What product or combination of products can I use to repair some plastic that is broken? I was thinking about using cyano-acrylates (crazy glue), but I seem to recall someone else having success using a solvent to actually melt the break back together.

Any help with this would be appreciated.

Kerry

Since I work in a boat shop, I have a huge supply of both West System (2-part) epoxy and fiberglass resin/hardner.

The fiberglass is awesome for reinforcing stuff with glass cloth to strengthen it. With the West System, I use bonding fibers and also glass cloth if necessary.

Both of them work nicely, but you have to have some clearance to actually put the stuff on there. If you're looking to glue 2 parts together, I haven't really had much luck doing that... it always seems to want to snap apart again, using cynoacrylate-type glue.

That's why I reinforce it. Excellent for the chronically chipping and cracking 240 plastic.

Take a look at:

http://www.autobodystore.com/plastic.htm

Methylene chloride dissolves certain of the Volvo plastics quicker'n greased lightning. It makes a marvelous "welding" agent for plastic. However, methylene chloride is highly, highly volatile, flammable, probably a carcinogen, might make you crazy 'n blind, causes your hair to fall out, makes you fat, causes aging, and increases your appetite for good beer.

I use it all the time, and it works great. Welds plastic, too.

Smells sorta like bad breath or maybe acetlyene.

It doesn't work on all plastics, but it's great for the 240 door pockets, center console plastic, stuff like that.

Hold the broken pieces together, apply a drop with a Q-tip, the stuff "wicks" in and dissolves and welds the two halves. You can reapply a small drop to both sides of the crack -- its penetrating power is better than my wife's into my wallet.

You must hold the two halves together for about a minute while the dissolved plastic starts to harden. Then reapply the second drop. Give it 24 hours for the solvent to evaporate. The seam will be about 50-75% as strong as original, and if you're careful the seam will be essentially invisible.

Do this all outside or in good ventilation.

Doesn't work on tail light lens plastic.

You can also try acetone, which is far less dangerous, but may be less effective.

If:

'methylene chloride is highly, highly volatile, flammable, probably a carcinogen, might make you crazy 'n blind, causes your hair to fall out, makes you fat, causes aging, and increases your appetite for good beer.',

I had better rush out and start using some of it for some major plastic overhaul so I can finally have an excuse

methylene chloride is highly, highly volatile, flammable, probably a carcinogen, might make you crazy 'n

blind, causes your hair to fall out, makes you fat, causes aging, and increases your appetite for good

beer.',

The factory that produces it was next door when I was growing up.

NO might about it.

Oh, the other thing -- it also makes you write crazy stuff and respond to weird people on strange chat boards about useless stuff and punish innocent bystanders with meaningless trivial wordfullness.

But the beer part is good.

"The factory that produces it was next door when I was growing up."

Now I understand, which is usually better than to stand under.

Model airplane glue melts plastic.

However I don't know if the plastic of interior trim panels is chemically the same (or similar at least) to the plastic of model airplanes.

Maybe a trip to the salvage yard, pick up a couple scrap interior trim pieces, and experiment with the glue?

Just remember, no sniffing.