ABS Plastic reapair

[JRP3]

I've got some pretty bad cracks in the lower 4 corners of the Attex and was wondering what people have used to fix their ABS bodies. I will be making some type of skid plate, probably similar to Hydromike's, but I want to fix the cracks first.
So far I've found:
1. melting shavings of ABS in acetone to make a plastic pasteSolvent adhesives... why don't more people use them? - Page 14 - MP3Car.com
2. Using ABS pipe cement to glue pieces of ABS over the cracksRepairing Motorcycle Saddlebags - webBikeWorld
3. Plastic welding with heat
4. Fiberglass cloth with either polyester or epoxy resin
5. Cyanoacrylate glues made for ABS SureHold Broker Support Site

Some of the cracks are basically holes so I'll need to fill in sections, not just join them together.

[GREASEMONKEY]

QUICK STEEL EPOXY MSR

You can get this stuff at you'r local auto parts store!

[JRP3]

Thanks, I'll have to check that out. I looked at different epoxy putties but wondered if they'd be flexible enough and bond well enough for ABS. Guess I can try a different technique at each of the 4 corners and see what holds up the best. The cracks are near the bearings so they'll be taking a lot of force.
I was kind of leaning towards fiberglass cloth with polyester resin, since the "S" in ABS is Styrene, which is also in polyester resin. I just don't know if they would chemically bond or not. I'm pretty sure epoxy is a physical, not chemical bond since the resin and hardener need to cross link molecules to harden, leaving nothing left over to link to the ABS, but the physical hold of epoxy is better than the physical hold of polyester. Hmmm
Any chemists out there?

[liflod]

Fiberglass resin is not as flexible as the ABS so it does not stick very well. I would try the fiberglass mesh impregnated with the ABS/acetone mix.
If the cracks are due to stress and not an impact, I would try to use some substantial reinforcement to prevent it from cracking again. Also, make sure you stop-drill the cracks so they don't spread.

[Robio_8x8]

I am sure there is other brands but Steinel makes this plastic weld kit that works great for plastic body repair. It is a Heat gun with temperature setting and attachment for plastic rods. It is almost like mig to tig welding but for plastic . You just need match plastic rod type to the type of plastic you are welding .

Heat Guns and Heat Gun Kits for shrinking and Plastic Repair for Kayaks, Canoes, ATVs, Motorcycles, cars, trucks, Aircraft, farm equipment, tarps, liners, signs...

[JRP3]

Fiberglass resin is not as flexible as the ABS so it does not stick very well. I would try the fiberglass mesh impregnated with the ABS/acetone mix.
If the cracks are due to stress and not an impact, I would try to use some substantial reinforcement to prevent it from cracking again. Also, make sure you stop-drill the cracks so they don't spread.

You're probably right, the stiffness of the polyester was a concern. Some previous cracks had been fixed with fiberglass but they weren't in a stressed area. I will be reinforcing with a skid plate once I've made the patches.

[JRP3]

I am sure there is other brands but Steinel makes this plastic weld kit that works great for plastic body repair. It is a Heat gun with temperature setting and attachment for plastic rods. It is almost like mig to tig welding but for plastic . You just need match plastic rod type to the type of plastic you are welding .

That link gave me some good ideas. I don't want to buy a welding kit but I already have a heat gun and I bet I could make my own tips to concentrate the heat. I may try playing with that first.

[liflod]

Plastic welding is an art. I bought the gun from Harbor Freight. The 3rd one I bought worked twice in a row. I haven't tried it a 3rd time.

I think you are better off with the fiberglass cloth and ABS paste. I don't think the welds will bond that great with ABS.

[Robio_8x8]

Plastic welding is an art. I bought the gun from Harbor Freight. The 3rd one I bought worked twice in a row. I haven't tried it a 3rd time.


I think you are better off with the fiberglass cloth and ABS paste. I don't think the welds will bond that great with ABS.

I tried this with a lower end product and failed miserably mainly due the temperature but when I did it with the Steinel product it went really well. The Steinel product was not cheap but was easy to work with and worked well. I found this to be easier then tig or mig welding just do small tight circles over the join and use the right type of plastic rods. Make sure your body is actually ABS and not somthing else too.

Different types of fiber glass reson and hardner may work better too. I got some junk from Canadian tire it was terrible for this application . You may have a specialty store near you but I use this guy for fiber glass and his stuff works very well
Noah's Boat Building Supplies

Canoe kits, Kayak kits, MAS Epoxy, Marine Plywood, Meranti Plywood, Okoume Plywood, BS1088, Cedar Strips, West System Epoxy

[LarryW]

To use the abs repair kit to fill a hole you have to put something on the back side like duct/masking tape or what ever. When done take the tape off and sand it. Unless its not cosmetically.