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fuzz!
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
February 2005
working with plastics... Sun, 13 November 2005 14:20 Go to next message
i'm currently tearing apart an ra23 celica, and am hoping to get some feedback about working with the plastic elements of the bodywork.

like almost every car i've pulled apart, the plastic pieces on my car are totally f*cked - but considering it's age (coming up on 30 years young now), it's not as bad as it could be.

i'd really like to know if anyone has suggestions on prep work for paint. i want to fill in the holes where the lt/5speed badges were (see attachment), and generally prepare the surface to bond to a fresh coat of paint.
blasting is out of the question as the plastics would just disintegrate, but there must be some way of slightly roughing up the skin and removing old paint and other garbage so the surface binds to the new make-up.

also, the in-moulding threads aren't in the best shape, and in some pieces as many as 3 threads have been snapped off the plastic moulding. (again, see attachment) i'd like to know if anyone has advice on how to re-set the threads.

my only idea is to apply heat to the plastic surrounding the threads, so that the plastic moulding might melt onto the thread grips and hold strong enough to allow a nut to be tightened on the other side.

i tried using a heatgun, but as you can see it just started to warp the surrounding plastic - and i'm not sure what affect it had on the bond between thread and moulding.

right now i'm hoping to pull apart an old kettle i have, and use the heating element (modified with a handle) to heat up the metal threads and transfer heat through the metal and melt the surrounding plastic into shape.

this is the only idea i have had as to how to bond metal thread and plastic moulding. if anyone else has experience with fixing these parts of the bodywork, i would love to hear about it.


http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/2425/removedlt20005speedbadges0kh.jpg

http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/9634/screwzappedwithheatgun5si.jpg

http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/4868/emptyplasticslot9sh.jpg
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fuzz!
Newcomer


Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
February 2005
Re: working with plastics... Mon, 14 November 2005 06:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
okay, after a bit of searching i think i have enough info on bogging holes and preparing the surface for paint, but still no more on the application of heat to metal threads in plastic.

has noone tried to fix these before? i imagine that most cars in that age bracket will have a load of these snapped off little buggars around the place.

i will eventually go ahead and test this for myself, i'm just hesitant that the plastic will behave in a way that will loosen the grip on the thread, and that's the last thing i want.


bloody plastic.. so fragile i'm always afraid it'll fall apart in my hands..
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clubagreenie
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Re: working with plastics... Mon, 14 November 2005 07:10 Go to previous message
You can get these push in brass threded inserts for plastic/timber that are knurled on the outside for grip. Mullings fatener have them but I don't remember what they are called.

Get some trim of the same origin, melt with a small butane burner and use a soldering iron to finish. Then you can redrill if necessary.
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