I have had some requests around repairing the Kat plastics without taking them to the plastic welders. The repair process will work on holes or cracks. If done properly, the repair is every bit as strong as the plastic prior to the damage.
You should be able to get these products at you local Automotive Jobber store. (A store that sells paint to body shops) Here is a link that if you put in your zip, it will give you DuPont jobbers in your area.
http://a3.geoserve.com/forms/dpcjobber.htm
Before I get started, all of the liability is on you, weather it is safety, integrity of repair or what ever. I will let you know the best way I know how which has been VERY successful for me weather it is a plastic bumper on a car or my Kat plastics. This repair process is based off of the 3M Automix™ \ Duramix™ systems. There are other systems out there (Lord Fuser, SEM and so on), but I have found that this is what works best for me. There is a special gun that is required to use this system and 3M will donate 3 of these to us at Katriders.com. I am working with the admins now on how to handle them before we receive them, so stay tuned.
Safety- you will be sanding, working with chemical adhesives and adhesion promoters. Always refer to the MSDS sheets for products used if you have any questions. You can never wear enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Safety equipment - You will want to have Safety glasses, dust mask, Nitrile gloves, a respirator designed for paint mists and vapors. Please do these repairs in a well ventilated area.
Equipment needed – Dremel with sanding end on it, a DA (dual action sander) or a jitter bug sander will speed up the process drill with an 1\8” bit, scissors, plastic applicator or small putty knife.
Materials needed - 80, 180, 220 automotive grit sanding paper, duct or masking tape, plastic cleaner like 3M 04912, DuPont 2320S, or you can mix vinegar and isopropyl alcohol together (do not use gas, normal solvent cleaners. These are not conductive and can generate static and ignite), plastic adhesion promoter like 3M 04924 or 05907, reinforcement patch material like 3M 04904 (sorta like a netting material), semi rigid repair material like 3M 4240, and a finishing material like 3M 5887 (this is the best flexible filler I have ever used). Now when you buy the tubes of 05887 and 04240 they will come with a few mixing tubes but you may want to get more. The numbers for those are 3M 04902 (tapered end) and 04901 (non-tapered end), and a non-sticky tack rag (to remove dust)
OK, time to do the repair.
I know that may seem like a lot but it is a very easy and strong process.
I hope you found this helpful. If you have any questions please feel free to PM me. Take care all!
These are links to 3M's web site for a video of the repair process. They are going to show a repair on a car bumper cover but the repair process is the same for our plastic. The first link is if you want to stream the video. The second is if you want to download the video. By the way, that guy in the video is NOT me. If some one knows how to make the video play with in the thread please do so.
Right click on this link then choose save as.
http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?222222PNZ6729Jg2tJg22GUPtrCffff E-
Other helpful links.
05887 - finishing material http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Products/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQCEK3_nid=J6CLNP3ZV2gs6 DTWTJQPBBglTB9909M8GXbl
04240 – semi rigid repair material
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Products/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQCEK3_nid=XQMW1M4H75gsD DC4KLKK5Wgl090LMCG9C0bl
04904 – reinforcement patch material
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Products/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQCEK3_nid=B7ZS77TM4MgsD DC4KLKK5WglSCVCH2J17Bbl
05907- Adhesion promoter
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Products/Product-Catalog/?nid=MW1HQK29DDgs6DTWTJQPBBglNTZTKN8WFPbl
You should be able to get these products at you local Automotive Jobber store. (A store that sells paint to body shops) Here is a link that if you put in your zip, it will give you DuPont jobbers in your area.
http://a3.geoserve.com/forms/dpcjobber.htm
Before I get started, all of the liability is on you, weather it is safety, integrity of repair or what ever. I will let you know the best way I know how which has been VERY successful for me weather it is a plastic bumper on a car or my Kat plastics. This repair process is based off of the 3M Automix™ \ Duramix™ systems. There are other systems out there (Lord Fuser, SEM and so on), but I have found that this is what works best for me. There is a special gun that is required to use this system and 3M will donate 3 of these to us at Katriders.com. I am working with the admins now on how to handle them before we receive them, so stay tuned.
Safety- you will be sanding, working with chemical adhesives and adhesion promoters. Always refer to the MSDS sheets for products used if you have any questions. You can never wear enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Safety equipment - You will want to have Safety glasses, dust mask, Nitrile gloves, a respirator designed for paint mists and vapors. Please do these repairs in a well ventilated area.
Equipment needed – Dremel with sanding end on it, a DA (dual action sander) or a jitter bug sander will speed up the process drill with an 1\8” bit, scissors, plastic applicator or small putty knife.
Materials needed - 80, 180, 220 automotive grit sanding paper, duct or masking tape, plastic cleaner like 3M 04912, DuPont 2320S, or you can mix vinegar and isopropyl alcohol together (do not use gas, normal solvent cleaners. These are not conductive and can generate static and ignite), plastic adhesion promoter like 3M 04924 or 05907, reinforcement patch material like 3M 04904 (sorta like a netting material), semi rigid repair material like 3M 4240, and a finishing material like 3M 5887 (this is the best flexible filler I have ever used). Now when you buy the tubes of 05887 and 04240 they will come with a few mixing tubes but you may want to get more. The numbers for those are 3M 04902 (tapered end) and 04901 (non-tapered end), and a non-sticky tack rag (to remove dust)
OK, time to do the repair.
- If the repair is a crack find the very end of the crack and drill an 1/8” hole in it. This will help keep the crack from running.
- Clean panel with soap and water then use one of the cleaners above and clean the area for repair.
- On back side use DA with 80 grit and sand area and a couple inches beyond making sure that the entire area is down to bare plastic.
- While on back side if it is a crack use the Dremel and dish out the area around the crack. This will allow more repair material around and into the crack.
- On outside of the panel, please follow step 3 and 4 recommendations again. (in my opinion you will not need to dish as deep on the outside)
- Blow off area removing and sand dust and plastic shavings then tack with tack rag.
- Clean repair area with 3M 04912, DuPont 2320S, or you can mix vinegar and isopropyl alcohol together. Wipe dry with a clean non-linting wipe.
- Apply plastic adhesion promoter like 3M 04924 or 05907 and allow to flash (dry) for at least five minutes.
- Take you reinforcement patch material like 3M 04904 and cut out a piece or two to fit in back side of the repair. I will cut 2 pieces to go about 1\2” to 1” beyond the crack or hole all the way around it.
- Load the semi rigid repair material like 3M 04240 into the gun squeeze trigger until both materials come out then put mix tip on end.
- If you are fixing a hole, put duct or masking tape on the outside of repair so the repair material fills the hole from the inside.
- Apply the material on back side of repair liberally spread this out with the plastic applicator or putty knife then put the reinforcement patch material down on the repair material and pus it in a bit. I do this twice.
- Apply semi rigid repair material on the front side. Spread it out evenly filling the dished out area. Please keep in mind that you only have about a 50 second work time so be ready to boogie when you start.
- Allow to cure. 3M says 15 to 20 minutes but I usually wait longer.
- Sand front area with 180 grit. You are going to want the crack or the holed area to be a small amount lower then non-repair area. This will allow for the 05887 to finish off the work nicely.
- Blow off any sanding dust and tack using tack rag.
- Apply another coat of adhesion promoter 3M 04924 or 05907 and allow it to flash for 5 minutes.
- Load the 3M 05887 finishing material into the gun and pull trigger until material comes out both sides.
- Put mixing tip on material.
- Apply 05887 to repair area and even out with the putty knife or plastic applicator. You are going to want this to be nice and even. The better you get it the easier it will be to finish sand it.
- Sand with 180 to get after about 15 to 20 minutes. Please keep in mind that temperature will affect cure a bit. If it is cool that let it set a while longer. DO not sand to finish that will be in the next step.
- Finish sand with 220. This is where you will level out the repair to match the non-repair area.
- Repeat steps 16 through 21 until desired appearance is achieved.
- Now it is ready for adhesion promoter, primer, base coat and clear coat. WAIT, that will be in the next thread I write.
I know that may seem like a lot but it is a very easy and strong process.
I hope you found this helpful. If you have any questions please feel free to PM me. Take care all!
These are links to 3M's web site for a video of the repair process. They are going to show a repair on a car bumper cover but the repair process is the same for our plastic. The first link is if you want to stream the video. The second is if you want to download the video. By the way, that guy in the video is NOT me. If some one knows how to make the video play with in the thread please do so.
Right click on this link then choose save as.
http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?222222PNZ6729Jg2tJg22GUPtrCffff E-
Other helpful links.
05887 - finishing material http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Products/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQCEK3_nid=J6CLNP3ZV2gs6 DTWTJQPBBglTB9909M8GXbl
04240 – semi rigid repair material
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Products/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQCEK3_nid=XQMW1M4H75gsD DC4KLKK5Wgl090LMCG9C0bl
04904 – reinforcement patch material
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Products/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQCEK3_nid=B7ZS77TM4MgsD DC4KLKK5WglSCVCH2J17Bbl
05907- Adhesion promoter
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Products/Product-Catalog/?nid=MW1HQK29DDgs6DTWTJQPBBglNTZTKN8WFPbl
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