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Subject:Re: Speedometer house repair suggestions ?
From:Max Wellhouse
Date:Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:47:49 -0500

If you use one of the cheapo syringe type epoxies, I would find one
of them that has some fiberglass or kevlar threads mixed in(or do it
yourself)  Epoxy with no matrix will be just as, if not, more brittle
than the plastic you are bonding to.  I like the methylmethacrolate
"plastic welder" glues in the syringes.  They set up quickly, but are
spozed to have a 3000# bonding strength in 24 hours.  Never tried
adding kevlar or glass fibers to that stuff as I haven't needed to so far.

When I get around top repairing mine, I will use more
fiberglass/kevlar cloth and extend the repair back a ways for more
solid bonding.  Might have to photogragh that process when I do.

DM&FS

An excellent epoxy to use for this application is the small Ketchup
package size units of West System Epoxy from Gougeon Bros.  You can
add fibers if you want to, or add a small dose of black powdered
Tempra paint in the mixing cup to match the color as well as
thickening the resin to a degree.  At 07:57 PM 3/30/2010, David Beierl wrote:
>At 03:20 PM 3/30/2010, Andrew Grebneff wrote:
>>Oil the screw lightly but thoroughly (use a modeler's paintbrush or
>
>Dear David,
>
>I endorse Andrew's method, particularly using clear slow-set epoxy
>glue and a bit of modeling clay over the outside of the cracks --
>after epoxy has started to flow out of them.  My personal experience
>with cyanoacrylates has left me very wary of the breed.
>
>The whole issue with stress-cracking of the instrument clusters shows
>that VW didn't understand plastics and plastics engineering as well
>as they thought they did.  Not an uncommon thing, unfortunately.
>
>Yours,
>David

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