ABS Welding?

[Seaking]

ergh.. disappointing wot?

 

the latch catch on the trunk lid came off the lid last night. a clean break. Right now when you close the trunk, only one side latches.

 

Apart from purchasing a new trunk lid, is there a proper method and materials for welding the ABS plastics together strongly enough for this area?

 

Cheers

[GigaWhiskey]

There are plastic welding kits available on the Internet. They start at about $180, I think. There are a few here that have used these kits and really liked them. Many, due to cost, do the ABS resin and fiberglass cloth.

[V7Goose]

Read both of my posts in this thread:

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=23933

[SilvrT]

I use a soldering gun with a flat tip. I melt (weld) the pieces together where they are cracked or broken, leaving a bit of a channel or groove which I then fill with ABS 2-part epoxy (the 5 minute kind). Works like a charm! Sometimes I will take a discarded piece of ABS plastic (from wherever) and melt that into the crack or use it as filler if necessary.

 

My trunk and bags were badly cracked when I got my scoot and I fixed them using this method as well as some of the mounting tabs for the fairing, etc.

[BuddyRich]

Like Goose said. All you need is some sheet ABS and standard old ABS glue from Home Depot. The glue acts as a weld on ABS causing both parts to melt together. Same as pvc or abs pipe. Which can stand 120psi water pressure for years.

[SilvrT]

Like Goose said. All you need is some sheet ABS and standard old ABS glue from Home Depot. The glue acts as a weld on ABS causing both parts to melt together. Same as pvc or abs pipe. Which can stand 120psi water pressure for years.

 

I have never tried the ABS glue method simply because I wouldn't trust it's strength and here's why.... when bonding ABS piping, you're applying the glue to a fairly large, flat area in comparison to a very small area such as in welding a tab back on or welding 2 cracked pieces together...both of which are "butt-joined". Secondly, it takes quite a while for that glue to cure whereas melting it together with a hot iron and applying a 5 minute ABS epoxy takes no time at all.

 

(just my thinking but I'm not suggesting what I haven't tried won't work)

 

'course, if you're laying a flat piece over top another flat surface, then using ABS glue is the way to go ....

[BuddyRich]

It works good. You can also heat the ABS to 250 and form it to whatever surface your gluing so you wind up with 2 mating surfaces and no gaps. That's the trick is to have no gaps.

[StarRider07]

I have used JB Weld with 100% success.

http://www.jbweld.net/index.php

[Longball75]

I second the J.B. Weld works good. I use it on my trunk also..........................

[waterbug]

You might try taking it to a bodyshop they have very ridged two part epoxies and some have plastic welders. I have one that I use and they work great on some plastics and not on others, they do have a rod that works very well on alot of them but what ever you do use some kind of support for reinfocement like fiberglass tape or I use stainless steel mesh for repairing cars and such. Alot of your new cars now have glued on quarters and the glues are stronger than a weld. You might try a auto paint store they should have alot of things to get you taken care of. Just so you know alot of this stuff is very pricey thats why its so much to fix stuff. Good luck

[Ramblingman]

I used that JB Weld last summer on my long trip ...the exact same part broke on me ...we were camping and I just let it cure over night and it's been fine every since!!!!!!!!!!

[Seaking]

I found a local shop that claims to be able to do plastic welding and able to fix my part.. at worse case scenario, the pipe glue approach may well work..

 

Many thanks to all for the info..

 

Cheers

[davecb]

You can buy a plastic welding kit from Harbor Freight. You do need an air compressor. Cost is about $40.00. I have one, but I have not used it yet, so I don't know how good it actually is. They hadem on sale, so I decided to but it in case I needed it...

[Seaking]

You can buy a plastic welding kit from Harbor Freight. You do need an air compressor. Cost is about $40.00. I have one, but I have not used it yet, so I don't know how good it actually is. They hadem on sale, so I decided to but it in case I needed it...

 

I did some research on these 'kits' and for what I can see it is quite good for sheet panel stuff and fairing but not for sharp angles mounts like the one I need done.. From what I've read, you see to make a V-Groove channel into which to run the bead of 'weld' into.. this is kinda impossible if not impractical for my application.. But we'll see.. I'll be dropping down at this local shop this coming monday and see what they have..

 

Thanks again

[Marcarl]

As I suggested in the other post, use some powdered ABS (or shaved), mix with acetone and you can do all kinds of fancy stuff. In your case I not sure exactly how it's put together (I have a 1st gen and not your problem) but I would suggest without seeing it: butt joint it together first with a very thin mixture, wait 10 minutes and then back it with a thicker, overlap patch, Should come out perfect and black.

[greg_in_london]

I've had mixed results with Plastex, which has an isomeric powder and a liquid activator - it reacts to form a new polymer. On some plastics it has worked wonders (ie on the fairing), on other plastics (the filler cap on a DR400) it didn't.

 

It might be worth trying out if you don't have success with a heat welder. Kits start at £15-25 and you can bulk it up for strength.

[Seaking]

As I suggested in the other post, use some powdered ABS (or shaved), mix with acetone and you can do all kinds of fancy stuff. In your case I not sure exactly how it's put together (I have a 1st gen and not your problem) but I would suggest without seeing it: butt joint it together first with a very thin mixture, wait 10 minutes and then back it with a thicker, overlap patch, Should come out perfect and black.

 

Many thanks! Much appreciated.

[timk]

Devcon Plastic Weld sold at Walley World is great for this kind of stuff. It makes plastic. I pieced the bottom of a VR trunk with the stuff, and it never let go. One other item to get while at Wall Mart is a clothes pin. This stuff has it's own smell.

[hipshot]

As I suggested in the other post, use some powdered ABS (or shaved), mix with acetone and you can do all kinds of fancy stuff. In your case I not sure exactly how it's put together (I have a 1st gen and not your problem) but I would suggest without seeing it: butt joint it together first with a very thin mixture, wait 10 minutes and then back it with a thicker, overlap patch, Should come out perfect and black.

 

 

 

 

 

i have done a LOT of plastics repair with abs filings and acetone!

the trick here, is to coat both mating surfaces, with a coating of straight acetone. that softens up the plastic, just enough to make a tight fit.

 

then, you apply several light coats of "home made abs glue"

after the repair cures, you can cut a groove on the back side, and use a "plastic welding kit". for absolute good results.

just jt

[GigaWhiskey]

I was hoping you would chime in JT since I know you have used the welding kit and really liked it.

[Seaking]

I was hoping you would chime in JT since I know you have used the welding kit and really liked it.

 

From what I see the 'welding kits' are awesome kits but because of where and how this bracket is busted I don't think you can apply it here.. might be best to use the filings acetone method or the straight up ABS Glue.. or JB Weld.. fill that square hole up with the material to give it tons of strength to hang on to.. .

 

Thanks for all the replies..

 

Cheers

[spear]

Gee Seaking.

You had me worried for a while.

I thought you wanted to weld up your ABS brakes!

Glad I read through the thread.

[Seaking]

Gee Seaking.

You had me worried for a while.

I thought you wanted to weld up your ABS brakes!

Glad I read through the thread.

 

There's ABS brakes on these bikes?!?! lol

 

Cheers M8