I saw this on another site (don't remember where). I have been working on repairing a slightly damaged center console skeleton and so far (knock on wood), it works better than I dreamed. But first:
!!!WARNING!!! DO NOT USE SOLVENTS WITHOUT ADEQUATE VENTILLATION. MEK IS VERY FLAMMABLE, AND THE FUMES MAY HARM AND/OR KILL YOU IF USED IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE. ALSO, SOLVENTS SHOULD ONLY BE USED WITH PROPER CHEMICAL/SOLVENT RESISTANT GLOVES AND EYE PROTECTION!!!
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS AND WARNINGS ON MATERIAL CONTAINERS. CONSULT MSDS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE USE.
First, you will need the following items:
* A mustard/bbq sauce squeeze bottle from Wal Mart. A clear bottle works better for me, but a colored bottle will work fine.
* About five feet of black ABS plastic pipe from Lowes. (I had on hand some 1 1/2" pipe so that is what I used)
* A can of MEK, otherwise known as Methyl Ethyl Ketone. This is also an item easily found at Lowes or any other paint store.
First, I cut the pipe into pieces as small as possible on my band saw. The smaller the pieces the better as the solvent will disolve them faster........ (I had cut the pipe lengthwise about 2" at a time in a pattern like you were cutting a pie or cake. Then I came back and cut the pipe across the diameter to create pieces as close to 1/4" as I could. You could also use a rasp to grind the pipe ito shavings, and this would be even better)
Take your chunks of plastic and put them into the bottle. Fill it as full as you can, and then pour the MEK into the bottle until it is about 1/2 to 3/4 full of liquid. Place the squeeze nozzle lid back onto the bottle and place a cap onto the spout (I used a yellow wire nut for this). Shake the bottle and then let is set.
After about an hour, take the lid off and stir the mixture with whatever you have available. As the plastic breaks down, you will need to add both plastic and MEK and stir the materials to keep the process working. The desired result is a fairly thick slurry with a texture similar to a thick jelly. The process will take probably 24 - 48 hours to completely break down the plastic; this depends entirely on the size of plastic chunks you use. Once the material is thoroughly liquified (no chunks left in the bottle), you are ready for repair!
I found that if you will take a paint brush and very lightly wet (prime) the surfaces to be repaired with MEK, it will greatly improve the fusion of the repair material to the parts. Simply squeeze the material into and around any cracks or stripped screw holes and if possible, then clamp the piece(s) until the material cures. You will need to experiment to determine how much to use, but if placed too thick, it will take several days to cure out (trust me on this). It is best used in thin layers to build up a large repair (very similar to bondo). In between coats, brush a little MEK onto the area just before placing more material. Again, this will help with adhesion and bonding.
Once cured, the material can be filed and/or sanded as necessary. It can also be drilled and tapped if done carefully. If the part re-cracks, first wet the cracked area with MEK and then try building up the area around the back of the screw hole to reinforce it.
PS: You may substitute any source of ABS plastic you wish, another good source would be plastic model car kits, etc....
[This message has been edited by timcha (edited 02-21-2010).]
