Plastic welding epoxy? Help!!!

[Devinjordan]

Ok I've read the forums and have learned alot. New fairings way to expensive and the cheepest used ones around here (louisiana)Are 300 bucks for the two upper sides that need paint. So I am going to use the v and u notching way of fixing my cracked fairings. I've read about the 3m automix And the devcon epoxy and it seems that both work well but while I was browsing around my local parts store they have a stuff called versachem plastic welder Part Number: 47809 for abs plAstic for around 4 bucks. Cheap rite.? Well if anyone had used this please let me now how it worked. I will get started on my little project tomorrow and update how it worked for me. Thanks for the info and the help.

[jday240]

I've never used it, but let us know how well it works out.

[Wild-Bill]

Another option is to use a soldering iron to weld the sides of the cracks/breaks together and then smooth out the area using ABS pipe cement. (In the plumbing section of your local hardware store. Ask for the stuff you use for joining black pipe.) The fairings are ABS plastic, same as the black pipe used for drain and vent lines in a house. The ABS cement is basically ABS plastic melted into a goop with acetone. It'll fill the welds with the same kind of plastic the fairings are made from.

[hardlydangerous]

the problem with soldering guns and torches to weld plastic is the heat makes the plastic very very brittle after it hardens again, Same as ABS cement. you can usually pic this stuff off after it hardens, it very brittle.
Permatex plastic weld work great and every napa and pepboys autozone etc has it. Harbor freight has a plastic weld to that I have used.

[Wild-Bill]

Hmmm...
Coulda' swore you were the guy I picked that tip up from. Maybe not. So the HF plastic welder works without causing the brittleness? Which one? They've got a couple.

Having had lots of trouble with the fiberglass mat and epoxy fixes I'm a big fan of the idea of just welding the plastic back together. Not if it's not a good repair, though.

[steves]

The key to plastic welding, is having controllable heat.

Too hot and it gets brittle, too cold and you can't work the plastic.

I've had success plastic welding with a programmable soldering iron working with it set around 475*

[BareKat]

This has been known to work well. http://www.plast-aid.com/

[niqbales]

I really need to try this... My fairings are craptastic and I've just figured on buying new ones... One thing about mine... There is some rash and its like the center of the plastic is rough like with air bubbles. I thought maybe sanding it but its like the inside is textured. Anyone know what I'm talking about? I was thinking the abs cement spread thin then sanded?

[Jax]

I went to Harbor Freight and bought a plastic welder...worked great for welding the plastic on the seat tray...Haven't tried it on the fairings.

http://www.harborfreight.com/plastic-welding-kit-with-adjustable-temperature-96464.html

Though I used scraps from my seat I cut as the welding rods.

[Devinjordan]

Ok this epoxy versachem plastic welder says it can also be used as a body filler this may work well when dealing with road rash. But it seems to be working pretty good to mend my cracked fairings it was well worth 4 bucks it is a little brittle butshould hold up fairly well

[hardlydangerous]

not plastic welder, plastic WELD.
sure plastic welders work but the fact is once the plastic gets hot enough to melt then it loses its strength. thats why when ABS is formed its plyable not liqid. to hot and it becomes brittle and can just crack again

USE a two part epoxy that is actually stronger then the plastic around it.
its so simple to use, simple to samd, you can build up an area thats worn or damaged like body filler or build up the back sides for support etc.
I recently rebuilt a jet drive nozzle on a Polaris SLH . they backed it into something and smashed it off completely and broke the reverce trims off..everything. I just V noched it all, inside glued it together, once it cured I sanded it, then did the same on the outsides. big u notches over all the cracks and tabs I had to put back on etc. took me more time to take it all of then to repair it. cost me $15 in epoxy. the housing, nozzel etc would have been like $400

Permatec plastic weld is the best one I have used, but there are others.

[dianhsuhe]

Another option is to use a soldering iron to weld the sides of the cracks/breaks together and then smooth out the area using ABS pipe cement. (In the plumbing section of your local hardware store. Ask for the stuff you use for joining black pipe.) The fairings are ABS plastic, same as the black pipe used for drain and vent lines in a house. The ABS cement is basically ABS plastic melted into a goop with acetone. It'll fill the welds with the same kind of plastic the fairings are made from.

Thanks Wild-Bill! That is what I have been wondering...man I LOVE this forum!

James

[Wild-Bill]

Cool. Thanks.

[patricksmithahhh]

that plastiweld from the auto parts stores works great

the bottom fairing on my bike was broken into 3 pieces and missing a big chunk so i used the vera plastic welder in the black tube it dries fast and is fully sandable

[T McCall]

The key to plastic welding, is having controllable heat.

Too hot and it gets brittle, too cold and you can't work the plastic.

I've had success plastic welding with a programmable soldering iron working with it set around 475*

Yes, controlled heat is one of the keys.Thing with a welder is you have tip/s for abs rod to feed into your prepped crack.Plastic pc itself has to be warmed up around repair area.If your getting too hot, you will see small bubbles in your weld.They will come back on you eventually.
Testing all the other methods:
Do a spot on back side ( clean area).Let it cure to whatever time it says, try to get it off , peel or? Try to crack it. Better to find failure then rather when new paint is on.
I've seen everything from super glue, fiberglass to " what the hell is that"
Welder is always the best.
Urethane supply co has excellent welders.