breaks, if you do a conventional "wet" vacuum, that's fine. But for the aged break, I can definitely see the advantage of dry vacuum. What I don't quite understand is how moisture inside the void will vaporize under high vacuum pressure. I thought the Cinch "sucked out" dirt and moisture. And how is it your resin never makes contact with it? Aren't they moving through the same injector space? But anyway, if you catch a hit that just happened, I think the ability to do a dry vacuum won't make much difference because if it's clean, then only air is what needs to rise out through the resin. With the Maxim and a standard injector, you're gonna pull most of that air out under 30psi of vacuum.