Most of us have been repairing and fixing things all by ourselves for years. We just use our tools and some hard work and have a finished product that we are proud of. However, trying to repair broken or chipped plastic is another story. These simple methods for doing just that will change the way you see broken or damaged plastic forever. You'll be stunned by how well it turns out!
The Best Methods For Repairing Broken Plastic Are:
Hot Water, Cold water
Heat up water on stove or in microwave until it’s just below a boil, prepare bowl of cold water. Place plastic in water to warm it. Take item out of hot water bath periodically, test it’s malleability. It will become soft enough to straighten with your fingers. Once you have it in shape you want, put plastic in cold water to cool.Plastic Welding with Heat
If you have two separate pieces of plastic that need to be joined or if you have a crack, you’ll need to do some plastic welding. The basic idea is to apply heat to edges being joined in order to melt plastic until it is liquid enough to blend edges together. Additional plastic can be melted into groove to create a stronger bond, this won’t always be necessary.
Plastic Welding with Friction
A small bit of plastic is spun at a high RPM, pressed against intended joint between two separate plastic pieces. The friction melts plastic of two pieces being joined, as well as plastic that is spinning, which creates sturdy bond.Plastic Patches
If you have a large enough hole, you’ll need to create plastic patch for it. The answer to this particular problem seems to have been best addressed by kayakers. Using heat source, soften edges of hole, section of plastic you’ll be using as patch ,place it to ensure hole is completely covered. This get’s pretty hot, you’ll need gloves. Once, patch is in place, use hot metal spoon, trowel to smooth out edges.Acetone for ABS Plastic
Acetone is a solvent that’s pretty effective at melting ABS plastics.. A concoction of acetone and ABS known as ABS slurry can be used as a glue or as a filler for smoothing grooves or filling in gaps.Glue
For plastics it’s best to use super glue.
Wow!
As you can see there are many ways you can repair damaged plastic. You can get it hot in some warm water to make it bendable and then shape it the way you want and cool it down. You can try welding with heat or with friction. You can make a patch for the plastic to repair it or you can use acetone to help you melt the plastic and fill in any cracks. Finally, you can always just try some super glue. If you have broken plastic items, these methods will help you save it so that you can use it again.
For more information about repairing damaged plastic, you can visit:
