horsepoweraddict Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Last week I opened my color me gone dodge 330 kit to find that the windsheild was cracked. Being there are some very smart and innovative minds here I thought I would see if anybody had any ideas on fixing a crack in a windsheild without replacing it or making one of my own. Just thought I'd throw it out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horsepoweraddict Posted February 23, 2009 Author Share Posted February 23, 2009 Thanks Steve, thats what I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 actually since its cracked and youre ready to call it junk, you cant lose anything by trying to fix it. ive had decent luck before depending on how badly its cracked. you might try spreading it apart and putting some elmers glue in the crack, then letting it set well, 24 hours or so. then polish the outside (you might have to actually sand it first if there is too large a ridge formed by the crack) so it is nice and smooth, do the same on the inside. use a polishing cloth kit and follow through to 12k grit. when youre done with that, dip it in future floor wax, let the excess drain off onto a paper towel and let it dry. ive used this technique and you can not really even see the former crack (vertical, from bottom toward top, about 1/2 was up to the top) unless you look really really really close. like i said since its junk you might as well give it a shot. if the elmers doesnt hold it well enough to polish, try carefully applied superglue and then start in on the sanding right away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horsepoweraddict Posted February 24, 2009 Author Share Posted February 24, 2009 Very true I'm not going to use it anyway so I might as well take a shot at fixing it and if it doesn't work oh well. Thanks for the tip jbwelda I think I will experiment with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMc Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 fill it sand it and paint it black....now you got a curbside!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 like i said since its junk you might as well give it a shot. if the elmers doesnt hold it well enough to polish, try carefully applied superglue and then start in on the sanding right away. That's going to haze the plastic. I know you don't want to do it, but I recommend a clear sheet of plastic and use that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 actually since its cracked and youre ready to call it junk, you cant lose anything by trying to fix it. ive had decent luck before depending on how badly its cracked. you might try spreading it apart and putting some elmers glue in the crack, then letting it set well, 24 hours or so. then polish the outside (you might have to actually sand it first if there is too large a ridge formed by the crack) so it is nice and smooth, do the same on the inside. use a polishing cloth kit and follow through to 12k grit. when youre done with that, dip it in future floor wax, let the excess drain off onto a paper towel and let it dry. ive used this technique and you can not really even see the former crack (vertical, from bottom toward top, about 1/2 was up to the top) unless you look really really really close. like i said since its junk you might as well give it a shot. if the elmers doesnt hold it well enough to polish, try carefully applied superglue and then start in on the sanding right away. That is WAY too labor intensive... and in the end, if you're lucky enough not to crack the windshield even more through all that handling, the crack will still be visible anyway! Much easier way: use the existing glass as a template and cut a new windshield out of clear acetate sheet. Time spent: approx. 30 seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horsepoweraddict Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 That is WAY too labor intensive... and in the end, if you're lucky enough not to crack the windshield even more through all that handling, the crack will still be visible anyway! Much easier way: use the existing glass as a template and cut a new windshield out of clear acetate sheet. Time spent: approx. 30 seconds. Very true Harry. I'll probably just cut a new windsheild using the original as a template like you say, but it might be fun to experiment with jbwelda's idea just to see if it would work. Thank's for all of the ideas guys I really appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 >That's going to haze the plastic. well as mentioned you will be polishing the haze off but if you want to prevent it put future on it before the superglue and it wont haze the plastic. as far as being too labor intensive yeah it is but ive never had any luck with scratchbuilding compound curve glass and like i say i *have* had good luck with the technique i suggest. "labor intensive" doesnt really seem too germaine anyhow...we are building scale models of automobiles...EVERYTHING is labor intensive if you ask me. anyhow, after youve futzed around for a couple hours trying to get sheet styrene contorted to fit a windshield opening you might want to reconsider the technique i suggest. its actually not too bad, the worst case ive had took about 20 minutes to polish and apply the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 anyhow, after youve futzed around for a couple hours trying to get sheet styrene contorted to fit a windshield opening you might want to reconsider the technique i suggest. its actually not too bad, the worst case ive had took about 20 minutes to polish and apply the future. I said sheet acetate, not sheet styrene. Sheet acetate is very flexible, it's nothing like sheet styrene. And a Dodge 330's windshield is not a compound curve, it only curves one way. Sheet acetate will work just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 (edited) Yes, Harry's idea is what I do most of the time for windshields. The optical clarity is much better than kit glass, adding to the realism. If you check this page of my Turbine Car builltup, you'll see step by step photos of how I did the glass for that. ................And yes, compound curves CAN be done with clear stencil sheet (acetate)-------it just takes some practice! Cover up the excess epoxy on the edges with electrical tape "weatherstripping" and you'll be good to go! Edited February 26, 2009 by MrObsessive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonewolf01 Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 loved the great pic tuterol awsome photos . really makes me want to learn patiance : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 yeah you guys are right, respect and thanks for the tips and tutorial! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abell82 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I had one broken in a 79? Camaro, from Monogram. I glued it back together using Testors red tube glue. Then I sanded the "crack" smooth, using multiple grades of sand paper. Then I coated it with Future. It looked 100% like any teens car from the 80's, with the riser blocks and cracked windshield. It's long gone now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FujimiLover Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Just a suggestion, but what about gap-filling CA glue? Wouldn't that stuff work here, or would the CA fog the plastic? Also, what about the resin they use to fix chips on real windshields, would that work here as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Superglue would fog the plastic, not to mention you could never blend in the superglue and get it polished enough to make the split disappear. Cracked clear plastic is basically unfixable, because it's cracked clear plastic. The stuff they use to fix real windshields I doubt would work because it's...........well for real glass. I think there's a fair amount of heat involved to get that stuff to flow-------it would really do a number on plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FujimiLover Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Well, those were just ideas after all. I didn't know about useing heat on that resin. Seems like only way to fix a windsheild is by making a new one. Just hope it's not a complex peice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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