Repairs to poly/fiberglass hopper

[Paul004]

Hi All,

Just bought a brand new Kubota pendulum spreader and in unloading it have managed a couple of small cracks in the hopper.

The cracks were approx 2 to 3 inches long along the top of the hopper.

The hopper is made of a polyethylene/fiberglass material and i was seeking some advice on repairs. I have seen videos online which suggest buying a repair kid, sanding, cleaning and applying layers of sheeting.

Will this ensure the integrity of the hopper?
What is the best way to repair the hopper.


Thanks in advance.

Paul from the East Coast of Australia!

 

[/pine]

Hi All,

Just bought a brand new Kubota pendulum spreader and in unloading it have managed a couple of small cracks in the hopper.

The cracks were approx 2 to 3 inches long along the top of the hopper.

The hopper is made of a polyethylene/fiberglass material and i was seeking some advice on repairs. I have seen videos online which suggest buying a repair kid, sanding, cleaning and applying layers of sheeting.

Will this ensure the integrity of the hopper?
What is the best way to repair the hopper.


Thanks in advance.

Paul from the East Coast of Australia!

never heard of a polyethylene/fiberglass material...it's either one or the other...fiberglass is usually bonded with either epoxy or polyester...polyethylene is more plastic...

 

[Big Barn]

I had a 6”crack (broken right through) at the top of my 2200 pound Vicon spreader. I made a mechanical (patch) repair with 16 gauge stainless sheet and SS 1/4x20 bolts.

 

[dstig1]

You might be describing this inaccurately. It could be glass reinforced PE, or it could be a composite commonly called fiberglass which is typically a polyester or epoxy matrix around a fiberglass mat. Can you link to the description of the item? That may help me determine what you are looking at. Photos always help too.

 

[Paul004]

Hi everyone thanks your reply. I've read the materials re the spreder and this is what it says:

"Glass fibre re-enforce fibreglass or Polyethylene hopper".

Any ideas?

 

[/pine]

Hi everyone thanks your reply. I've read the materials re the spreder and this is what it says:

"Glass fibre re-enforce fibreglass or Polyethylene hopper".

Any ideas?

The key word is "or"...can you see any fibers in the cracks? quality detail pictures would help a lot...
If it is actually fiberglass it can be fixed to make it look like it was never damaged...if its polyethylene it will require something different like plastic welding or a mechanical patch etc...

 

[HCJtractor]

I would clean it well with a solvent like alcohol, use an epoxy. West System makes the best epoxies. One called G-Flex is made for repairs like this,as it is hard and strong but retains some flexibility. It is pretty expensive. I used it to repair a large crank in a plastic fuel tank. A cheaper epoxy would probably work also. I would place one layer of epoxy, laminate a piece of fiberglass cloth, and add another layer or two. Some say to gently flame the area with a torch before applying epoxy to enhance adhesion. Should be as good as new.

 

[ray66v]

As stated, it's probably not polypropylene with glass fibers. If it is, I haven't seen them do that yet.

It is likely either polypropylene, or some type of fiberglass reinforced molded plastic.

Polypropylene is commonly black, fairly thin, and though it can be stiff, it is still flexible enough to be able to bend it some.

Reinforced plastics are rigid, and do not flex.

We have expensive epoxies for doing these repairs in the body shop, but they are not practical for average people to use economically.

The easiest way for an average person to fix either type of plastic, is to go to an auto parts store, and pick up a fuel tank repair kit. it will contain epoxy and some fiberglass cloth.

If it's poly, you need to rough up the area with some coarse sandpaper, and pass a propane torch over the area a few times, to burn off the oils in the plastic, for good adhesion. You are not heating it up. Just run the flame over it.

Then, trim the cloth to fit your repair area, with some overlap, and mix the epoxy. Apply a coat of the glue, with an acid brush, (usually provided), and set the cloth in it. Coat the top of the cloth with the remaining glue.

If it's reinforced plastic, rough up the surface, but, you can skip the torch. If it's thicker than 1/8", "V" out the crack, apply the glue, and embed the cloth.

You may need more than one kit. But, a kit usually does a decent size repair. You may, or may not have to do both sides.

These work great on fuel tanks too.

If you clean it well, and prep it properly, it will hold.

 

[Lelandwelds]

Pretty much nothing sticks well to polyethylene. There are a bunch of minor variations to PE. Some of the special glues stick ok to some. Go to a R. S. Hughes or Hisco for a recomendation.

Fiberglass is easy to patch. Add a UV stable finish or a dark veil to the exterior.

 

[ray66v]

Pretty much nothing sticks well to polyethylene. There are a bunch of minor variations to PE. Some of the special glues stick

I fix polypropylene plastics on a regular basis. I have multiple certifications for repairing it in the body shop.

The problem is, the oil they put in it to keep it from sticking to the molds.

If you pass a torch over it before you apply the epoxy, that will burn it off.

Painting it even more difficult, than repairing it.