Hey.
My front lip chipped in a rather odd way. it didnt crack but rather took a chunk of paint off the size of a bottle cap. Im planning on touching that up, but its a tiny bit indented like part of the lip might have come off as well.
I was originally going to put a little bondo there or just touch it up without it but someone told me i can melt another piece of ABS plastic with a soldering gun from radioshack to make up that little bit. And i read somewhere that legos are made from abs plastic so id probably just go with a white lego if thats the case then touching up.
Ive never herd of fixing plastic like that, can anyone give me input
thanks an advance.
maybe use some ptex? the kind they use to fix snowboards with? you can melt that with an iron.
ptex. where can i get that locally. sounds interesting- the only issue is that its on the curve so it wont be a completely flat surface. not sure if that matters.
just go to a sporting goods store. it’s for snowboard repair so you can try to look near that section or go to a ski shop and see if they are willing to sell you a few sticks.
ABS is indeed a thermoplastic, meaning it can be melted and remoulded:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylonitrile_butadiene_styrene
You should be able to get ptex at any good ski or snowboard shop. It comes in candle form (you light it and drip the ptex on as it melts), but the stuff you melt with an iron is much better. The candles work, but tend to make small ash particles that will be visible in the repair.
You should be able to get ABS just about anywhere though. Scrap plumbing pipe, for instance, or try the Lego trick. The wikipedia article mentions that they are indeed made of ABS.
As for the curved surface, it shouldn’t be a big deal. You could just use a rasp or surform plane to shave the repair down, then finish up with sandpaper. Maybe make a sanding block to match the contour. It may still require a bit of body filler to finish, but it would be much better than trying to fill the depression with bondo. More durable and less chance of cracking.
[QUOTE=GoGreen;1857654]ABS is indeed a thermoplastic, meaning it can be melted and remoulded…
[/QUOTE]
lol, you said “Moulded”. you crazy canadians! i miss that 
lol…
ok but i was curious, if i go about melting a lego, cause i have tons of them and id prefer the cheapest method, how can i get it to stay on the lip and settle…any ideas??? (BTW prob a bad idea but im not taking the lip off the car)
or should i just definatly suck it up and buy ptex.
well, if i remember correctly… the ptex will be like water for less than a second. best thing would be to have whatever surface you’re fixing facing straight up. maybe surround the area with a little buildup of clay… like a donut around the area so that the ptex/ lego juice won’t run off. it also wouldn’t hurt to heat the plastic with a hairdryer to encourage the bond a little… this is all speculation on my part.
just remember that whatever method you chose, gravity will direct the liquid. you’re gonna have to get creative to get the molten liquid to go where you want before it solidifies. personally, i don’t think you have a choice. you’ll probably have to remove it. either way, don’t be afraid to build it up as you can always sand it off.
i’ve been contemplating fixing a clear lens like this but i have no idea what material to do it with
hmm… what about rubber cement?
What i would do if i were u is get a heat gun from local hardware store $15 or less or even use a blow dryer. Heat the section up from behind. Than when its hot enough to modly get a roll of tape and roll it on the back til it gets the shape u want. have a cup of of cold water next to you because when u have the shape u want . Poor it on the section to give it some flash time. Than if u need bondo go from there. It will help alot. PTex wont stand the weather elements year round. Its good for short teporary fixes on boards 
hmmm decisions decisions-
i would say no to the lego… lol. and im not sure, but wouldnt the white turn black from heat/burning it anyway??
Howsabout JB Weld? Not sure if it’s paintable, but it would be easy to apply and pretty durable.
How deep is the gouge? Bondo may be fine if it’s not too deep…
i went with bondo and it worked well, i’ll post some pics later on