<VV> glass question

[Jim Simpson]

I've managed to take a couple of windshields out without damage, but it's
been a while.  (And I installed all the glass when I restored my Corvair
without damaging any.)  And you are right, Chuck, few body people ever both
with trying to remove/replace a windshield with a used one -- in their
book, it's cheaper and easier to just get a new one.

Once we used a hot knife; it worked, but was messy as it melted through the
adhesive.  The other time, we used wire.  And yes, it really does take two
people to do that properly.  And you will scrape the paint around the
windshield.

We had a windshield replaced on my wife's '68 Nova years ago.  The shop
owner told a kid who worked for him to remove the SS trim around the
windshield in preparation to removing the glass.  That kit used something
that looked like a beer can opener and scratched the living daylights out
of the paint.  I ordered him to stop and called out the owner/manager who
explained to the kid the right way to do it.  I'm not sure we ever did get
the paint properly touched up.

On Fri, Jan 15, 2021 at 2:43 PM Charles h. Sadek <chsadek at comcast.net>
wrote:

> Couple of comments. Modern professionals, unless old-car folks, break
> windows and apparently do not know how to remove a windshield without
> breaking one.  A friend doing metal work on my 67 said he had a
> professional
> window installing buddy. Who broke my windshield..a like-new windshield...
> I
> have talked to a number of younger mechanics, welders, car guys who have
> NEVER gone to a friend's or junk yard and removed a windshield... as if it
> can't be done..
>
> If using single-strand wire, you want it big enough to not catch in
> windshield edge imperfections and supple enough to use as a wire saw.  The
> stranded wire as in picture hanging wire seems to work well.  Two people,
> handles (dowel, stick, cut off broom stick, etc) on each end of wire acting
> as a saw, talcum/baby  powder on weatherstrip added to keep it from
> sticking
> back together as you pass by... flour might work.   One inside, your buddy
> outside.  After sawing thru around windshield, the  Outside man to catch
> window and Inside man to push with feet.
>
> C Sadek
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: VirtualVairs <virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org> On Behalf Of Jim
> Simpson via VirtualVairs
> Sent: Friday, January 15, 2021 12:25 PM
> To: judynrandy at comcast.net; Virtual Vairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> Cc: Jim Simpson <simpson661 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: <VV> glass question
>
> You can get piano wire from Home Depot among many other places.  It's
> basically just single strand high-tensile steel wire.  The key is not to
> get
> it against the edge of the glass and cause a crack.
>
> There used to be electrically heated knives that seemed to work well, but a
> quick look on the internet didn't show any.  (I didn't search all that
> hard,
> but a friend in the local club has one.)
>
> As far as trying to soften the adhesive, you might try the 3M adhesive
> remover although that might just take off the surface layer.  Or you can
> try
> something like distilled spirits paint thinner and let it soak for a while.
> NOTE THAT I haven't tried either on the edge of laminated glass to see if
> it
> would soak into the lamination layer though.
>
> And of course you could hire a professional glass company to remove it.
>
> Jim Simpson
> Group Corvair
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