Plastic repair

[Stephen]

Can anyone recommend an epoxy or adhesive to repair a broken plastic side panel to a machine? From Internet research I think it is a thermoplastic (sample floats in water) and probably is from the polypropylene family. It is dark gray to light black in color and pretty ridged. What type of plastic is typically used these days for large molded parts? JB weld and Crazy Glue will stick to it, but is a pretty weak bond. Also had no luck trying to plastic weld it. When heated it will deform well. A new panel is too expensive. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I'd sand the plastic, get some fiberglass and resin and lay it up. It would look like hell but be stronger than ever.

 

Better yet, fab a new one out of Fiberglass.

 

HTH

[KalCam]

Stephen,

I would guess panel is abs and would bond additional pieces to bridge crack, smooth out with some bodyfiller then paint it. The poly family of plastics are nearly impossible to bond any rarely crack but can simply be melted together with a sodering iron or a hot air plastic welder.

[Fig sign]

I am with james .Only I made it hundred times a bit different .

I use epoxy with cotton cloth .

It is better than fiberglass because epoxy goes all way through it wet and makes the bond very strong and still flexible enough .

And you can get any form you need ,

Use it in couple of layers and sand it afterwards .

It is same technology as in modeling .Panels of oll sorts ,insides of freezers ,pipes and many other things .

 

 

BTW . James .I gonna publish soon my latest poem

:

The Lightest Kiss of Death

[BernieT]

quote:

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JB weld and Crazy Glue will stick to it, but is a pretty weak bond.

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I would use 'Gorilla Glue'. The stuff is amazing! My friend repaired a cracked plastic panel with a patch glued on with it, ugly but worked. It's been a year now and still good.

 

HTH

[Exodus]

Gorilla Snot?

 

We use that to seal our Sandblaster window

 

[Stephen]

Thanks for the ideas. The one panel that I had to replace I cut up into strips and used several types of epoxy for plastic and Elmers Ultimate Glue(same as Gorilla glue, but couldn't find Gorilla on a Sunday)The epoxies did not bond as well as Elmers. Elmers left glue on the mating pieces where the epoxies failed to stay adhered to the plastic. Thanks again...Steve

[Fig sign]

sTEPHEN

 

tHAT`S WHAT i SAID

wET COTTON cloth with epoxy and put it to the surfaces .

Give it time to solidize

Or use other glue simmilar to epoxy in this way .