GLUE!

[clivvy]

so I am on a search for the best glue out there. I've tried loads over the years and hardly any impress me. I have a couple of plastic items I need to fix, and they are plastic that require a certain amount of flexibility. As an example, one is a plastic frame that goes around a gear stick gaiter, and one part of it has snapped. I need to stick it back together so that even under a small amount of flex, it wont snap again.

Does anyone know of any superb glues that I could use? I am a huge fan of Tigerseal for appropriate jobs, so a version of that in glue form would be great!

any ideas!?

[makeitfit]

There are specific super glues for particular plastics. Try your local double glazing manufacturer, they have various glues for "welding" plastic frames .
Even so with a flexi bit of plastic and no doubt a small surface area to glue, it may always fail.
So, can you glue a splint to the underside of the plastic thing to spread the load ? Then you may have a chance, especially if it's off the car and clamped up etc

[Lazy-Ferret]

The problem with plastics, is you need to know which plastic it is... Luckily, on the back of most of the plastic car parts, it will have some letters which identify the plastic for recycling purposes. See this.

You will have letters like PP, HDPE, stuff like that.

The problem is, a lot of plastics leach out oil over time, and this makes the glue break contact, so even if you thoroughly clean it up to start with, and get it to stick, a while later the glue will release as yet more oils leach out.

What I do, is look up the plastic on line, and then see what people recommend for that specific one.

A good quality Industrial super glue works the best on many plastics that will accept it, I buy a new bottle each year at the Great Dorset Steam Fair, and as long as you keep it in the fridge, it lasts the full year of occasional uses, as long as you always tap it to clear the nozzle before putting the cap back on.

HDPE plastic will not glue with normal spreadable glues, but if you use a Weller Soldering gun and a hot glue gun stick, making sure to actually melt the top layer of the plastic, so the glue can get into it, it makes a very good and strong joint, which I used to make a lot of our Ferret Racing tubes for our PR events.

So basically, there is no one glue does all...

[Fez_uk]

For the gearbox gaiter frame, probably easier just to buy another one.

[clivvy]

thanks guys, some very good points made there, youre probably right too it is a very small surface area and as Fez suggests probably more sense to buy a new one (but that's about £20). I think I will try MakeitFits suggestion of a splinter - if I can find some very thin but strong wire, that would do it I think....

[panelbeater]

if you can get to the underside it is easy to use a flat soldering ion tip to join both together and smooth it out without breaking through.
i have repaired a few things this way,even plastic caravan taps that split and leaked,now dont leak.

[clivvy]

Originally Posted by panelbeater

if you can get to the underside it is easy to use a flat soldering ion tip to join both together and smooth it out without breaking through.
i have repaired a few things this way,even plastic caravan taps that split and leaked,now dont leak.

that's a good idea actually, I will try that first. I can remove the plastic from the gaiter (this is on my Fiat Stilo by the way, so its sort of oblong and curved). If that fails, I try MakeItFits idea plus lashing of glue!

[Fez_uk]

Well i meant new as in 2nd hand from a breaker.

[Lazy-Ferret]

Originally Posted by clivvy

that's a good idea actually, I will try that first. I can remove the plastic from the gaiter (this is on my Fiat Stilo by the way, so its sort of oblong and curved). If that fails, I try MakeItFits idea plus lashing of glue!

While you are doing it with the soldering iron, use it to drag the plastic across the gap, then lay a splint across the back, and use the soldering iron to melt and lay a glue gun stick over the while area. Use the iron to get it nice and warn, and just use the tip of the iron to scratch the plastic as you go, so the glue stick gets melted into the plastic. This should make a nice strong joint, but do be careful not to get it so hot the plastic starts to loose shape. I always lay the good side of the plastic on something cold.

[kitchenman]

If it is ABS plumbers solvent weld for waste pipes should do it.
Alternative is the Evo stuff for removing impact adhesive, this stuff will dissolve ABS. Use a MacDonald's stirrer to dribble a little into the joint from the wrong side. Works like a weld

[clivvy]

some brilliant ideas guys, thankyou!