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Plastic Repair
- Thread starter Wingnut
- Start date
- Views: 2613
Scott_in_WVA
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2002
- Messages
- 414
I buy this at the hardware store,I do not know if it would be of help...but it is good stuff.<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.jbweld.co.uk/>http://www.jbweld.co.uk/</A>
would you be better served to get a new plastic tank maybe?
There is an outfit near me that is a distributor of plastic tanks and plastic valves/fittings etc...they are pretty big and that is all they deal in.
would you be better served to get a new plastic tank maybe?
There is an outfit near me that is a distributor of plastic tanks and plastic valves/fittings etc...they are pretty big and that is all they deal in.
BOOMERANG
Member
Wingnut,
As a follow on to Scott's comments, I use JBWELD to fix just about everything from plastic to metal. I was skeptical at first when I saw a neighbor fix a cracked head on his boat motor with it. I thought it would never hold but it did. I even filled in a dime sized hole in the oil pan of my El Camino and it hasn't leaked since! You should try it !
As a follow on to Scott's comments, I use JBWELD to fix just about everything from plastic to metal. I was skeptical at first when I saw a neighbor fix a cracked head on his boat motor with it. I thought it would never hold but it did. I even filled in a dime sized hole in the oil pan of my El Camino and it hasn't leaked since! You should try it !
Wil
Bronze Member
I've used JB Weld on automobile radiators ( not sure what pressure they develop) and plastic parts both, it has never failed me.
Scott_in_WVA
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2002
- Messages
- 414
It is definately tough stuff and very handy to have around the home.
bellweather
Platinum Member
Don't know what your tank looks like, but repairs to any plastic container that gets pressurized are difficult, especially if you dont have access to the inside. You might try contacting the manufacturer directly and see if they will sell you a replacement part...assuming it is possible to disassemble the unit.
OK ... OK .... I'll try it ... I'll try it!
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I have used JB Weld on gas tanks and it has performed flawlessly .... I'll try it first and, if that doesn't work, we'll go with the Goop. If THAT doesn't work ... I will finally try my hand at plastic welding (since I'll have nothing to lose, right?) .... and then final resort is to contact good ole Black and Decker and see whether they still sell this sprayer (it's 2 years old and has 2-3 hours of use on it). Knowing what their spares cost ... that'll be the last choice.
I don't think I can get my big hands into the tank to spread JB Weld or Goop .... but my wife's petite hands should fit handily ... make her feel useful too. I really don't want to try and pour anything down there as it'll get into the intake and clog it ... and then it is replacement time.
This was one of those "hey, neat" purchases .... when B&D was going nuts with their Versa stuff. But it does work real well. All it really does is the same as the pump-type sprayers ... except that it "pumps itself".
There's been so much interest oin this thread (I was hoping I'd get one or two responses .... you guys got WAY too much time on your hands /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif), I'll post a pic when I have a few free minutes (at home, instead of here at work).
Thanks again, all!
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I have used JB Weld on gas tanks and it has performed flawlessly .... I'll try it first and, if that doesn't work, we'll go with the Goop. If THAT doesn't work ... I will finally try my hand at plastic welding (since I'll have nothing to lose, right?) .... and then final resort is to contact good ole Black and Decker and see whether they still sell this sprayer (it's 2 years old and has 2-3 hours of use on it). Knowing what their spares cost ... that'll be the last choice.
I don't think I can get my big hands into the tank to spread JB Weld or Goop .... but my wife's petite hands should fit handily ... make her feel useful too. I really don't want to try and pour anything down there as it'll get into the intake and clog it ... and then it is replacement time.
This was one of those "hey, neat" purchases .... when B&D was going nuts with their Versa stuff. But it does work real well. All it really does is the same as the pump-type sprayers ... except that it "pumps itself".
There's been so much interest oin this thread (I was hoping I'd get one or two responses .... you guys got WAY too much time on your hands /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif), I'll post a pic when I have a few free minutes (at home, instead of here at work).
Thanks again, all!
patrickg
Veteran Member
Wingnut, some plastics can be welded and some just don't work too good, breaking down from even the lowest heat required to weld. I have had some amazing successes welding plastic and some dismal failures too.
I didn't get a clear idea of the shape of the damaged area but am assuming there is no missing material just a small crack or puncture. I have had success pulling a little vacuum on a plastic container and getting repair material to be sucked up through the crack. You don't have to reach inside with your hand or a tool. You can even enlarge the crack with a gently applied wedge or drilled hole(s) to permit sucking in thicker materials.
Sometimes it is good to drill a "crack stopper" hole at each end of a crack to reduce the stress concentrating effect of the sharp radius of curvature of the sharp "end" of the crack. These holes will be filled with repair material anyway and help the situtation not weaken it.
You can suck in enough repair material to cover the entire area around the leak (plus a little extra) then put, (dare I say it?), duct tape over the repair area on the outside, then while positioning the vessel such that the leak is the lowest point, relieve the vacuum and add enough pressure to force some of the repair material back out through the leak forming a slight buldge under the duct tape. If you use a two part (catalyzed) repair material just put down the tank with the patch at lowest point and wait for a good cure. If you use something like GE Silicone Seal leave the lid off the tank to admit atmospheric moisture (required for curring RTV-Silicone Seal that emits acedic acid (smells like vinegar) when curring. If you have real low relative humidity, wet a paper towl and place in the tank to provide a higher relative humidity (in this case you can put the lid on the tank).
The vacuum idea works pretty good but don't get too carried away and collapse the container. Brake bleeder vacuum pumps are one source of vacuum. A vacuum hose from a car intake manifold or carb is another. There are gizmos that are powered by a garden hose that are used to suck up water (venturi effect, see Bernoulli's principle) a flat piece of wood with a hole for a piece of tubing can be your temporary "lid" for doing the vacuum trick.
Best of luck to you,
Patrick
I didn't get a clear idea of the shape of the damaged area but am assuming there is no missing material just a small crack or puncture. I have had success pulling a little vacuum on a plastic container and getting repair material to be sucked up through the crack. You don't have to reach inside with your hand or a tool. You can even enlarge the crack with a gently applied wedge or drilled hole(s) to permit sucking in thicker materials.
Sometimes it is good to drill a "crack stopper" hole at each end of a crack to reduce the stress concentrating effect of the sharp radius of curvature of the sharp "end" of the crack. These holes will be filled with repair material anyway and help the situtation not weaken it.
You can suck in enough repair material to cover the entire area around the leak (plus a little extra) then put, (dare I say it?), duct tape over the repair area on the outside, then while positioning the vessel such that the leak is the lowest point, relieve the vacuum and add enough pressure to force some of the repair material back out through the leak forming a slight buldge under the duct tape. If you use a two part (catalyzed) repair material just put down the tank with the patch at lowest point and wait for a good cure. If you use something like GE Silicone Seal leave the lid off the tank to admit atmospheric moisture (required for curring RTV-Silicone Seal that emits acedic acid (smells like vinegar) when curring. If you have real low relative humidity, wet a paper towl and place in the tank to provide a higher relative humidity (in this case you can put the lid on the tank).
The vacuum idea works pretty good but don't get too carried away and collapse the container. Brake bleeder vacuum pumps are one source of vacuum. A vacuum hose from a car intake manifold or carb is another. There are gizmos that are powered by a garden hose that are used to suck up water (venturi effect, see Bernoulli's principle) a flat piece of wood with a hole for a piece of tubing can be your temporary "lid" for doing the vacuum trick.
Best of luck to you,
Patrick
Excellent tips, Patrick ... which reinforce what I have planned to do .... the crack looks like it is either a manufacturing flaw (weak point) or an impact crack .... might have got kicked / hit when the wifie was moving it around on one of her cleaning expeditions. Anyway, I was planning on a small hole at each end of the crack to stop it from spreading and then using pressure from inside to force the bonding material (jb weld first try) out. Vacuum will work as well (or better ... that way I can leave it open to work on it). The duct tape was also in my plans .... having ridden a motorcycle for 20 years and various ATV's even longer ... I don't leave home without it. Duct Tape and mechanics wire have replaced baling wire and chewing gum as the fix du jour!