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Date:         Wed, 7 Feb 2007 10:08:05 -0600
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      Comments on plastic repair system/cup holder repair
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

For those of you who have tried to used epoxy to repair broken plastic items, you've probably been underwhelmed at the results, especially when gluing together chipped and broken pieces (bonding one flat surface to another usually works fine, it's the pieces that crack through and need repair that seldom hold).

Yesterday, a four-legged passenger jumped into a front seat and damaged an open cup holder. As much as the OEM holders cost, I thought I'd pick up some epoxy and give it a try, but I didn't expect much as I had not had good success in the past when the pivots broke off of the lower part of the holder.

One of my FLAPS had something called NAPA Plastic Welding Systems. Don't use it in a room you're going to be breathing in! It REAALY stinks. It is a 2-part epoxy, of course, and it dries a milky white, so I used as little as possible on the black cup holder.

In a couple of hours came the moment of truth... would the repair withstand being forced over the protruding hinge pins? It did. I put a little silicon lube in the joints and on the metal spring plates, and the original "snap" came back the holder, all ready to go back in today.

For stuff like repairing heater vent covers and broken off heater valve cover pins, where strength is required but not much bonding surface is available, it looks to be the stuff.

Jim


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