Date:         Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:42:19 -0700
Reply-To:     Marc Sayer <marcsayer@HUGHES.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Marc Sayer <marcsayer@HUGHES.NET>
Subject:      Re: Rear Window Defroster Strips Pretty Much Fugeddaboutit?
In-Reply-To:  <4AE22840.7030103@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

There is a repair kit for this problem, it's talked about and listed on
the site I linked to previously. Much safer than trying to solder on the
glass.

Rocket J Squirrel wrote:
> I dunno -- I sure didn't see any solder visible on the bus mainly because
> this copper bit and the one on the other side both disappear under the
> rubber.
>
> I didn't see any solder on the copper bit, either. Looked like nothing
> more than old-penny-brown copper.
>
> I remain dubious of the solder theory of connection. I am a solder
> denier.
>
> Any re-soldering to be done would be need to be under the rubber if one
> wanted the thing in the original location.
>
> If simple pressure from the rubber does not achieve defroster joy I'll
> look at more aggressive and advanced bonding methods. Explosive bonding,
> maybe.
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
> Bend, OR
> KG6RCR
>
>
>
> On 10/23/2009 2:39 PM David Beierl wrote:
>
>> At 05:12 PM 10/23/2009, Rocket J Squirrel wrote:
>>> But in the fracas the copper bit pulled out of the rubber/window
>>> space so
>>> I just sort of shoved it back in. I could not tell whether there was
>>> anything fancier needed to achieve a connection between the copper bit
>>> and
>>> the window stripe.
>>
>> I'd be fairly astounded if that wasn't soldered to the common bus that
>> runs down the side of the window.  If you're clean, careful and quick I
>> bet you can solder it back, maybe a little inboard of where it was
>> before.  Everything super clean, rosin flux, make sure you can (and do)
>> tin the spots where the terminal is going first, likewise tin and remove
>> excess solder from the terminal.  Helper positions and holds terminal
>> while you heat the ends and melt them onto existing solder.  Can feed a
>> little more in if it seems skimpy.  I'd be inclined to shove a cut
>> potato against the reverse side of the glass, use a soldering gun with
>> enough power to very rapidly heat up the joint so that the glass doesn't
>> get too hot.
>>
>> If it breaks you prolly needed a new one anyway.
>>
>> A safer method, maybe not as effective -- epoxy the terminal down, then
>> use lavish amounts of the grid repair paint to flow around all sides and
>> top of the attachment points.  Several coats -- the paint repair in
>> general is meant to carry only the current in one of the thin grid
>> wires, not the whole thing.  If it runs hot, more paint.  Paint has to
>> dry before being energized, I believe.
>>
>> d
>>
>

--

Marc Sayer
Journalist, Photographer, Dog Trainer (APDT member #062956)
Board member - Western States Great Dane Rescue Association
Director of Operations & Training - Deaf Dane Rescue Inc.
Oakridge, OR USA

My Homepage - http://gracieland.org
Deaf Dane Rescue  - http://deafdane.org
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