Plastic repair goop?

[Vonder]

An ebay add-on flash arrived with a broken battery door. It's all plastic, and I'm wondering, is there some kind of epoxylike substance which can be used to remake the broken bits?

 

[Ian Grant]

I've made repairs by dissolving 120 film spools in cellulose paint thinners, then using this as a glue. I repaired a Jobo 2000 tank this way and the repair has lasted 20+ years. Could be similar plastic.

Ian

 

[sjperry]

JB Weld is probably the best for bonding plastic. It is very strong for an epoxy. It sets up pretty fast and ends up with a dark gray color. Available at auto parts stores, etc.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mike Wilde]

ski base repair sticks?

These are way old, but I have a few. You light them on fire, and let the molten plastic drip onto the thing you want to fix. I have never used them on skis, but have fixed a lawn mower gas can, and other like bits.

If it is a minor hole to fill, I make a part moulded by hand out of fimo modelling clay, and either bake it or leave it for a day or two to harden. I then reinforce it by giving it a coating of slow setting hot melt glue, spread around with a spatula.

The dissolving 120 spools sounds very neat - and I save all my spools; 35mm cores are the same plastic and should work just as well. I will have to try that one in the future.

 

[Mike Wilde]

another repair idea

shoe goo - a thick and viscous adhesive/filler that is aimed at the detached running shoe sole market, but I have also perverted to fixing other gear. It forms up quite hard, and can be cut and trimmed with an xacto knife once set. If the surface it mates to was well degreased, it adheres very well to what it was stuck to.

 

[Phil]

http://www.pcepoxy.com/pastepoxies/pastepc7.asp

I've used PC-7 for many repairs - and they sell small amounts in 35mm film canisters...

 

[elekm]

Super glue will melt certain plastics, but I like some of the others ideas mentioned here.

 

[Whiteymorange]

shoe goo - a thick and viscous adhesive/filler that is aimed at the detached running shoe sole market, but I have also perverted to fixing other gear. It forms up quite hard, and can be cut and trimmed with an xacto knife once set. If the surface it mates to was well degreased, it adheres very well to what it was stuck to.

Here is the website of the Shoe Goo people. They make other amazing adhesives as well.

 

[Fotoguy20d]

I have a Century Graphic that was missing one of the Graflok clips. I bonded the clip onto the mahoganite back using Scotchweld 2216B/A. It's a 2 part, high strength adhesive made by 3M. Depending on what it's made out of, the pipe adhesive for PVS or ABS yields a very strong joint but it also attacks the plastic to some extent (basically, it's welding the pieces together). Another option is an epoxy called Epon 828 - no idea who makes it but I bought something that smelled just like it from a golf supply place - it can be used for attaching heads to shafts (so you know it's plenty strong).

 

[Larry Bullis]

Nothing that I know of comes anywhere close to E6000. It is an industrial adhesive that comes in clear (more common) or black. Either way it may be somewhat hard to find, but here's their website:
http://www.eclecticproducts.com/e6000CraftAdhesive.htm

If you write them they'll tell you who carries it in your area.

I've built cameras with this stuff. I used Duro Black Rubber sealant, but it disappeared. Since then, I use this; just happened on it. When I was unable to find it, I looked all over but couldn't find anything that seemed like it would do the job, but of course, I didn't buy lots of tubes of the stuff that you find in the auto parts stores.

I use it to repair the cracked Paterson developing tanks (the students practice drop kicking with them). The repaired ones are better than the unbroken ones; I presume that is because they are more resilient. It dries just not quite hard, flexible, but solid and dry.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

JB Weld makes a two parts clear epoxy that you plunge out of a two part syringe, mix and apply thickly. Bonds in four minutes, cures in two hours. Used it to fix rail caps on my Aletta. Available at your local Fisher Auto Parts/ Federated Auto Parts stores. (Sorry, not an ad, just trying to earn a buck, living and all, ya know. I'm shameless)

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

An ebay add-on flash arrived with a broken battery door. It's all plastic, ... substance which can be used to remake the broken bits?

Are you trying to glue the parts that broke off back on to the door?

or

Are you trying to build-up the substance of the door and refabricate the parts that broke off?

In either case I would recommend using a composite. Epoxy over fiber-glass cloth is the standard. You could use carbon-fiber cloth if you want to go high tech. You want a free flowing epoxy that will soak into the cloth. Glass/epoxy kits are available.

For building up mass you might try automobile filler that is reinforced with glass fibers. It sets up quite strong and can be filed to shape.

If it is possible, gluing the parts to a splint made of hard aluminum can be a good solution. You would put the aluminum on the outside or inside - wherever it won't interfere and glue the parts to each other and to the aluminum. You would do the same thing with fiber glass reinforcement.

If the material is of the type that can be glued with a solvent glue - like those used for model airplanes or plastic pipe - you might get away with just gluing at the break surface. This may not work well if the part is under stress, however.

If the part that broke off is under a lot of stress in normal use - the tabs that lock the door in place, for instance - you may be better off fabricating the tabs etc. out of an over sized bit of aluminum where the oversize bit 'sisters' to the rest of the door and is glued on. You may have to cut away a bit of the door so the aluminum can go through.

A flexible glue or goop will only work if there is a large mating surface at the break. These adhesives aren't space filling like epoxy and require an intimate fit at the gluing surface. I would not use them for attaching any reinforcement or sistered piece.

A picture of the broken bits would be of help.

 

[Vonder]

Thanks for all the tips!

Are you trying to glue the parts that broke off back on to the door?

or

Are you trying to build-up the substance of the door and refabricate the parts that broke off?

These are broken off, completely missing bits. There's a missing pin/hinge on one side of the battery door, and from what I can tell, a couple broken off bumps which would normally catch and secure the door closed.

It was a freebie and if I ever got desperate enough to have to use it, I'd probably hate the results. Maybe I'll buy some epoxy next time I'm at the store.

 

[Anscojohn]

a broken battery door. It's all plastic, and I'm wondering, is there some kind of epoxylike substance which can be used to remake the broken bits?
*****
To make the flash useable, all you need is the metal contacts in place to bridge the battery, right? Hinge, schminge--just tape the door on tight with duct tape!!

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Hinge, schminge--just tape the door on tight with duct tape!!

Good thinking - don't replace the part, just replace the function.

I have a flash and a dictation recorder where the battery door is held shut with tape. After a while the constant tension loosens the tape -- a wrap of tape around the whole unit might work.

Or a hasp/catch from a jewelry box might be fashioned to hold the door closed.

 

[Vonder]

Aye, tape would work, or a rubber band. Rubber bands don't get as loose over time and let you get in and out faster.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

But keep an eye on the rubber bands as they can get brittle with time.