How to series by Jim Leininger

How to repair plastic panels

Plastic panels can be rebuilt, even when shattered into several pieces. The attached photos show a good way to accomplish this repair. I've used this method to put together parts as big as the hood of a snowmobile!

Photo 1:
Position as many parts as you have, on the bike. Put them together with duct tape, lapping over the edges onto good surface. Use MANY, MANY layers of duct tape (a whole roll is cheaper than the part!). Very large parts can be stiffened with strips of poster board, between the layers of tape. Use the tape to form the part back to it's original shape. Cut the edges loose with a razor blade or knife, and remove the part.

Photo 2:
Cover the back of the part with 1 or 2 layers of 24 oz. fiberglass cloth and epoxy glue. Do NOT use polyester (fiberglas) resin. It shrinks as it cures and will pull your part out of place. Remember, more layers can be added, after the epoxy starts to cure, as long as it still feels tacky. Don't worry about leak through, the duct tape will hold it flat, and the glue cleans up with lacquer thinner and sandpaper.

Photo 3:
Carefully remove the duct tape, using lacquer thinner to soften the glue if necessary. Fill cracks and holes on the finish side, then paint to your satisfaction. A nice method to hide filled cracks is shown. I used our national colors, fanned out sufficiently to "hide" the damage repair. The emblem is a personal reminder of lost brothers, and my unit in Vietnam. It plugs a hole punched through an otherwise undamage area. You can use stickers, decals, etc. to hide small holes that won't fill well.

 

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Copyright Jim Leininger.
Last revised: April 25, 2001.