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Cracked Box

S

Squardy

Just got it firing!
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
20
Location
Newcastle
This is round 2 for the repair to my top box, Norge.
The first time I took it to a plastic repairer and it was welded and was fine, for a while. Now here we go again round 2, same cracks have opened up. When I looked a bit closer I found that one of the rubber mounts that the box sits on at the back of the rack was missing and that allows the box to twist sideways a little, this must be causing the problem, I think? I am trying to get a replacement rubber support but it is not happening down here in Oz. Even the parts list at GT doesn't include the Top Box or Mounts being listed.

The problem however is the box, even with a new rubber I still have a cracked box, nothing worse, so has anyone got any advise on how to fix my busted box? I have been reading all the web sites on repairing plastic and I get a mixed response either weld or glue, the plastic is PC+ABS can anyone give me some advise that will actually work?
 
I would think you can repair the box. I assume that by PC+ABs you mean that the box is an alloy of polycarb and ABS? If so, it should be bondable with epoxies. Thermoplasics can be tricky, so first I would determine if that is true with a simple, easy test. Take a toothpick and with a drop of super glue, bond the toothpick to the inside of the box. If you must break the toothpick to remove it, you have a bondable surface. Scrape off the remainder and proceed.
Obtain gloves, brushes, a small amount of a low viscosity epoxy resin and hardener and a roll of pre-cut fiberglas cloth 25 to 50mm wide and no thicker than .25mm. 7781 cloth is this dimension but half as thick will be fine. This fiberglas is mfg in rolls for jobs like this and commomly refered to as "fiberglas tape" in the trade. The epoxy should have a work life of about one hour. The local boat shop should have all these items at a reasonable cost.

Cover the cracks on the exterior surface with painters tape or blue polyester flashbreaker tape to seal the crack. I would not drill a stop-crack hole.
Clean the interior surface near the cracks with alcohol or petrol solvent, don't use a hot solvent like MEK or acetone as this will attack the plastic.
I see no need to sand or further prepare the surface.
Mix well a small amount of the resin and hardener and apply a light coat with a paint brush over and around the crack, a little wider than the glass tape. Cut a length of glass tape somewhat longer than the crack and gently pat the tape into the resin, covering the entire crack with excess on the ends. Now put another coat of resin over the tape, working the air out with the brush. Continue until the tape is saturated and air free.
Go on and treat all the cracks in the same manner. One ply of glass should be enough unless your cracks are starting at a fastener hole, in that case you might want to cut a few "washers" of tape and laminate these around the hole. Allow the repair to cure over night and remove the painters tape from the exterior surface. You should be good to go. I have repaired parts on military aircraft exactly in this manner.

It is important that you determine why your box is cracking. The missing rubber bumper sounds likely if it is imparting an asymetrical load into the box.
 
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