8 replies to this topic

[fenis]

Hi guys,

I'm putting some large format tweeter rings in my kick panels which are made of polypropylene - a very difficult plastic to bond anything to. Initially I was just going to drilll lots of holes and roughen it up and use duraglas like most others but I'm afraid of it cracking in the long term. I already have K&H plastifil which is a good flexible plastic filler but is not suitable for filling in large gaps.

So I found the perfect product: http://www.evercoat....il.aspx?pID=303 It is similar to 3m duramix or Lord Fusor (both require purchasing an expensive applicator gun) whereas this one doesn't.

My problem is I can't find anyone that can order it in for me.. Does anyone know where I could get it from? I'm in Perth but don't mind ordering online.

Cheers

[bob]

http://www.nationalt...ir-P161751.aspx
Postage is a killer though
Maybe try contact them direct and see if they can do a better shipping price. $65 is a bit steep

[2LOUD2OLD]

why not just try and rebuild the kicks from a mix of mdf and fibreglass?

[fenis]

I've found a site in Vic which has Dominion Suremix urethane which is the same thing. The guys on fibeglass forums praise it:
http://www.diytools....thane-50ml.html

Is anyone else using a plastic specific repair product or just normal fiberglass stuff?

2LOUD I'd rather not rebuild the kicks as I want them to blend in with the door sill which all clips together nicely.

[ubernoob]

Loctite 3030?
http://www.ferret.co...an-ever-n712165

[peaandham]

Is anyone else using a plastic specific repair product or just normal fiberglass stuff?.

I use a product called Bumper Soft its a flexible polyester filler designed for bumpers but you can also use it on other plastic, but its similar to K&H Plastifill. Why isnt plastifill suitable for large gaps? All the plastic filler ive used can be used for large gaps aslong as your brace it from behind so it doesnt all run out. If you have smaller gaps you can pack it in, smooth it out with your finger and then lightly sand back the excess.

Otherwise you can use the Evercoat Caulk version.

[jukebox]

peaandham... i use the same product mate.. it takes a while to cure, is expensive, but has been fine for me on thicker/larger spans... might be too expensive for this job tho if alot os needed..

post up some pics mate.. cant advise if we cant see exactly what it is your doing!..

i dont mean to be captain obvious here, but why do you think fabricators continue to use fillers, even on plastics when a small pod is needed, or some holes need filling, etc ??? cos it works mate... IF it cracks, its due to workmanship, not the product..

scuff it up ALOT.. drill some holes if you want too, but mostly scuff it back with a 60 grit die grinder disc... you cxan also put some slices in it with a blade, criss crossing each other.. this works well too... rage gold body filler worlks very well on plastics, actually it bonds wel to anything..

another bit of advice for you.. kick panels can flex, or need to be flexed when fitted... allow for this... it would be clever to actually add the first thin-ish coat of filler to the kick panel while its attached in the car... let it cure over night in there, then remove and add another layer and shape as you like...

i wouldnt mind seeing what it is your actually doing, so a threead link or some pics would be good..

hope this novel helps, lol...

[fenis]

Out of all these fabricators that are using polyester fillers etc how many are working with polypropylene plastic? PP is probably the hardest plastic to bond to as it's almost like teflon and it continuously seeps oil. I searched for every single thread in the fiberglass forums dealing with PP and everyone had cracking/lifting issues using traditional filler. The only ones that didn't used these speciality epoxy/urethane adhesives specifically meant for olefins (TPO plastics - PP, PE etc).

Also, my kick panels need to flex a fair bit to snap them into position as they are integrated with the door sill. Basically I want to do it right the 1st time so I won't have to redo it in the future!

I'll post up pics this weekend.

[fenis]

Here's a pic: (ignore hole cutout in kick panel that was just a trial and it didn't sound good with the tweeters there)



Currently the kick panel and door sill are separate but I want to blend them all together as you have to bend the door sill out of the way to remove the kick panel.