11 replies to this topic

[buxvan]

hello all fellow rusting mini owners !

my indicator / windscreen/ high beam switch has cracked (where it fits round the steering column)
can anyone recommend a glue which will actually work to repair it ?

it has cracked 180 degrees from where the open end part with the screw to pull it together is.(nice clean crack)

i have tried superglue (locktite & not useless £1 poundshop pretend superglue) but had no joy. i know that locktite is brilliant on gluing things like rubber screen surround etc.

thanks.

ps, my wife is going mad at me as i write this as i just sprayed a part & left it on a bungey strap to dry in the toilet & the smell is escaping in the house (paint smell !)

[Cunnymonster]

maybe plastic glue? like the ones you get with model making?

http://www.modelzone...ional-glue.html

I cant say it will work but brilliant stuff when making plastic models lol

Try glueing it and tap it up tight and leave to dry.

[leroy26]

copydex

[AndyR]

Hi

If you can get hold of it

3M PR1500, cured off with 3M activator

If applied correctly and enough is used is very very strong stuff, i use it at work daily on all types of plastics and its unbeatable

Andy

[dklawson]

I'm not familiar with the later type turn signal switches so take my suggestion with a grain of salt. I trust the recommendations above for good glues to try. However, if there is room under the steering column cowl, could you also apply a layer of fiberglass cloth and resin to the part? A band of that around the broken parts should reinforce the repair so it will last longer than relying on the glue alone under tensile loading.

[AdamBilsy]

I repaired mine using a 2 part epoxy, like alraldite. worked quite well.

[buxvan]

i tried J B weld which is a 2 part epoxy but no joy.

[dklawson]

JB Weld is indeed an epoxy and not really suited for plastics. Few glues are good on plastics unless you are talking about something like styrene that works well with model cement. That is why I suggested layering the repair with something like fiberglass cloth and its polyester filler/resin. A lot of times the polyester resin will bond well to plastics particularly when well cleaned and mechanically abraded.

[dklawson]

Actually, that was what I was counting on. Not the smoke, but the heating up and chemical reaction. If that bothers people, then you could certainly replace the polyester resin with epoxy and hope for the best.

[charliedurrant]

If I'm honest I don't think you will get it to glue. I've tried superglue with activator, araldite (2 part epoxy, rapid and slow dry), air fix modelling glue and none ever seem to glue plastics very well. A very negative response but if you do find something I am extremely interested to know. I have always found the glues form a bond that is too brittle and has no flex and thus crack when under strain. Copydex is very good at making skin tight gloves though that are fun to peel off.

I think Dougs suggestion is your best bet. and I haven't used the stuff Andy has suggested (if it is different from Cyanoacrylate based glues (superglue))

Here's some other info from another forum

http://www.subaruout...eat-switch.html

Charlie

Edited by charliedurrant, 07 January 2012 - 06:03 PM.

[buxvan]

ok Doug, i'll get the fibreglass (fiberglass to you !) matting & resin out tomorrow & try that. thanks for everyones replies.

[dklawson]

Per Dilligaf's warning... you may want to first try a small swatch of the fiberglass and resin on an out of the way, non-critical part of the switch housing. That will let you determine (fairly quickly) if the polyester and fiberglass will be OK with the plastic. If there is a bad reaction on that small area, don't use the polyester... try some other glue like epoxy but you may have to greatly roughen the surface of the plastic to give the surface a "tooth" the glue can lock into.