In light of the quest for the perfect bead of urethane, and that some continue to challenge the generally accepted recommended “Isosceles” triangular bead, a committee was established to study the situation.

The committee was gleaned from a multitude of industry participants, and from various backgrounds within our industry at large. Most wished to be considered anonymous and confidential sources for their participation, especially in light of the fact that a new standard may be achieved, that no one party could claim ownership to that possible new prevailing competitive, fair and reasonable, bead configuration.

Basing the foundation of which to start discussion on the Isoslces bead, many other configurations were studied, including, but not limited to, Equilateral, Scalene, Right, Quadrilateral, and Obtuse.

It soon became apparent that these were not providing enough options to satisfy the industry at large, so other geometric options were considered, including, but not limited to, Kite and Trapezium, but also added were features of other triangles including, but not limited to Irregular, and Irregular Quadrilateral for consideration.

Also considered were Irregular Decagon, Irregular Nonagon, Irregular Octagon, Irregular Heptagon, with special focus given to the Irregular Decagon due to the multi-faceted contact points achieved through the disposition of extrusion, but the practical application proved too difficult and it was removed from consideration, though everyone really liked the cool name.

Finally, in desperation, the government was consulted, and in its vision, quickly realized that none of the industry participants had considered the most obvious choice of a geometric shape for consideration, and once submitted for consideration, all other choices were considered moot and dropped from the running.

The choice made and now considered acceptable is, of course, a Pentagon bead.

No, not to be taken seriously, for heaven’s sake, and of course, JMHNLO.

And to our mutual friend, a note: This one’s for you, Bud, hope it made you smile.

I need a beer. Or two.

I vote for the shoot on top of the old urethane round bead. Has worked for me for well over 20 years. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

ANY bead is only as good as the shooter. I prefer the octagonal bead myself

Thanks Mark1 I needed a great laugh! You Sir without a doubt have a great mind, and you are a very creative thinker! Maybe "too much time on your hands?"

Next we still have to get our network detox classes going to help those that cannot get off the D.R.U.G.S. (Dictated rates Undermining Glass shops) For those who were not around in 2005!

Take care my friend, and yes have at least 2 beers and call me in the morning. Or crack open some of that exotic wine........

Now, back to filing arbs on short pays,,,,,,It is fun to collect what we bill.

Bud
Budman
Budster

Forgot to mention, if they made a proper nozzle for it maybe a pentagonal bead would work but maybe on just certain vehicles or on those days you are still hung over from and can't hold the gun still enough and the dog log is going all over the place....
Just sayin'............

We will call it Bud's bead! LOL

You can have the perfect bead. Height, volume and placement and it would be all in vain if you plow it trying to get your windshield set.

Thank god for my LIL buddy I got jammed into my van. And I disagree on the bead if you shoot a tiny round bead I don't give a toot if you use a rolledeck or a lil buddy If it don't touch it will not seal.

Your absolutely right Larry. However, you can still have the recommended bead height, volume, and inverted V profile that is applied same as factory applications. If you fail to evenly and precisely Deck your part onto said bead, you may not yield the same results obtained in a factory like installation. Remember that modern vehicles are tested for crash worthiness and too much, too little, and or misplaced urethane does alter the vehicle's engineered design for crash worthiness. Heaven forbid your airbags detonate too early because the sensors reacted prematurely to untested torsional stiffness. Just because it doesn't leak or the customer hasn't complained of a wind noise doesn't mean it is just like the factory.

And even the perfect bead can be fudged up by bad primer, containments etc. I still want to try a rolladeck, does anyone in NC have one?

Yes Larry. We have customers in NC who have purchased the system. We do not have a local distributor or sales rep in your area. You can try one for 90 days at no risk but shipping which would not exceed $40.00 should you decide to return it. If the system is not for you just return it in an undamaged normal wear condition and I will refund your money. We accept all major credit cards. For more info go to www.rolladeck.net

How does "to much urethane" adversely affect the vehicle's crash worthiness ?

To fully understand how a vehicle reacts in a collision or rather how the properties of the said vehicle's applied retention systems of fixed glass you should consult with your adhesive manufacturer, vehicle manufacturer's recommended application of adhesive systems. Read technical data which you can obtain from many sources like the AGSC / AGRSS.

Too much adhesive adds torsional stiffness which alters the crash proven design of said vehicle. Supplemental restraint systems and crumple zones may fail to perform in a collision. This ultimately releases the vehicle manufacturer from liability and places it on the shoulders of the Technician and the company responsible for altering the vehicle's OEM design.

Furthermore, too much adhesive blocks airflow and water runoff from around the glass channel which can cause standing water to break down the paint system and ultimately rust out the vehicle body. Not to mention **** off the Technician that has to follow an improper install resulting in such conditions.

You sound pretty good Glassmandan. What are your credentials that back up your opinions?

These statements are not a matter of my opinion, they are proven scientific fact. People much smarter than I with degrees in chemistry and engineering have determined it to be so. I'm just a lowly Technician that follows procedures to the letter and to the best of my understanding.
I do however hold an AGSC Master certification, all levels of Dow certification, and I contributed to the development of previous NGA Tech and Master Tech certification examinations and studied the ICOPS "industry code of practices/standards in detail in 2001. I have been an active technician working every day in the field since 1986 and I make it my responsibility to fully educate myself with the latest recommended procedures that apply to my field.

can you quote your sources?
if not, I just assume you're making trash up to sound intelligent

Thanks for the compliment. Papa always said "if you can't dazzle em with brilliance then baffle em with bull@#$%
All joking aside, this is a serious issue and ignorance is no excuse. My sources are Dow automotive's fixed glass installation guide, the Insurance Institute for highway Safety, and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA. They all conclude that in order to meet or exceed all fmvss the industry standard is the pyramid or inverted v profile applied bead. Anything else is not recognized as an acceptable procedure.
I have been taught by my adhesive system rep/ trainer that an over use of adhesive alters the crash proven design of the vehicle and may not cure properly. Sensitive electronic systems that are timed to react in a collision down to nanoseconds can be rendered ineffective if the structural stiffness of the vehicle body is altered. You shouldn't take my word for it. You should seek the knowledge from your respective adhesive manufacturer and vehicle manufacturers.

I used to cut my tip at a 45 degree angle and back fill a butyl dam when it was acceptable industry practice, but that was over 20 years ago and my techniques have evolved. I wouldn't dare take it upon myself to deviate from what is proven procedure by the factory and adhesive manufacturers. I wouldn't want to bear the burden of that responsibility.

Glassmandan, do you perform mobile w/s installs "al fresco"?