If color cosmetics aren't a concern and you want an inexpensive
repair, go to Walmart and find the adhesive section.  There's a
syringe product from DEVCON call plastic welder.  Like $2.50 for
50cc. of it.  It's a methylmethacrolate based glue, stinks like fury
while it's curing, has short curing time, and has a n off white color
when cured.  It will bond to most plastics except the polyethylenes
and it has a 3000# bonding strength.  Light sanding and cleaning is
always going to improve bonding strength.

I've had great luck rebuilding small areas by using saran wrap as a
mold release(top and bottom) after applying the plastic welder to the
damaged area and then clamping two pieces of flexible material to
form a mold of the inner and outer surfaces.  If you don't wanna get
that fancy, just use your fingers to form the plastic welder(fingers
protected by the saran wrap of course)and once your gap/hole is
filled, work the air out of it by pinching it and them feather it out
til it's gone.  The plastic welder sets up pretty quickly and is at
90% strength in about 30 minutes. I have never experimented with
mixing resin colorant with this stuff, so I can't comment on whether
that would lessen the bond or not. It's drill-able, sand-able, but
not sure if it will hold a paint or not.  The odor will go away.  I'm
not saying that epoxy wouldn't do the job, but if the cracks or
damage is bigger than a quarter, then I'd at least add some kevlar or
glass cloth to reinforce the epoxy.

Good luck

DM&FS

At 11:19 AM 1/5/2008, email99 wrote:

>I need to make some repairs to my black plastic heater housing and I
>don't know what product is appropriate.  Basically some of the attaching
>bolt holes in the black plastic are broken and need to be built up and
>re-drilled so I can firmly reattach the whole assembly.  I've seen
>plastic repairs made that are very durable and seem to have been done
>with the same type of plastic that the heater housing is made of so I
>would guess that there is a commercial product available.  Any suggestions?
>Thanks,
>Ed McLean