I run a small windscreen company in England, and whilst looking on the internet at glass companies around the world I noticed something about American companies. No-one seems to use suckers to install windscreens! Everyone seems to place glass in with their hands. I may be wrong. I use vacuum pump suckers capable of holding 75kgs each. Please set me straight.

I would say on the most part, that most of us do use them.Except for the shops who compete against competitors pricing,they probably cannot afford them,or just don't care.

Wow, now there's a flashback for ya.

Let me think, when was the last WS we set bare handed.....back in the eighties somewhere...

I would wonder where you found references that all of us Americans don't use cups, suckers, vaccum glass handling apparatus, or what ever you want to call them?

I sure hope that it wasn't that prevelent. If it was, I'd say some websites need to be updated.

Welcome to the forum!

A good example can be seen on the AGRR website of the week: New Jersey Auto Glass I believe.

Thank you for the welcome, please don't feel like I'm be-littling American windscreen fitters. Its just that Britain does not have anything like the AGRR, or proper run websites. On the whole rival windscreen companies over here do their best to be snide against each other.

What is British Auto Glass installation like? I've always been interested in living and working in Britain. Particularly in Scotland. I set some screens without "suckers". I use latex gloves. Are there a lot of work oppurtunities for windscreen guys in the U.K.?

We use VERIBOR double cups, or suckers. Over here suckers are a rough fish in lakes and creeks. like carp. Anyway we do all 2 person sets with German made cups. They were expensive but worth every penny!

All of us around here use the Woods Cups, in 11 years we have never had a problem!

Auto Glass Ninja:
Sorry for taking so long to reply. There are three national companies in Britain: National Windscreens, Autoglass and RAC Auto Windscreens(RAC being the equivalent to your AAA). All three are constantly advertising for fitters. The "big 3" have most of the insurance work stitched up over here, so there is always plenty of work. I don't want to seem like I'm being nasty, but, the quality of some of their work is shoddy. They are paid a basic hourly rate then a bonus per windscreen fitted, so they try to do as many as possible. Hence cutting corners. My company specialise in bodyshop work as its hard to crack(excuse the pun!) the insurance market. We fill this niche in Coventry due to the "big 3" being bad at r&r's. They prefer to smash in a glass on a bodyshop vehicle and get a new one through the insurance becaue they make more money.

As for living and working over here, Scotland is a lovely country. I used to live up there and one side of my family are scottish. As long as you stay away from the main city of Glasgow, I can highly recommend it. Where I used to live on the east coast near a place called Brechin there used to be a USAF base at a place called Edzell about 10 miles away. I went to school with many Americans and many stayed in that area after getting married to Scottish girls. Hope I was of some help!

Auto Glass Ninja:
Sorry I forgot to tell you that over here 99% of the work is mobile. There is very little shop work. Also the screen numbering system is different. From reading posts on this forum you Americans seem to use a numbering sequence begining with: DW. In Europe we use the "Argic" system which is totally different. For example this is the argic number to a Honda Accord saloon 03: 3986AGNBLBMV
3986: the argic number for the vehicle
A: windscreen
GN: green tint
BL: blue top tint(sun strip)
B: mirror boss
M: moisture sensor bracket
V: VIN notch in silk print

Have a good 'un!

Thanks Porky!

It would take me a while to get to know those numbers considering we use ones like DW1341 and FW2011. DW being Domestic Windshield and FW being Foreign Windshield. The second letter changes depending on the part you are installing (i.e. FD, DB, FQ, DV etc.)

I tried contacting AutoGlass via e-mail, but haven't heard back. I'm sure its expensive to get somebody through the immigration process so that may be why they haven't bothered to get back to me. I would definitley like living in Scotland. I love history and would probably never run out of things to do. 99% of the work I do is mobile as well...so no change there!

If you're not married, just find a desperate Scottish fat lass on the internet and shack up with her just for a green card!!! LOL.

Porky

I am of Scottish heritage, and have always wanted to visit if not live there...love the climate. So, you married?

Hey Porky. Did you ever rebuild your night club after those punks from Angel Beach tore it down?

Thats funny!

I'm of Scottish heritage too. My clan even married the royal family a few times in centuries gone past. I've visited once a long time ago when I was a kid and something always felt homely about it.

Ninja, (to everyone else, sorry for turning the forum into a chat room) it's the only reason I can account for my fondness of inclimate weather, damp, foggy rainy I just love it, and obssesed with castles. My screensaver is castles and pics of lush green hills and foggy glens, different pictures changing about every 20 seconds, probably as close as I'll get to Scotland. But ya never know got to want it bad enough to get it, and I want to go!

Wow. We have the inclement weather thing in common. Everytime it is raining I always ask people if they are enjoying the fine Scottish weather. I get a lot of crappy looks, but its great for a laugh! I love castles too, but the mountains and bodies of water are what I find most attractive about Scotland. It looks so lush and green (probably from all the rain :))

Ninja, I live in a mountainous area in the south, my dream is to eventually buy about 40/50 acres with at least a little bit of a rolling hill feel and a creek or pond or both, can always build the pond. Then create an area that looks as close as possible to the land of my ancestors. Stone cottage type custom built house..............ah dreams.
What is life without them?

Sounds ideal!

I live in Western Va. Its probably about as close to Scotland as America gets. There a re a lot of people here with Scottish ancestry for this reason. We even have towns named Glasgow and Midlothian. Lots of mountains and lakes.

Sounds like you're over near Norton, VA.

Cool, about the town names, never been to Virginia went to West Virginia once...pretty. I live in NE Alabama the climate will never match but we have the hills, lakes.etc,etc. Matter of fact our own little county is lake county, Crappie Capital of The World.

Close, but not quite. Norton is about three hours southwest of me. I'm just north of Roanoke, VA.

I lived in Alexander City, AL for two years. HATED IT!

I used to live in Northeast Ga. so I have been to Alabama a few times. It has been wet and foggy here lately. Thats one thing about living in a valley...weather systems get stuck in it like a bowl!

Well Webmaster, never been to Alexander City so I can't defend it.........but I'll defend our area it's beautiful country, the people are friendly, property taxes are low, lots of people moving here from surrounding big cities (Atlanta, Chattanooga, Birmingham, etc.) either retiring or building second homes on the lake. It's kinda effecting our small town feel, but hey nothing stays the same right?

To Dont Panic- No I'm not married but, I have a lovely girlfriend who I'm trying to teach how to repair windscreens.

Webmaster- Next time I will make the foundations stronger, dag nabit! Still waiting for "Lassie" to come by and sniff my sweaty gym clothes!!!!LOL

Dont Panic- My Scottish side of the family are from the Montrose area on the east coast. The family name being McRae. The lineage can be traced back to "Bonny Prince Charlie". If you ever get the chance to visit that area you won't be disappointed. From lovely golden beaches on one side to the Highland mountains on the other, hiding one of the best Loch's in Scotland: Loch Lee. And one of the best castles in Scotland, Edzell castle.

If anyone wants pictures of Loch Lee or a few british castles I've visited, leave your E-mail address or add me to your MSN messanger list!

My clan are the Grahams of Montrose. I'm not sure if that means they are from Montrose or not though. I know they held lands in Airth and Abercorn at one point. It seems that most of the Grahams were settled around the Firth of Forth. Mugdock Castle, which from what I understand is now in ruin, was our stronghold. The current chief of Clan Graham is still a member of the British House of Lords and lives in Stirling, Scotland. Our ancestors include John Graham of Claverhouse who was the commander at the battle of Killiecrankie and Sir John Graham who died fighting for William Wallace at the battle of Falkirk in 1298. Tony Blair is part of our family, as Blair is a surname of the Clan Graham.

Wow...I know more then I thought. I gotta get some work done. I could be here all day talking about history!