Plastic questions

K

Ken B

Well-known member
Oct 9, 2002
16,833
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The project started as finally replacing my rear side windows with CR Lawrence ones that I have had for many years. We have an upcoming work rally in
a couple of week and I want to replace these there. We did my front side ones last year at the same work rally.

I have several projects that need to be done requiring the inner rear cap to be removed The cap will not go out of the coach through the new rear side
windows. So tonight I dropped the rear cap and found that it will go out and down the hall so the new windows are not an issue. Now I need to repair
multiple cracks, holes, etc in the cap while it is out. I repaired and painted my front cap many years ago. I reinforced and repaired the cracks and
holes using epoxy, fiber glass, and ground glass. It has held up for over 10 years.

The problem now is the Epoxy that I used is no longer available and I do not even know what type it was.

So here are my questions:

What is the inside rear cap made of?

What kind of glue can I use on it?

What kind of epoxy do I need to use on places where I intend to reinforce things using fiberglass and for making hard points?

Where do I buy this glue and epoxy?

Thanks

Ken B.

Tomorrow's job is installing new rear LED clearance lights that I have had new in the box for 10 years.

After that I plan to make hard points inside for the screws that hold my ladder.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
I have another question.

When I pulled the cap, the lower legs on the plastic cap were siliconed and pop riveted to the plastic behind it. Was this something GM did or was
this a PO invention. What a mess that was getting it apart.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
> **SNIP**
>
> Tomorrow's job is installing new rear LED clearance lights that I have had new in the box for 10 years.

I just looked at the receipt in the box of clearance lights. It is dated 2004. So I have had them for 13 years. I guess it is time to install them.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
It's my understanding that the interior caps are ABS. If so, true ABS glue (not all-purpose) is readily available at a big box store. ABS glue will
fuse the plastic rather than just adhere to it --big difference!
--
77 Royale Coachmen Side Dry Bath
76 Birchaven Coachmen Side Wet Bath
76 Eleganza
Elizabeth City, NC
 
> > **SNIP**
> >
> > Tomorrow's job is installing new rear LED clearance lights that I have had new in the box for 10 years.
>
> I just looked at the receipt in the box of clearance lights. It is dated 2004. So I have had them for 13 years. I guess it is time to install
> them.

Now Ken,

Don't go rushing into any scary electrical stuff..... ;)

Matt

--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Still Loving OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
 
> It's my understanding that the interior caps are ABS. If so, true ABS glue (not all-purpose) is readily available at a big box store. ABS glue
> will fuse the plastic rather than just adhere to it --big difference!

This is probably true. The only problems I have hit is that the only true ABS cement I could find was black pipe cement. It does work real well for
repairs to the grill.

And then there is cheap trick #32...
Wet some fiber glass cloth with the ABS cement and get it laid in fast as the working time is real short. I have had places where the glued joint
rebroke on a slightly different path and this trick stopped it.

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Still Loving OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
 
The cap is abs Ken. Almost any type of epoxy or resin system will bond with
it. After fooling around with a few expensive 2 componnent cartridge type
automotive adhesives on the front cap i decided to try the abs cement and
fiberglass cloth method someone mentioned here on the rear. Since i was
planning on covering my caps with fabric when done a level smooth contour
was not necessary. The abs cement and finerglass mat method was by far the
fastest and easiest method i tried. If i was to paint the cap after the
repair i would use the abs cement to get the mat saturated and adhered to
the cap and re coat once fully dry with a brush in order to get the build
needed to bury the mat completely and smooth that with some sandpaper to
contour

Sully
77 eleganza 2
Seattle

> > It's my understanding that the interior caps are ABS. If so, true ABS
> glue (not all-purpose) is readily available at a big box store. ABS glue
> > will fuse the plastic rather than just adhere to it --big difference!
>
> This is probably true. The only problems I have hit is that the only true
> ABS cement I could find was black pipe cement. It does work real well for
> repairs to the grill.
>
> And then there is cheap trick #32...
> Wet some fiber glass cloth with the ABS cement and get it laid in fast as
> the working time is real short. I have had places where the glued joint
> rebroke on a slightly different path and this trick stopped it.
>
> Matt
> --
> Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
> Still Loving OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
> SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
Ken. I used 4 small C clamps with a 4" piece of aluminum to bride the crack. This kept the sides aligned, and tight together. Then brushed on the cream colored ABS adhesive about 3" wide along the crack, and 2" be on the end of the crack. I didn't coat the cloth with cement. Then pressed my precut fiber glass material into the ABS cement. Next applied a coat of cement to the cloth while the cement on the cap was still wet. Let it set up till the adhesive was hard. Removed the C clamps, and aligning aluminum strip. Then did the entire edge in the same manner to stop further cracking during cap installation. I then used 2 spray cans of REM plastic paint per cap. The color Sail Cloth is extremely close to the original color of the caps. Used self Drill/Tap screws to install curtain track, and cap at one time. I can't see the repaired cracked areas at all on the visible side. Bob Dunahugh
 
>black

You can make your own homebrew with white ABS pellets and MEK (I think it was MEK). Anyway, search on DIY abs glue and there are plenty of recipes.

>fiberglass

I like the thin, wide-mesh fiberglass drywall tape for this type of embedding.
--
77 Royale Coachmen Side Dry Bath
76 Birchaven Coachmen Side Wet Bath
76 Eleganza
Elizabeth City, NC
 
May 4 - 7 in Bean Station, TN.

--johnny
--
76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
"I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell" - ol Andy, paraphrased
 
> Hi Ken, where is this work rally?

Jon,

Same place as last year. I do not want to announce it because because it is up to the club to do so. I just telephoned and it looks like the date
got changed to May 18 to May 21. There is Supposed to be an email go out today or tomorrow on it.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
Just to clarify that the Bean Station rally is NOT slipping; it's
officially 4-7 May (Kentucky Derby weekend), as always, and is NOT being
rescheduled -- per the host, 5 minutes ago.

I do not know whether Ken B. was referring to that or some other work rally.

Ken H.

> > Hi Ken, where is this work rally?
>
>
> Jon,
>
> Same place as last year. I do not want to announce it because because it
> is up to the club to do so. I just telephoned and it looks like the date
> got changed to May 18 to May 21. There is Supposed to be an email go out
> today or tomorrow on it.
> --
>
 
Ken, we just got email from Larry Whistler. Eastern States is having a work rally at Blane's May 18-21. Johnny Bridges might not be an ES member and
ASSumed he was speaking of Bean Station.

> Just to clarify that the Bean Station rally is NOT slipping; it's
> officially 4-7 May (Kentucky Derby weekend), as always, and is NOT being
> rescheduled -- per the host, 5 minutes ago.
>
> I do not know whether Ken B. was referring to that or some other work rally.
>
> Ken H.
>
>

>

> >> Hi Ken, where is this work rally?
> >
> >
> > Jon,
> >
> > Same place as last year. I do not want to announce it because because it
> > is up to the club to do so. I just telephoned and it looks like the date
> > got changed to May 18 to May 21. There is Supposed to be an email go out
> > today or tomorrow on it.
> > --
> >
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org

--
C. Boyd
76 Crestmont
East Tennessee
 
Thanks Chuck. I did not want to steal Larry's and Blaine's thunder. That is why I did not give many details in my last posting. I simply answered
Jon's question. I have not looked at my email yet today so I have net seen the Larry's note. I was told yesterday that he was going to send
something out.

Colonel Ken. I'm sorry that someone else got on the thread with erroneous information. I did not at all mean to imply anything to do with Bean
Station.

Sorry for the confusion.

Now I have a problem. They moved the work rally right on top of the Dayton Hamfest which is on the same weekend. Maybe I'll skip one day of the work
rally and go to Dayton. It is only about 160 miles. I really hate to drive my coach there and back but maybe I'll have to.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
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