Split damaged windshield.

So I recently bought a box of the Tamiya Jeep Grand Cherokee kit from ebay. I thought it was pretty nice I got it since this is a rather rare kit at least in my location. The shipment came very promptly at the perfect time when I had just finished all the midterms of my university career.

I was showered in joy as I was opening the package until I saw this:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02961.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02962.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b168/kaho4g94/Vitara/DSC02963.jpg


My first inspection found only the windshield was broken. It has split in the most common (aka: most irrepairable) fashion plastic windshields do. The dent on the box was exactly where the clear parts tree was inside it. The kit was boxed up with 1mm styrofoam boards, in case you wondered how it was packaged.

I am currently waiting for a reply from the seller and asking for a replacement part, but I will remain conservative on the success of that.

So far I came up with two ways of fixing it, and they both involve a new windshield. I could glue this one back up, make a mold of it, and cast a new piece using clear resin, but I will have to work out a way to make it bubble-free, not to mention the possiblility of having to buy a new jug of silicone if I don't have enough leftovers. Another way is to make the windsheild using clear styrene sheets and a heat gun, but I only have limited experience in that (ie. making the bottom shape of the windshield with oven-dry clay, temperature control with the heat gun). Both ways potentially involve costs as high as the model itself.

If you guys have any ideas on fixing this damage, PLEASE by all means let me know. I won't be so naive to believe the current kit part can ever be glued back with no visible crack line, but if there are some magical way that happens, don't hesitate to jump in!

Thanks in advance!

I don't have much experience in it, but have you considered some sort of vacuum forming method (similar to those found in many resin kits)? Otherwise, I would have thought the clear styrene sheet would have been a good bet.

The kit was boxed up with 1mm styrofoam boards, in case you wondered how it was packaged.

I guess you meant 1 cm! ;)

BTW if teh packaging was insufficient and as a result your kit has been damaged you should contact the ebay seller, maybe he can provide you another windshield, or at least give you a discount of the initial price.
Then you can contact HLJj or R10 for Tamiya replacement parts.

- Weld the windshield parts together with styrene glue and wait for a few days
- Separate the windshield from the rest
- Apply polyester putty on the back side to reinforce the part.
- Sand and polish the surface to smooth the welded line.
- Use heat-and-smash method to make a new windshield.

If you decide to weld the parts together, it will take a few days for the molten plastic to harden. If you don't wait long enough, a ghost line might show up after sanding and polishing the surface, so make sure you take time.

Ahh yea I meant 1cm of styrofoam boards.

Tonight I tried cutting out a new windshield from a left over window part. The curvatures were decent but it ended up too small since the part came from a Fujimi Lancer. Then I tried the heat and smash method on that piece and I can't even get the clear styrene sheet to remain straight! It was also hard to control how much area to heat up and once heated it cooled down way too quickly. I wasted 2 sheets of 0.4mm clear styrene for nothing.

I am now contemplating on widening the windshield I made / glue the original and cast a new piece using clear resin, but before that I am going to see if the replacement part tree is available. Although I haven't seen this kit before, is it really that rare in North America? I am going around the LHS to see if they can order it for me.

Man this sucks...thought I would get myself a decent birthday present and end up getting myself a big headache instead.

My tip:
try draw a dime over a paper and cut a very very thin piece of acethate in the correct size.
add 2mm in dimensions and try fix it with 2 points of super glue in the upper part of windshield.
when it will be in the correct position u must thinner some white glue and make a guarnition with a little toothpic (exactly as when u place silicone on shower).
When dry the white glue becomes very strong and also trasparent, and u can complete the other 3 sides of the rectangular of the windshiled (apply glue always from inside).

That model has a light curved windshield, think it is better try this way than heat plastic.

I think lovegt40 (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/member.php?u=606145) is right ... make a new one with thin acetate plastic. It looks like a simple windshield with curvature in only one plane. You can get acetate plastic in many places, one being the clear packaging most products come in.