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Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 11:52
by High Peaker
I am looking at repairing the rusty bits along the bottom edge of my windscreen, and a local bodyworker has mentioned about old windscreen going brittle, therefore likely to break when trying to reinstall it.
Has anyone had any experience of this? I have bought a new rubber seal, but wondered if I need to get a new windscreen lined up as well.
Presumably people buy old windscreens and install them without many problems.
Re: Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 13:23
by R0B
a windscreen going brittle.thats a new one on me..
Re: Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 13:26
by Ian Hulley
Hiya Alex, if there's any chips in it there's a good chance that it'll crack. Our's did
Ian.
Re: Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 13:58
by toomanytoys
He just desont want to do the work if you ask me....... take windscreen out.. do work. put it back in... if there are any defects in it it will mostlikely crack... there are amazingly some toughened screens still out there... these quite often will shatter.. a laminated screen wont... it will just crack...
Re: Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 14:42
by High Peaker
Thanks everyone that's put my mind at rest.
This is all leading up to the Great Respray

Re: Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 15:01
by CovKid
As I understood it, glass remains fluid its entire life. It is not strictly a solid.
Re: Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 16:01
by weldore
thats right covkid....and if left a very long time in an upright position it can get thicker at the bottom too...tis the truth..innit

Re: Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 21:01
by Mr Bean
weldore wrote:thats right covkid....and if left a very long time in an upright position it can get thicker at the bottom too...tis the truth..innit

So they say but you ain't going to measure any change in your lifetime though! And as for brittle I would have thought that would be something I would have known if it had any legs even as an urban myth!
Cheers
Wolfie
(Professor of Garden Shed Technology)

Re: Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 21:12
by ninja.turtle007
Glasses are amorphous solids. There is a fundamental structural divide between amorphous solids (including glasses) and crystalline solids. Structurally, glasses are similar to liquids, but that doesn't mean they are liquid. It is possible that the "glass is a liquid" urban legend originated with a misreading of a German treatise on glass thermodynamics.
Re: Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 22:08
by CovKid
Mind you, if he's got a perspex windscreen, brittle could be a factor - heh heh. I think what he meant was, they break easy if you use 'UGG' force getting em out and putting em in but nothing new there
I'm more worried about the 'rubbery' exhaust and the flappy headlights.

Re: Brittle windscreen
Posted: 19 Jun 2009, 22:31
by Fritz
My optician has recommended I use a Reactalight Bifocal windscreen instead of my driving glasses, but the disadvantage is having to buy a selvet cloth that is the size of a bed sheet...
Regards,
Fritz,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,