OT?????? HP200LX case repair

From: Tothwolf <tothwolf_at_concentric.net>
Date: Fri Feb 8 20:42:40 2002

On Sat, 9 Feb 2002, Pete Turnbull wrote:

> Proper ABS cement (available for plastic plumbing) is about the
> strongest glue you can get for that, much stronger than superglue on
> ABS. It doesn't just adhere, it welds the plastic. An alternative is
> methyl ethyl ketone, MEK, commonly available as a solvent and widely
> used industrially to glue/weld both PVC and ABS.

Methyl Ethyl Ketone won't even begin to bond ABS. It just isn't a strong
enough solvent. It works fine on Polystyrene, but I've never seen
Polystyrene used for a computer case. ABS is almost always used, since it
is extremely durable. Most non-industrial epoxies won't even begin to
adhere to ABS plastics either.

I have a small glass bottle of Methylene Chloride I bought at a hobby
supply shop. It says it will work on Styrene, Butyrate, ABS and Acrylic
(Lucite of Plexiglas). I haven't yet tried it out on the ABS skins on my
SGI systems tho.

> Whatever you do, try it on the inside first, where it won't show if it
> goes wrong!

And be prepared to do some touch-up work on the outside of the case
anyway. The plastic always distorts a little when you bond it back
together. If you use just the right amount of solvent, it will bond
strongly, and won't distort very much. It is very difficult to get a feel
for the "right amount", however.

-Toth
Received on Fri Feb 08 2002 - 20:42:40 GMT