Anyone know how to fix plastic?

[Larry Edgerton]

I have a New Holland tractor just out of warranty and in that cold snap last week I jumped up and grabbed the handle on the fender and it cracked. The fender, not the handle. Like I said its out of warranty, and the fender is $550, so I want to weld up a brace once I get the loaded tires off, ironically the kind of job I bought this tractor for, and fix it if I can.

If you know how to do this, speak up please, I don't know didley about plastic.

Larry

[Bill Bukovec]

I usually use JB Weld for plastic.

I have heard of "welding plastic" but I think it's basically a heat gun for joining two pieces together. Assuming you know what type of plastic you have and the precise melting temperature.

Can you post a photo? It may not help, but a least we get to see your tractor!

Bill

[Stephen Cherry]

I'd go to the auto body supply place and tell them what you need. Maybe even take the fender off so they can see what type of plastic it is.

The assumption is that there is a good supplier near you.

[Jamie Schmitz]

Certain plastic can be welded with a soldering iron. I did it for the first time and it worked pretty good. There is a good site for plastic info.
http://www.tapplastics.com/product_info/videos/how_to_repair_and_glue_polyethylene_and_seaboard

[Leo Graywacz]

I know a guy who did plastic welding. It was a heatgun with a fine tip and a precise temperature control. He used plastic welding rods to melt the two broken pcs together. Maybe you could find a guy in your area who does this.

[Rick Moyer]

Probably not very helpful, but; I have had two John Deere garden tractors that had plastic hoods. First one had broken hood that I tried to glue/melt/weld back together. Not real successful. Second one has a new hood from previous owner. These have been notorious for cracking. Wish you best of luck. You may best be served by replacing with new part.

[Matt Meiser]

You could check with West Systems if you can determine the type of plastic. Hold everything together with tape on the show side, then epoxy with fiberglass mat on the back side for strength. UHMW about nothing will stick to....others just about anything (almost certainly not UHMW but you get the idea.)

What do you have your tires loaded with? I really need to look into that now that I'm no longer mowing with my Deere.

[Sam Murdoch]

This might be a good answer - http://www.qbond.net

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Look up plastic welders on amazon. Good ones have very precise temperature control which will let you know which welding sticks to use.
Other than that, similar to metal welding. Same problem i have with 1982 vw pickup parts

[Larry Edgerton]

Thank you gentlemen, I will check out your suggestions.

Bill, thanks for the post in that other thread. I was too angry to respond.

Larry

[Dennis Peacock]

I have repaired plastic body parts on my lawn tractors with fiber glass resin and fiber glass cloth. I sanded the underside with 80 grit wiped clean, put down a thin coat of resin, laid in the cloth, and topped off with more resin. The repairs were still there years later when I sold it.

[Keith Outten]

Larry,

Call John Delvies at Delvies Plastics. John sells a plastic welding kit and he can give you some good advise. John is a nice guy and really helpful.
.

[Chuck Wintle]

I have a New Holland tractor just out of warranty and in that cold snap last week I jumped up and grabbed the handle on the fender and it cracked. The fender, not the handle. Like I said its out of warranty, and the fender is $550, so I want to weld up a brace once I get the loaded tires off, ironically the kind of job I bought this tractor for, and fix it if I can.

If you know how to do this, speak up please, I don't know didley about plastic.

Larry
Larry,
I don't know about welding plastic but could you rivet some metal strips to repair the crack and to reinforce the fender?

[glenn bradley]

I would use a large patch of fiberglass cloth from the backside and skip the weld. This silly idea assumes that you cannot see the underside of the damaged area. A similar path on a kid's play set has lasted through two sets of kids.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Generally speaking the only plastics which can be welded with a Seelye or other plastic welder are polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, and CPVC. ABS, polcarbonate (Lexan), and Acrylic can be solvent welded with methylene chloride (dichloromethane). To solvent weld you need an extra strip of the same plastic to use as a backer (batten) to increase the strength in the welded area. Having a hypodermic needle helps too ensure accurate entry into the crack. The solvent will be drawn into the crack by capillary action.

Bona Fides: I worked for a plastics fabricator and distributor for 8 years early in my career.

[Garth Sheane]

Larry, its a tough problem no matter how you approach it. The flex required for a fender may well defeat any solution. I would say that the fibre glass suggestions have the best chance of working. Once you have the fender on a work bench where you can get at the underside properly, you should rough up the surface really well for a large patch of fibre glass, at least 6" on either side of the crack. You might consider laying metal reinforcement of some kind in the resin between the first and second layers of glass if you shape the metal to match the fender's curve. If it were me, I'd probably put on several layers of glass and resin (4 or 5?).

I guess if it doesn't hold, you're not any worse off than you are now.

[Larry Edgerton]

Thanks again gentlemen. I guess the first thing I need to do is find out what kind of plastic it is. Its broken in a bad spot and it is my fault. I would run and jump up and pull myself up with the handle. Should have been a metal brace to the handle, and there will be when I am done. I took the handle off today so I didn't forget and use it. Wonder what will happen the first time I run and jump and there is no handle there?

Problem is the tire weighs 700 pounds, so I have to have my ducks in a row when I get into this as I don't want to do it twice. Will have to wait till spring now as I need it to move snow most days lately.

Its such a pretty tractor, hate to have a patched up mess, but $550 bucks for a hunk of plastic just rubs me the wrong way, especially as they are the ones that came up with the weak design.

Will do some reading, Larry

[Larry Edgerton]

Found this:

Plastics Identification 101.

Cut off a small sliver and light it on fire. Observe the flame and smoke.

PVC- blackish smoke and acrid smell
Polyethylene(PE, HMWPE, UHMWPE)- no smoke, material drips like a candle and smells like wax
Polypropylene- no smoke, material drips like a candle and smells like burnt oil
Polyamide (Nylon)- no smoke, pulls to form thread, smells like burnt horn
Polycarbonate- yellowish sooty smoke, sweetish smell
ABS- blackish smoke, soot flakes, sweetish smell


ABS also comes as an alloy mixed w Polycarbonate. It's trade name is Kydex. It's used a lot for vacuum formed products. Fenders and hoods might be a good example.

Larry

[Matt Meiser]

Larry, it looks like there are a bunch of compact tractor salvage yards out there: https://www.google.com/search?q=new+holland+compact+tractor+fender&oq=new+holland+compact+tractor+fender&aqs=chrome..69i57.13381j0j7&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8#es_sm=93&espv=210&q=compact%20tractor%20salvage%20yard
Might be worth making some calls.

I would guess your fenders aren't vacuum formed. I would guess injection molded, likely from polycarbonate. Polycarbonate tends to be rigid, scratch resistant, and can be molded with a show finish. ABS tends to be softer and more flexible. But I certainly could be wrong as most of my experience with plastics processes have been smaller scale components or on the raw material end of the supply chain.

First summer with my JD compact tractor I was clearing brush and the tire carried a piece up and into the fender. Mine has steel fenders so it didn't break, but rolled the edge under. Since it didn't crack the paint I just left it.

[Rick Potter]

Larry,

If it is just out of warranty, my first step would be to call New Holland. It's possible they may have a 'silent' recall on it, or may even take pity on you and replace it. Go to the company, if the dealer can't help. It sounds like a factory defect to me.

Rick Potter

[Jeff Erbele]

You could check with West Systems if you can determine the type of plastic. Hold everything together with tape on the show side, then epoxy with fiberglass mat on the back side for strength. UHMW about nothing will stick to....others just about anything (almost certainly not UHMW but you get the idea.)

What do you have your tires loaded with? I really need to look into that now that I'm no longer mowing with my Deere.

I grew up on a large farm and ranch which my younger brother still operates today. We had all of the larger tractors' tires filled with a chloride solution for added traction, reducing tire slip therefore tire wear, and increasing efficiency.

Further it also lower the center of gravity improving the stability and reducing the likelihood of a tractor rollover. That is especially helpful on loader tractors. We also installed tire chains on the loader tractors in the winter for added traction.

Water in the tires could work, except that it freezes in the winter. Also chloride, a salt solution, weighs more per gallon.
On the negative side, water will rust your rims and chloride will even worse. To prevent that, the tire rims, first had a rubber liner around them (between the tire beads and lower on the rim) and they had tube. It does not work without a tube and liner. Typically it is not a DIY job, as you need the chloride, a way to mix it and pump it into the tube. Chloride usually isn't even a consideration, until one adds cast iron wheel weights and other weights to the front and rear of a tractor. If you are interested see a tire dealer that specializes in agricultural or construction equipment.

[Jerome Stanek]

I grew up on a large farm and ranch which my younger brother still operates today. We had all of the larger tractors' tires filled with a chloride solution for added traction, reducing tire slip therefore tire wear, and increasing efficiency.

Further it also lower the center of gravity improving the stability and reducing the likelihood of a tractor rollover. That is especially helpful on loader tractors. We also installed tire chains on the loader tractors in the winter for added traction.

Water in the tires could work, except that it freezes in the winter. Also chloride, a salt solution, weighs more per gallon.
On the negative side, water will rust your rims and chloride will even worse. To prevent that, the tire rims, first had a rubber liner around them (between the tire beads and lower on the rim) and they had tube. It does not work without a tube and liner. Typically it is not a DIY job, as you need the chloride, a way to mix it and pump it into the tube. Chloride usually isn't even a consideration, until one adds cast iron wheel weights and other weights to the front and rear of a tractor. If you are interested see a tire dealer that specializes in agricultural or construction equipment.

Also you may need a crane to put the tires on

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Also you may need a crane to put the tires on

They do warrant caution for sure, but most of this type of tire work is done with the tire and rim mounted to the tractor.

[Larry Edgerton]

Mine are loaded with beet juice. Doesn't cause rust and doesn't freeze. Its called Winterguard, but its beet juice.

I'm going to take it over to my brothers shop in the spring. I gave him my fork lift when I moved, and all the welding equipment is there.

Larry

[Mac McQuinn]

Larry,
Give "G-Flex" a look, made by "West System" in Bay City, MI
These guys know a bit about epoxy.
Mac

[David C. Roseman]

[snip]Its broken in a bad spot and it is my fault. I would run and jump up and pull myself up with the handle.[snip]

Well, there's the problem: This running and jumping business. I vaguely recall when I used to be able to do that. Got me in trouble once with a sprained ankle the day before Fall Weekend way back in college.

Good luck with the repair!

David

[Matt Meiser]

True. Probably lucky it's a $500 fender not thousands in medical bills for an ankle. :D