PINTO CAR CLUB of AMERICA

Shiny is Good! => Your Project => Topic started by: 1973FordPinto on December 24, 2014, 02:05:36 PM

Title: Glue
Post by: 1973FordPinto on December 24, 2014, 02:05:36 PM
What is the best brand/kind of glue to glue a grille back together?  Something that is sturdy and can take the heat,  vibration and banging of a car being driven.  Don't want it cracking again if possible.
Thanks.
Title: Re: Glue
Post by: amc49 on December 24, 2014, 04:50:33 PM
Luck with that.......... ....heat warps and biodegrades the plastic and cannot get away from that. Usually not enough mounting points and I generally remount with additional mounts if it begins to crack. That pretty much stops it. Glue really unless a non-stressed part of grille will not work, it'll simply crack again just past the glue joint. Vibration figures in there a bunch. It adds up at the mounting points and in the long unsupported spots. If the plastic has biodegraded enough so you can cut off crumblies with a fingernail give up, the plastic is dead. Don't waste your time gluing up like a screw boss, putting the screw in will simply crack it again.

Mine cracked and a new previously non-existent mount put right there stopped it for years. You have to make sure it fits perfect, warp any and it simply breaks again. I spent like ten minutes shimming it just right to be a slip fit.

Epoxy, and not the quick dry ones, they are much weaker........ ......the 24 hr. stuff. If actual joint will be hidden then put metal of some type across the joint to bring the strength up 10X what the glue by itself will hold. Glue by itself is weak, but layer it thinly and other substance in there to add strength...... .............. ...well,............................they make airplane wings out of that.

Luck.......... ............an d Merry Christmas
Title: Re: Glue
Post by: 1973FordPinto on December 24, 2014, 05:27:18 PM
Well, thanks for the detailed explanation.  It's harder than I thought.  I'll keep in mind what you said.  I don't plan on taking the car out in bad weather.  Otherwise it will sit in the garage, which is hot in the summer though and cold in winter, which makes everything contract and expand, which wouldn't help any.  Got another grille and it came with a crack in the middle.  Hopefully we'll be able to make extra mounts on the grille to stabilize it.
Great ideas!