Mending Plastic

[tigerfire]

I am trying to make a long worm longer by glueing additional sections together. I am not have much success with super glue. I can melt the two pieces together, but then the edges lose their shape.

Just wondering what you guys use to attach appendages or additional sections of plastics together.

[nova]

I am trying to make a long worm longer by glueing additional sections together. I am not have much success with super glue. I can melt the two pieces together, but then the edges lose their shape.

Just wondering what you guys use to attach appendages or additional sections of plastics together.

Try a zip knife (thin blade), heat it with a micro torch till it starts to turn red. Then with the two pieces touching each other where you want them to join; pass the hot knife between them quickly. The plastic will melt on both pieces and join together once the knife passes through.

If you move too slowly the plastic will melt too much and make ridges that you will have to deal with. I suggest that you practice on an old worm before you try for the finished parts you want to use.

www.novalures.com

[bass01]

I am trying to make a long worm longer by glueing additional sections together. I am not have much success with super glue. I can melt the two pieces together, but then the edges lose their shape.

Just wondering what you guys use to attach appendages or additional sections of plastics together.

i use the soft bait glue with alot more sucess then super glue. bass01

[smallmouthaholic]

This product is terrific for repairing swimbaits and worms

http://www.menditglue.com/

[Jig Man]

I use a Power Zap from Bass Pro.

[mark poulson]

This product is terrific for repairing swimbaits and worms

http://www.menditglue.com/

+1

It's made by Will Hesch, a fisherman and a stand up guy. It actually dissolves the plastic and reforms it. It's actually a mix of plastic and solvent, not a glue. I'me sue there is some other "secret ingredient", but I don't know what it is.

It takes a minute or so for the solvent (acetone) to flash off and for the plastic to actually set, but it reforms plastics like new, if you line them up right.

And it does not leave hard spots, like crazy glue.

If you do it right, you can't find the mended place, and the repair will pass the pull apart test.

[smallmouthaholic]

+1

It's made by Will Hesch, a fisherman and a stand up guy. It actually dissolves the plastic and reforms it. It's actually a mix of plastic and solvent, not a glue. I'me sue there is some other "secret ingredient", but I don't know what it is.

It takes a minute or so for the solvent (acetone) to flash off and for the plastic to actually set, but it reforms plastics like new, if you line them up right.

And it does not leave hard spots, like crazy glue.

If you do it right, you can't find the mended place, and the repair will pass the pull apart test.

I been selling and using his Mend-it for 2 years now. Great guy and good stuff for sure. I believe the solvent involved is Methyl Ethyl Ketone--M.E.K. That's what they tell you to add to the bottle if it gets thick over time.

[Piscivorous Pike]

Since this thread started I began researching the topic, it has been asked before and there are several good answers and methods come to light in TU over the years. I think I found a new one! Most glues are one type of super glue or another (ethyl cyanoacetate). Many formulations for stronger bond, longer work time etc. Whatever they claim. Two repair formulas marketed strike my attention, one is a cyanoacetate special formula for soft plastics and the other is liquid solvent/welder.

Mendit, one of them, appears to be different from others as it cold welds by the use of a plastic solvent. That is said to be acetone or MEK, depends who you ask, my guess is MEK. I had a problem with using it due to very cold weather, below freezing. The pike were chewing me up and the Mendit was pretty solid in the bottle and that bottle does not work since thawing out. The volitile solvent must have been driven off.

I reverted back to my Wheller battery operated soldering iron. Most home improvement sites and brick and motar store have it for about $15. Cheaper than the worm welder and you can solder with it too -lol

Recently I found that Loctite has a plastic glue kit of super glue and an "activator". The activator is a volitaile solvent mostly made of Heptane. The "Ah Ha!" factor then kicked in.

Most of these special glues are very expensive. There is a way to do this cheaper. Walmart sells their brand of aerosol carburator cleaner and it contains a high degree of Toluene, also known as methylbenzene, or Toluol. Loctite (Home Depot has a good selection) has a larger bottle of what they call professional stronger hold super glue, they also have formula 414, these might be the same formula but different packaging and those are supr hold glues.

You can use the plastic repair pack already made up, it is one of those 20 cent tubes of super glue and a swab of heptane activator for $4, it is expensive for the amount of fixit it contains. Or you can use a few drops of the very cheap carb cleaner and the super professional glue!! The carb cleaner swabbed onto the damage does a fine job of degreasing the plastic, disolves the surface of the plastic some and most of the very good super glues will bond it with a small amount applied there and you will not have a crusty patch. This is at least as good and better than some of the made for applications available to repair soft plastics. After several experiments, testing the hold, repair and residue my conclusion is:

for a few cents I am using the carb cleaner and the profesional hold super glue and for major surgery, my Wheller.

I carry the carb cleaner in my truck and boat anyway for its use as a readily availabale solvent and I carry the super glue along with the bailing wire and duct tape because you never know...