danhar707 Posted May 6, 2014 Report Share Posted May 6, 2014 My neighbour just acquired a tool for making strong and neat repairs to cracked plastic parts. He bought it primarily for plant / machine repair work, but he tried it out on an old/spare cracked beta mudguard I had in the garage and I was amazed at the quality and strength of the repair, especially considering the difficult location of the crack - see pic. He says he is open to taking on other motorbike parts repair jobs for a reasonable fee. He lives near Richmond, North Yorks, but parts could probably be handled by post. I said I would mention this on the trials central forum as it might be useful to folk who have cracked a mudguard or other plastic part, where the replacement cost is high. Some mudguards are fairly cheap (until you have to buy a decal set, etc.) Then there are expensive ones like replacing a TYZ mudguard can be eye-watering! If you are interested - pm me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tman427 Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 My neighbour just acquired a tool for making strong and neat repairs to cracked plastic parts. He bought it primarily for plant / machine repair work, but he tried it out on an old/spare cracked beta mudguard I had in the garage and I was amazed at the quality and strength of the repair, especially considering the difficult location of the crack - see pic. He says he is open to taking on other motorbike parts repair jobs for a reasonable fee. He lives near Richmond, North Yorks, but parts could probably be handled by post. I said I would mention this on the trials central forum as it might be useful to folk who have cracked a mudguard or other plastic part, where the replacement cost is high. Some mudguards are fairly cheap (until you have to buy a decal set, etc.) Then there are expensive ones like replacing a TYZ mudguard can be eye-watering! If you are interested - pm me. Interested in what kind of tool he uses for the repair? Heat gun related? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gasgas249uk Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Ive seen soldering iron type devices that do this sort of mend. They have adjustable heat settings. From what i remember , they are glorified soldering irons , but a little better and some come with different coloured plastic pellets to insert product where needed. Heating / melting plastic to mend breaks does work , but no matter how hard ive tried to get it good the joint is still only 10% of the strength and is brittle. There might be some trick or kit that im missing out on, but i have been to bike shows and watched these plastic welding guys work. The end result isnt that good and certainly not as good as a replacement. Search it on U tube and youll see them im sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldilocks Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Seen some which use coloured gauze to strengthen the repair, they seem ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pschrauber Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Sounds interesting! What kind of tool do he use? I habe tried some repair, a very expensive 2 component ( from Henkel ) which is used for car body repair, works nice but is black, of the look of the repaired plastic wouldn't ne so bad very recommended in my personal experience if you paint the plastic later. The other method using heat and repair sticks/stripes works also very good, you only need a special blade for a torch- lamp or an electric solder unit as a welding device. But these method works only if you which kind of plastic you have and if there are repair stripes for this kind of plastic available. The method is to shape a V to both edges, then heat up both sides while simultaneously placing upheated and nearly fluid plastic from the stripe in between. It's like welding steel together, but only works with a couple of plastics not all kind. Should have a list of plastics which can be repaired with this method. And not to forget these sticks / stripes are available in some different colors too. The repair works pretty good as long as both plastic sorts the one of the part and the one of the stick match, otherwise the welded area will crack again easy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrier Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 (edited) Recently at work, a KENT Industry rep demonstrated a hot melt staple that is zig-zag shape and is heated by an electric tool as it is allowed to melt and fuse itself accross and into the plastic accross the split. I would imagine most high end body shops would have a similar tool. The current carrying tangs are then simply snipped off flush. The split line however could then be fused by plastic welding. Just a thought whilst browsing this thread. :-) Edited May 17, 2014 by terrier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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