Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2011 10:13:31 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Bad plastic(s)
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I'll second that about WEST System epoxy..
I get mine from West Marine .
about fillers ..
here's the best I've ever found (microballons are nice ) ..but for sheer
strenth ...
I mix in teak sawdust.
You can mix in enough to make any consitency you want.
you could make a very 'doghey' blob stick to a wall if you wanted ..
That mixture is so strong ..
westy system epoxy with teak sawdust in it ..
that I repair dings in concrete floors with it.
Sometimes I use it to fill in big holes where body cancer rust was in car
bodies.
it's expensive ..
but the strongest stuff you ever imagined when used right.
Teak sawdust is an odd thing to find ..
usually from wood shops where boat work is done.
I suppose oak sawdust would work nicely too...
as wood goes though ...teak is kinda 'king' in terms of durability.
There's iron wood too. Don't find much of that around though.
But mix something durable into west system epoxy ..
I call it 'thermonuclear concrete' it can be so touch and durable, like
nothing will ever deteriorate it.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 9:20 AM
Subject: Re: Bad plastic(s)
> On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 2:50 AM, Mark L. Hineline
> <hineline@ocotillofield.net
>> wrote:
>
>> There is an awful lot of plastic in a Vanagon, and an awful lot of it
>> is not much good after 30 years. Is there any kind of general fix for
>> the parts that screw together, like the steering column cover? Some
>> sort of epoxy - drill - tap trick?
>>
>> Mary
>> '82 Westy
>>
>
> You *can* fix the plastic parts with epoxy. It takes some skills that
> must be learned and it takes good epoxy with some varied additives. As
> everyone said in the other posts, you are probably better off just finding
> replacement parts..It is a bit tedious to do a functional repair, but I
> sometimes do it anyhow.
> I have no luck with cheap 5-minute epoxys that are found in chain
> stores...Worthless stuff, IMHO.
>
> but the general process goes like this...
>
> First you need to rough up the area you want any epoxy to bond to.
> Dremel
> tool or fussy hand work with a file or sandpaper. I use WEST System epoxy
> for any repair I want to actually work...there are other good epoxys out
> there, but I am familiar with the WEST System stuff and have it around my
> boat shop/workshop.
>
> There are various additives that modify the characteristics of
> epoxy...micro balloons, micro fibers, cabosil, mill fibers,
> carbon/graphite
> powder, etc etc. There are online sources of information on how to use
> this
> stuff.
>
> Your general task will be to form up, in epoxy, whatever is needed to
> allow you to insert the mechanical fastener into the repair and to leave
> it
> in there while the epoxy hardens...and then be able to get the fastener
> loose after it has hardened. (and not make a big mess while doing this)
>
> I use waxed paper or saran wrap to contain the "blob" of epoxy that will
> accept the screw-bolt-or clip. I put some car wax or other slimy
> substance
> onto the screw/bolt..whatever and insert that into the un-cured epoxy mix.
> Let it harden and then back out the screw...Clean up the new "casting"
> again
> with your dremel or whatever...and you now have your repair. The
> microballoons are a pretty close match to the brown plastic in my 84
> van...
> I did all the corners of my map pocket a few years ago and it is still on
> the door just fine. My dash pod is in need...but for now I am using
> washers
> there.
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