plastic repair using Plastex

[soundcontrol]

Old thread but, @Dakota , I found a Plastex set that I had for a few years, probably bought it at SEMA. Was gonna try it out for the first time, my Cuda grille is broken in a million places. Now, have you tried it on the material thats in the door panels? On their website they have another product for "oily plastics", maybe the door panels are considered that? Have a cracked door panel also, and tons of other broken plastic things.

https://www.plastex.net/

[Dakota]

@soundcontrol I've used it to repair the plastic trim that runs under the dash and also rebuilt the spot on the heater control where the cable connects.  Both of these are things I would consider "rigid plastic".   It worked great for both.    If "oily" means softer/flexible plastic (like a door panel) then I'd say no I haven't used it in that kind of application.   This stuff dries pretty hard so I'd have my doubts if it would work there.

As long as you can paint where you use it to repair the broken grille pieces, you'll be good to go with this stuff there. 

[soundcontrol]

@soundcontrol I've used it to repair the plastic trim that runs under the dash and also rebuilt the spot on the heater control where the cable connects.  Both of these are things I would consider "rigid plastic".   It worked great for both.    If "oily" means softer/flexible plastic (like a door panel) then I'd say no I haven't used it in that kind of application.   This stuff dries pretty hard so I'd have my doubts if it would work there.

As long as you can paint where you use it to repair the broken grille pieces, you'll be good to go with this stuff there.

Thanks. I feel the same about the door panels. Loctite has a new plastic glue that supposed to work on that type of plastic, gonna buy some and test it. Gonna try Plastex on the Cuda grille tomorrow, it's very broken, dosen't have to be super nice, just so it stays in one piece

[usraptor]

Soundcontrol, on long pieces, IE the grille or pieces that may be subjected to flexing, I strongly recommend reinforcing the back side with either fiberglass tape or like I did on my grille I applied drywall tape over the crack and then applied a few layers of two part epoxy glue spread over the tape.  Otherwise you risk the crack opening back up or re-cracking, especially on 50 year old brittle plastic.

[soundcontrol]

Tested Plastex on the door panel today, just a few drops on the back to see if it sticks, nope, I can peel it off with my finger nail
after it dries. Also tested Loctites glue that work on rubber, nope, no go there either.

[usraptor]

Soundcontrol, did you grind a small V channel in the crack first before adding the Plastiex? If you just apply it on a flat piece it won't adhere.

[soundcontrol]

Soundcontrol, did you grind a small V channel in the crack first before adding the Plastiex? If you just apply it on a flat piece it won't adhere.

Hmm, no I didn't. Just wanted to test if it would stick to that type of plastic. Would there be a difference if I did?
I did it on the back side of a kick panel. I figured if I grinded the crack in the door panel, it would be hard to use another type of glue there,
if Plastex didn't work. I do have a set of badly cracked panels for my Challenger, I'll give it a real try there.
My Barracuda Gran Coupé panels are perfect except for thet one 4" crack on the driver door panel, I need to know that it works before I try it on those.

[usraptor]

Grinding the crack does two things, first it opens up the "pores" so to speak of the plastic and gives it a fresh surface to adhere too, secondly it also provides more surface area for the plastex to adhere to.  Make sure you follow the directions about putting the powder in the crack first then added the catalyst.  Depending on how deep/wide the crack is, it make take more than one application to fill/bond the crack.  You don't want to have too much plastex powder in the crack otherwise the catalyst wont' completely penetrate and activate it.