DIY plastic repair scooter

In detail: do-it-yourself plastic repair of a scooter from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Let's analyze the sequence of plastic repair on a scooter with our own hands.

You will need material and tools:

- fittings for welding: you can use metal spirals, nets or paper clips from a stapler;
- hand vise, if the plastic is broken into separate pieces, or if the cracks are large;
- pieces of plastic;
- a device for melting (softening) of narrowly targeted action: use a thermo gun or a manual gas burner.

So, you have prepared everything you need for the renovation. Now it's time to start fixing.

1. First, remove all dirt from the plastic.

2. Then take a sharp knife and cut the corners of the edges to be welded from the outside and inside. You have triangular grooves.

3. From the prepared pieces of plastic, cut pieces of a square or rectangular shape with a width equal to the width of the grooves.

4. Weld in the spiral across the seam in 10-20 mm increments using a soldering iron. Be careful not to boil the plastic through, but make a sufficient number of strong seams.

5. Begin to weld the dead end damage. To do this, first melt a small (5-10 mm) section of the groove and attach the prepared plastic rectangle to it. Move the flame along the groove, melting the part and placing it on the melted area. Then melt the crack on the outside and inside.

6. After splicing any existing cracks, weld all seams again to relieve stress and reinforce.

7. Wait for the area to be repaired to cool down and process it from the outside until an even surface is formed (sand it).

Video (click to play).

The described method is suitable if the damage is large enough and the cracks are large. If there are no large chips and cracks on the plastic, you can simply glue it. This is possible if the cracks are not more than 1-2 cm, and there is no additional load on the damaged area, for example, fasteners.

To glue the plastic, prepare:

- dense bag fabric (it is also called "canvas");
- good glue or cold welding for plastic.

To glue the plastic, follow these steps.

1. Make large cuts and scratches on the back of the plastic. This is necessary so that the tenacity of the glue increases - it simply does not stick to a smooth surface.

2. Grasp the damaged area with a vise or have an assistant hold it. Fill with glue and, without waiting for drying, put a piece of burlap (the size should be taken approximately twice the length and width of the crack). Pour glue again liberally.

3. Wait until it is completely dry and work the seam from the front side with a fine skin.

Many modern motorcycles are replete with plastic panels to complete the bike's look, improve aerodynamics and protect critical components. In order to protect these parts from damage, modern polymers are made flexible and resistant to shock, but even this does not save the motorcycle from falls and accidents. In such cases, the manufacturer offers to replace the part with a new one, which costs a lot of money. We have prepared several available options for how to make plastic on a motorcycle with our own hands.

First of all, it is worth determining the degree of damage. With the proper approach, you can restore a completely broken part, but sometimes it will cost at the level of buying a new one. If the damage is relatively minor and refers to a structure that does not carry a critical load, such as a part of a motorcycle body (maxi scooters), then cosmetic repair methods are suitable.

Cracks, chips and gluing of several pieces of plastic can be carried out using a hot air jet or a soldering iron.Responsible supporting structures, as well as parts with a high degree of damage, are best repaired using methods that involve restoring the mass of the plastic part and its characteristics (rigidity, elasticity, etc.) In cases where the plastic can no longer be repaired by patching or gluing, there is an option to make part from scratch. To do this, you will need to carefully study the entire modeling process, have a lot of summary time and nerves. Often, in such cases, it is easier to purchase a used spare part and repair or even buy new plastic.

To repair the plastic of a motorcycle with heated air, you will need a construction hair dryer, but not any, but with a temperature controller. You can use the cheapest device, but then there is a risk of overheating the plastic, which will lead to the loss of its basic properties. Overheated material will be brittle and may break when vibrated from driving on normal roads. You will also need a special nozzle with a thin nozzle, about 5-8 mm.

In addition to the hair dryer, you will need a large piece of plastic identical to the one being welded. To do this, you should pay attention to the markings of the part, most likely in front of you there will be a product of the PP, RA or ABS brands. Polypropylene PP, for example, melts at 300 degrees, and starts burning at 350, so it should be welded at a temperature of 300 - 340 degrees. Polyamide or PA should be cooked at 410 - 460 degrees, ABS at 360 - 400.
Soldering process:

  1. For greater convenience, we remove the part from the motorcycle and wash it from dirt and oils.
  2. We clean the edges of the parts with medium-sized emery paper, level the edges, and try to make a hollow in areas close to the surface.
  3. If we weld the breakaway parts, then we lean the pieces against the base and grab them with a heated hairdryer in several places (from the inside). Otherwise, if you weld the parts one by one, some sections can twist and it will be impossible to achieve a flat surface without alignment with additional materials.

Advice. If the plastic twists initially, then for ease of work with it, you can fasten it with staples.

  • From a piece of plastic that is suitable in composition, we cut out a strip, 0.8 - 1.5 cm thick, this will be our solder.
  • From the edge of the crack (it is better to start from the inside), we begin to warm up the seam as soon as it begins to melt, lean against the solder and then direct the stream partly to the seam and partly to the solder. As the plastic melts, it will fill the seam, you can help this process by lightly pressing on the plate, at the moment when the material has become sufficiently liquid.
  • If the fracture shape has many turns, make solder plates with a margin of up to 5 mm, and connect several sections only by complete melting. When the seam is ready, you can start working on the front part. If you did everything correctly, the inner seam will give the piece of plastic sufficient rigidity, so the external fix will be more cosmetic in nature. The process itself looks identical, with the exception of the solder strip, which should be made thinner. After finishing the welding of the front part, the plastic should be cleaned, and if necessary, apply a paint and varnish layer on it or hide the error with a sticker suitable for the style.
  • Such a do-it-yourself plastic repair of a motorcycle is practically no different from the previous one. The main difference will be the tool used. You will need a high power soldering iron that you don't mind getting dirty. Here, too, the type of material to be welded and the suitable solder are important. The latter can be found in the form of special ribbons in stores.
    Welding process:

    1. We dismantle the part, wash it from dirt, clean the edges with sandpaper and degrease it.
    2. Putting together the puzzle from the broken pieces, grabbing them with spot welding from the inside using a soldering iron. (further work is carried out exclusively from the inside of the product).
    3. Starting from the edges, we lean the soldering iron against the seam and, melting it through, we form a deep hollow.
    4. Now the parts hold on, but not yet firmly enough. The next step is the direction of the new layer, for this we melt the solder with a soldering iron near the hollow. While the plastic is still liquid, we level it with a sting to get an even layer.

    Advice. With proper skill, you can simultaneously make a hollow and fill it with solder.

    So the process will take much longer and require more concentration, but the layers of plastic will hold better, which means that the connection will be more durable. If you did everything right, then you will end up with a strong seam, which looks rough from the inside, but from the outer turns out to be almost perfectly flat. This will be achieved by deep melting of the mass when forming a depression.

    Note! Some people advise using reinforced metal mesh for reinforcement. This option only makes sense if you are working with fragile, poor quality material that is not capable of bending.

    Repairing the plastic of a motorcycle can be done by gluing the parts together.
    For this we need:

    • epoxy resin and hardener;
    • fiberglass;
    • gloves;
    • Castor oil.

    Speaking about the restoration of the plastic of a motorcycle, do not forget about the complete replacement of missing or damaged parts. Here we split the process into making the panel from scratch and making the missing piece. The hardest part is making the part yourself. It is possible to completely repeat the factory forms only from fiberglass. The process is very long, not the cheapest and only suitable for enthusiasts. Initially, you should make a matrix that repeats the shape of the future part. A layer of fiberglass and resin is gradually applied to the die to form the part. Then the product is sanded, primed and painted. Such a detail will last exactly until the next incident, because fiberglass is very fragile, and its repair does not make sense due to the loss of rigidity of the entire structure. Finally, the repair of the plastic can be done with a piece of plastic of the correct composition and size. From the workpiece, cut out a shape that repeats the missing part. The method is suitable for straight sections and with a slight spherical bend. Bending can be obtained by heating the part, shaping it and fixing it until it cools.