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Repairing plastic Grilles how, what to use? #227911
02/17/09 05:33 PM
02/17/09 05:33 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,138
Albuquerque, New Mexico
M
moparmatt Offline OP
super stock
moparmatt  Offline OP
super stock
M

Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,138
Albuquerque, New Mexico
I have two 340 duster sharktooth grills both need lots of help might have to cannibalize to make one. What are the best glues, materials to fabricate missing pieces? Thanks Matt

Re: Repairing plastic Grilles how, what to use? [Re: moparmatt] #227912
02/17/09 05:49 PM
02/17/09 05:49 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 42,714
Spokane Washington
ScottSmith_Harms Offline
Mr Wizzard
ScottSmith_Harms  Offline
Mr Wizzard

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 42,714
Spokane Washington
This is not how I repair grilles but it's a good DIY method I've used.

Start with 100% pure Acetone, buy a gallon. MEK will work as well but IMO Acetone works fine and is safer to handle, either way wear gloves, either chemical can cause cancer and is easily absorbed through your skin.

Pour an ounce or so into a glass jar (small open mouth jar). Take a scrap grill and using something sharp, scrape off peelings (like pencil shavings size) into the jar of acetone. Put allot of shavings in, the acetone will gradually melt the plastic into a goo. Add enough plastic until the goo reaches toothpaste consistency. Once you have a good batch melted put the lid on the jar tightly and set it aside. Now, prep your grill as normal, V out cracks on both sides, etc. Use clamps near the joint to align the two sides flush and parallel. Smear on some plastic goo, leave it crowned up over the crack like a regular weld looks, let it cure overnight or longer until completely dry and hard. For the strongest welds do not sand the backside or in hidden areas, the added plastic makes the repair much stronger. Sand visible surfaces to flush the next day, or wait a couple days, as before just be sure the material has hardedend completely. Fill any pinholes with Bondo or JB Weld. The crack will practically disappear at this point, paint as normal.

You'll likely find that labor and experience are your biggest "expenses" and that the amount of time you invest will show in the results.

Re: Repairing plastic Grilles how, what to use? [Re: moparmatt] #227913
02/17/09 05:57 PM
02/17/09 05:57 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,001
Coram, NY
Pool Fixer Offline
master
Pool Fixer  Offline
master

Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,001
Coram, NY
I was recommended by a body shop man to use 3m 8115 panel bonding adhesive. It's used as a substitute for welding quarter panels I think. anyway, I bought it and it works very well. very strong and very sandable and you can get it smooth enough to paint right over. I used it on my 68 grill and even on the little thin fins, it is very strong.

It's two part so you have to plan ahead and mix it up. they sell a special gun for it but I just "customized" an old hilti two part epoxy gun I had laying around. you could also just use two deep sockets to push out the two mixes and then use a bondo spreader to make up the concoction.

Re: Repairing plastic Grilles how, what to use? [Re: Pool Fixer] #227914
02/17/09 05:59 PM
02/17/09 05:59 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 42,714
Spokane Washington
ScottSmith_Harms Offline
Mr Wizzard
ScottSmith_Harms  Offline
Mr Wizzard

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 42,714
Spokane Washington
Regardless of what material you use to do crack repair you'll usually find that fixing the crack is the easiest part of the job.







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