Plastics repair with ABS cement: Difference between revisions
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Start by sanding the paint off, to clear out the surface. This makes repainting REQUIRED. You can skip this step and only weld the break from the back. This makes a nice looking, but weaker, repair. If the paint gets into the ABS, it contaminates the bond, and you'll have to sand | Start by sanding the paint off, to clear out the surface. This makes repainting REQUIRED. You can skip this step and only weld the break from the back. This makes a nice looking, but weaker, repair. If the paint gets into the ABS, it contaminates the bond, and you'll have to sand anyway. | ||
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The lines show the fracture ran along the edge, which was reconstituted using ABS cement. As a result, the rounded edge of that corner is gone. | The lines show the fracture ran along the edge, which was reconstituted using ABS cement. As a result, the rounded edge of that corner is gone. It's now a sharp edge, which can easily go unnoticed. The Orange is also significant. That section was gone. Entirely gone. It was rebuilt by making a thin ABS layer, then rebuilding the surface. The rebuilt section was less than perfect, and cracked while back on the bike. This was because the shape it solidified into was not the same as the original shape. After welding the new crack to relieve the stress, it has been doing fine. | ||
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Using ABS cement yields two significant advantages. One is that you are creating a uniform plastic-on-plastic repair. For surface gouging or deep scratches, ABS cement will not only fill those imperfections, but will melt and solidify with the plastic base. When it dries it is real ABS, not just filler material. This will theoretically allow a more uniform paint adhesion, and thus a better paint job. In reality, modern primers and paints are very good, and bond to different surfaces with very little drama. It does, however, make sense to use actual ABS for repairs, instead of bondo. | Using ABS cement yields two significant advantages. One is that you are creating a uniform plastic-on-plastic repair. For surface gouging or deep scratches, ABS cement will not only fill those imperfections, but will melt and solidify with the plastic base. When it dries it is real ABS, not just filler material. This will theoretically allow a more uniform paint adhesion, and thus a better paint job. In reality, modern primers and paints are very good, and bond to different surfaces with very little drama. It does, however, make sense to use actual ABS for repairs, instead of bondo. | ||
The second advantage is the lack of delamination. Fiberglass or other repairs may be stronger than simple plastic. This is a problem if you shock or twist the bodywork. The stronger (stiffer) parts won't flex as much, and will delaminate, or peel off. This is especially a problem if there is less than ideal adhesion between the fiberglass epoxy and the plastics. A hybrid approach | The second advantage is the lack of delamination. Fiberglass or other repairs may be stronger than simple plastic. This is a problem if you shock or twist the bodywork. The stronger (stiffer) parts won't flex as much, and will delaminate, or peel off. This is especially a problem if there is less than ideal adhesion between the fiberglass epoxy and the plastics. A hybrid approach has been suggested, using ABS cement as an epoxy on a fiberglass backing. It wasn't tried for this article, but it might work. It's certainly worth investigating. | ||
====ABS cement==== | ====ABS cement==== | ||