I would agree with David's methods also, but if you want the patch
job to be black and glossy, simply go to Hobby Lobby or other crafty
store and buy a small amount of Black Tempra powdered paint kids use
in school.  A small amount(like 1 or 2% by volume should do the
trick, or just add powder until the resin and hardener mix looks
opaque.  other options are real honest to goodness resin colorant
from a boat shop, or graphite powder if you can find some.  Gougeon
Brothers sells the graphite powder, but one small can would likely be
a lifetime supply for most.

If you want a perfect repair.  i'd set the pieces together with the
Plastic Welder, Dremel down the excess ooze, and then do the glass
repair like David states.

YMMV

DM&FS

At 03:09 PM 3/26/2009, David Beierl wrote:
>At 02:45 PM 3/26/2009, Rob wrote:
>>It's time to try and fix my '84 Vanagon grill, the lower grill has a
>>couple of broken slats and I have the slats.
>>Any recommendations on glue that works well for this type of plastic?
>
>The Goop-goop may indeed work well, but there's not much surface area
>and the plastic is pretty brittle by now.  If you want a repair
>that's as durable as the original I'd recommend to wash it well, wipe
>the back with alcohol to degrease, scuff it well with extremely
>coarse sandpaper, alcohol wipe again to get the dust off and lay on a
>strip a couple inches long of glass cloth well saturated with
>slow-curing epoxy (you'll know it's saturated when it's completely
>transparent, no little opaque streaks).  If you don't mind the repair
>showing, mask the front and extend the preparation carefully onto it,
>then use the same strip instead to wrap completely around the
>break.  That repair should be bulletproof, at least for microscopic
>bullets.  But the other should do well enough I think.
>
>You'll need to splint it while it cures -- carve some styrofoam or
>layers of cardboard glued together to match the curve, put a layer of
>polyethylene (sandwich-bag material, polythene for the Brits) or
>Saran wrap between it and the epoxy, and tie or tape it firmly on
>each side of both breaks.  The plastic will release cleanly when it's
>fully cured, leaving a glossy surface (I suspect that if you bring
>the repair to the front, the natural surface will be less conspicuous
>than glossy, but if you want glossy that's how to get it).  Keep your
>epoxy-mixing surface nearby to test for cure.
>
>Sounds like a lot of work, but it isn't really, once you get your
>materials together.  With slow-cure epoxy you should be able to prep
>all the needed repairs and make your splints, then mix epoxy and
>saturate all your strips of glass, then apply and splint each repair
>within the 90-minute working time of the epoxy.  Be absolutely sure
>to err on the side of less hardener rather than more -- with too
>little hardener it will cure slower, but with too much it will never
>cure entirely hard, you'll be able to dent it with a fingernail.  I
>spent ten years struggling with epoxy before my dad taught me
>this.  The double-syringes make this easy if you press evenly and
>then give a little extra press on the resin side at the end.  The
>resin is the thicker stuff, in case they're not marked, and the fact
>that the hardener is thinner contributes to the problem, because it
>flattens out and looks like less than it is.
>
>You don't want filled epoxy like JB-Weld for this, it won't saturate
>the cloth.  But in a pinch a thick, thicker the better, lump of
>filled epoxy extending well to either side of the break and faired in
>at the ends should serve adequately.  Or half a clean popsicle stick
>instead of glass cloth, etc etc.  The idea for a non-wraparound
>repair is to get plenty of area to increase peel strength, then use
>something that's tough and strong in tension; and try to arrange
>things so that the glue bond will be stressed in shear as much as
>possible, i.e. along the thin dimension rather than across it.
>
>  --
>David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
>'89 Po' White Star "Scamp"