Anyone else have wrist issues from doing glass?

I think your wrist issues come from something else LMAO JK JK. Yes sometimes especially when dumping glass and slinging them quickly puts lot of pressure on wrist.

Wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, and knees. What do you expect. Hope you're charging enough to make it worth while.

Always!

Mine were always good until we were forced to use the 1-Tek on every job. That hurt more than any other body part. something about the angles of holding the cups is what started a constant pain

Really? I use my 1 man set tool a fair amount and I do not have this issues

Different strokes for different folks. There are many different options on the market to assist you in 1 man sets. I designed mine out of necessity for the same reason. So glad that I had, it has extended my career, I would almost certainly be finished without it.

Keep your blades sharp, use cutting lube, select the appropriate tool for the job, maximize ergonomics. This is a physical occupation, work smarter not harder.

100% agree. I love the 1-tek/lil buddy, but hate the passenger side cups we are forced to use. The horizontal handles kill my wrists especially on higher raised vehicles, I prefer the woods cups there so I have a vertical grip, but I was over ruled. It's not a Belron product so it didn't matter if it was going to force me into wrist surgery, we aren't allowed to use it. It's all about our presentation to the customers and nothing else. It is what it is I guess.

That sucks! Aegis is what you wanted to use I am assuming... if you quit belron and go to work for yourself, you can buy a rolladeck ...

My left wrist gives me a fit constantly. I keep it wrapped up pretty tight when working and that seems to help a lot. I've tried several one man setting devices and haven't found one I like yet. If the glass is too big or if there's other obstructions (roof overhang, ladder rack, etc.) I just get someone to help me.

AGN

So many installer take terrible care of themselves. They eat garbage, smoke, drink too much, and don't exercise. Take care of these things and it will drastically help longevity. Obviously, not everyone treats themselves like trash, but to me, more installers do than don't

Yea I'm all about clean eating and getting gym time. But my wrist have been hurting so bad I can't do a lot of things I no longer have full range of motion in them. The crunch when I move them. I need to find some one that is willing to to for $50k for like two years while I get another business off the ground then sign over the s corp to them.

He did not tell me why but he did tell me stop.

Clay, AGN, Do This:
The Ergonomics of the body in regards to removing / setting windshields are not a match made in heaven. So unless your are getting paid like sports athletes you will need to use tools that have been designed to ease your job on your body.

The AEGIS GlassHandlers® are designed to help distribute the weight of the windshield evenly along the technician’s shoulders and arms to prevent back strain, prevent wrist fatigue and strain by allowing the technician to smoothly change the angle of grip and prevent back strain by transferring weight to the lower arm and shoulder giving the auto glass technician greater control in removing and setting windshields, resulting in better installations and fewer injuries.

Our Solo Neo helps the technician to set the windshield without causing back and neck strains.

Feel free to contact me 603-483-2435.

Give Dan a call, the Rolladeck was made by an actual installer that does this on the daily. Dan is a great guy and the rolladeck has great feedback 941-467-0791 www.rolladeck.net

Mark is a real glass guy... :) and a good son of a gun. I like how it is a free for all on advertising :) I guess the Webbie is asleep... or making a sandwich...

Never used a rolladeck, don't know anyone that owns a rolladeck ,never seen a rolladeck in person. With all that being said I own a lil buddy heavy duty, and I have recently used hands on a Solo .. I would like to put my hands on a Rolladeck , BUT going to buy a Solo 1st....

I didnt say it as if he was not a glass guy. Just threw it in there with the product that Dan offers. Thats all. No offense to any one.

Thanks for the kind words autoglasses. I think I know who you are, don't worry you're secret identity is safe with me lol.

Larry, autoglasses isn't on the company payroll, so please call it testimonial not advertisement. Same props that you give the fine people at the respective companies for which you have had dealings with. I know you have been interested in trying my product since it hit the market. I'm sorry I can't send you one to try for free, I'm a small business, can't do it. I do however guarantee that if you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, just return it to me within 90 days for a refund. This is something we at Rolladeck offer to everyone. We don't get returns. Do you know sirslamalot? He is one of a few regulars that post here who uses this system, maybe he could provide you with feedback.

You have my # if I can help you again give me a call.
HTH
Dan
941-467-0790

I guess I've been under a rock for awhile or something, but this is the first I've heard of the Rolladeck. Very interesting.

AGN

Lets see lol throw a hint if you think you know who i am?

I'm not sure if this is the correct order. GCAGS, Lloyds, Slite, KK, now you have your own operation. Congratulations, someone as young as yourself having the brass to go it alone. Do I know who you are?

The wrist like the hand is a fairly complex piece of anatomy packed into a small area. Auto glass installation constitutes many recognized ergonomic hazards including very high leverage forces during handling and placing glass; repetitive trauma caused by overuse; poor positioning of the wrist during the cutout process; and sometimes an overlay of off-work activity in combination with work activity. NIOSH (National Institute of Safety and Health) has done two studies on auto glass companies and each case has specifically recommended auto glass should NOT be done by a single installer without an assisting device. I cannot tell you directly what the pressures on the wrist are for glass installation, but with some extrapolation you can see from another body area that these forces are probably significant - especially when done over many months or years. In a recent case study, the forces generated to the low back in placing a windshield are in ranges of 1000 to over 2000 PSI to the lumbar discs. Such forces have been determined by NIOSH and other researchers to present a risk for short term injury and a high risk for repetitive trauma injury to the disc over time. When it comes to setting glass it truly is a case of the hand bone connected to the foot bone. The more you are able to decrease the carrying, handling and placement of glass through pure physical effort, the lower the chance of injury, re-injury and complications from injury later in your career and afterwards.

A bit of my background - I have 35+ years in rehabilitative medicine, occupational medicine and consultation to industry on injury prevention, ergonomic design and safe return of injured workers to the work environment.

Doug Rasmussen, Vice President, ZG3 Systems (www.zg3sys.com)

DING, DING, DING, DING!! 10 points for you lol Right on the money my friend :. And thank you. I learned a lot being around guys like you!

Autoglasses - As the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. It is unlikely I could persuade you the ZG3 mobile unit is a piece of art. However; like the “cable layer” you compare it to, the purpose is function, not aesthetics. And like the cable layer, the ZG3 performs its functions perfectly. There are things much uglier than your perception of the ZG3: surgical scars from a torn rotator cuff; an inability to sleep without heavy medication because of ruptured discs and compressed nerves; not being able to hold a glass because of nerve damage; being unable to lift a child or grandchild; a man and his family financially devastated because he can no longer perform his vocation – need I go on? The fact is, every tool in the auto glass trade was designed for function, not how sexy it would make the installer appear.

The bottom line… handling of automotive glass is associated with certain probabilities of injury (this is how insurance companies set rates for workers’ compensation). By mitigating the factors associated with injury everyone wins. In this vein, I wish ATX a speedy recovery and the benefit of many excellent suggestions made here.

Doug, I agree with most of your post. By minimizing the need to physically handle a windshield, one will decrease the risk of injury. Until full automation is introduced to the aftermarket, there will be the need to pick up and carry the windshield. To inventory, load the rack, place onto a stand for prep, etc. I designed the Rolladeck System with 3 major points in mind.

#1 Safety: The Rolladeck system provides a secure platform that firmly attaches to the vehicle for which to set the windshield into. Rolling out the old windshield, and setting the new windshield is as effortless as loading/ unloading your truck rack, and placing the windshield onto a prep stand. I personally suffer from fused lower L4 and L5, likely contributed to nearly 30 years of working in the industry. Before developing and using this system, I had to visit the Chiropractor on a monthly basis just to be able to function. My back would periodically go out and I would be in excruciating pain for weeks. I seriously thought I would have to find another line of work. I have been using the Rolladeck system since it's creation for over 3 years now I only see the Chiropractor maybe once or twice a year. The damage is already done, but thank goodness I have this incredible device now!

#2 Quality: The Rolladeck is a quality product that is virtually maintenance free, but this is not what I'm referring to when I say quality. By firmly attaching to the vehicle's wiper mount or subcowl and adjusting to the existing factory placed windshield like a jig, the Rolladeck gives the technician complete control and leverage to effortlessly place the new windshield precisely where the factory installed windshield resided.

#3 Productivity: Lets face it, we all want to be productive. To best manage our time, so that we may be able to maximize our profits, and get home to our families. The Rolladeck system is compact and can be deployed within seconds. You don't need a lot of room around the vehicle to utilize the system. Let's say the vehicle being serviced is in a service bay and unable to be moved. The Rolladeck weighs less than 5 pounds and goes with the tech as easily as any of the hand tools in their arsenal, so you don't have to reschedule the job in order to wait for the vehicle to be moved to a more convenient location like an open parking lot with no shade.

I believe all the products that are available are beneficial and serve a purpose. Your ZG3 seems that it would be highly effective in servicing panoramic roof panels. Some may be more effective than others on certain applications and vise versa. The consumer is wise to choose at least one system that will benefit their technicians overall health and improve the quality of their installations. There's no reason why one wouldn't benefit from having more than 1 device for setting glass.

Dan Boehmer
President
Rolladeck Industries
AGSC/AGRSS Master Auto Glass Technician
www.rolladeck.net

Unfortunately the rolladeck won't work on back glasses though.

ATX this is true. The Rolladeck is not currently designed to be used on backlites. As the name suggests, it is a windshield setting system. Fortunately the device is designed to be upgraded as new technology is developed, therefore accessories that are not currently available can be purchased and adapted to the current design in the future. Stay tuned.

Do you know what the ratio is for the windshields that you service compared to backlites?

Close to 75/25 more back lites than windshields. I need to figure out marketing to get more general public work. I have been doing mostly bodyshops.

I own a rolladeck and personally Love it. Set up is a breeze and it helps tremendously with both removal and setting the new Windshield, I guess you could use a lil buddy to take the glass out but guessing no one sets it up to do so, You set the Rolladeck up with the old part, so you can easily remove it, I wish I had a rolladeck 20 years ago. When I buy a tool that works, I like to talk about it, If it didn't work and wasn't worth it I would also talk about it. Rolladeck is definitely worth a spot in your tool box.

Just a question about the different assistance devices like the Rolladeck, Little buddy and so forth. What type of strain do these put on the customers vehicles. If the strain is removed from the installer when using these devices where does it transfer too? Has the vehicle manufacturer approved the use of these devices against fatigue and possible failure? Just some questions that I was wondering about?

NewBe, to my knowledge the auto manufacturers do not have a panel of engineers whose purpose is to test the effects of aftermarket tools or equipment on their vehicles. You ask a good question. Will the mounting points hold up to the load placed on them? With respect to the Rolladeck the answer is yes. The wiper transmissions in most vehicles are made of hardened steel, some have composite housings that can crumble with age like the Saturn Ion and the older Chevy Malibu. These are worse case scenarios and I have used the Rolladeck on these without any problems. Neither any of my customers to my knowledge or myself have had any issues with the wiper mounts.

Would love to try a rolladeck. no one anywhere I know has one. Next purchase for the shop is a Solo NEO...