Glue that works on fairing plastic

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by shakenbake, May 4, 2016.

  1. shakenbake

    shakenbake New Member

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    Does anyone know what sort of glue, filler, etc. will bond to the fairing on a VFR? (Their are plastic trim pieces – left and right of the instruments – that attach with screws that go into threaded collars which are bonded somehow into the fairing. The collar on mine popped out of the fairing and has been lost. I made a threaded aluminum collar but I can't get it to adhere to the fairing. I've tried fiberglass repair kits and a glue that's meant for all types of plastic. Neither has worked.) Any thoughts? Thanks.
     
  2. blakebirk

    blakebirk New Member

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    I used this stuff called Plastex. http://www.plastex.net/index.php I repaired the farings on a bike I crashed a few years ago it worked very well. I was even able to cast new tabs for the attachment of the body panels. The video on the web site looks like a goofy "as seen on TV" add, but the stuff worked well.

    Dan
     
  3. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    ABS glue works in a pinch as well. You can find it at Home Depot or Lowes, either in the electrical or plumbing departments. It's used to glue plastic conduit or irrigation plumbing.
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2016
  4. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    ABS pipe dope is good stuff and inexpensive. Slow to cure and the solvent is a mix heavy on the MEK.

    Some of the problems with adhesion/cohesion can be fixes with good prep.

    With ABS the paint should be removed at the join.

    Mating surfaces should be roughed up.

    One adhesive/cohesive that gets overlooked for some apps is contact cement.
     
  5. Suraj

    Suraj New Member

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    ABS Cement worked for me. Fixed my fairing cracks using it. $5 at home depot.
     
  6. shakenbake

    shakenbake New Member

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    I've had so many failures with this but I've not given up. Thanks for your suggestion.
     
  7. shakenbake

    shakenbake New Member

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    Thanks. Nice that it's cheap and definitely worth a try.
     
  8. shakenbake

    shakenbake New Member

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    Thanks. I'm encouraged that a couple have suggested ABS. Thanks for all the detail.
     
  9. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    I've found this stuff works very good. Super strong repairs. If the area is prepped right, it bonds better than any other 2 part product I've ever used. Feels like the plastic would break next to the repair before the repair would break if stress tested. It has a different consistency than other products too, it won't "puddle" out.
    Plastic_Welder1-xl.jpg
     
  10. shakenbake

    shakenbake New Member

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    Thanks. I'll check it out!
     
  11. skimad4x4

    skimad4x4 "Official" VFRWorld Greeter

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    Or if you are careful, you could join it by melting down a cable tie (its made of basically the same ABS plastic as the fairing) so you can bond stuff using a soldering iron - just make sure you don't over heat the visible side of the fairing or it will deform in seconds - and avoid the fumes!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7GRNvPSf7k



    SkiMad
     
  12. shakenbake

    shakenbake New Member

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    What a cool idea. Thanks.
     
  13. John451

    John451 Member

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    I've used JB Weld with good results, rebuild a broken plastic fairing post in layers a few years back, has held up fine.
     
  14. 68mustang

    68mustang New Member

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    I second the plastic welding. It works well and you can build up the back area. Just be careful with how much you heat the plastic. It can warp the cosmetic side. The plus is, if you take you time all you'll see on the cosmetic side is a hairline crack and it will be chemically bonded on the back side.
     
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