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Baking soda and super glue to repair scooter mudguard

Noyade

The project:

It was mentioned on here recently by community member Tedbear. I haven't heard of it before but thought I'd give it a try late today. A plastic mobility scooter mudguard was fractured earlier.

I made a baking soda paste with heat and minimal water in a spoon mixed with a kebab stick. 'Opened' the fracture and rubbed the paste in wiping away the excess.

Super glue applied and you can actually see a reaction with the soda expanding and the seam turning 'whiter.'

Seems rock hard - but I'll wait till tomorrow.

- Step 1:

Steps as above…

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JacobZ

I can't say I'd ever heard of this technique before @Noyade. I'll be interested to hear how it goes.

I'm sure @TedBear will be pleased to hear his advice is getting some use.

Jacob

TedBear

Hey @Noyade , I've used this technique many times. Good to see that you didn't make the baking soda layer too thick. I hope it does the trick for you.

If the baking soda is too thick it makes s weak joint {out of baking soda) that breaks.

Noyade

The bond with the mudguard is good. Maybe one disadvantage is the white seam that remains? Do you/did you experience the same @TedBear? Do you only use the powder form?

Anyway I'm gonna spray paint both mudguards tomorrow.

We have a Hoover clothes dryer - from around 1986. It's on its last legs with a sort of plastic cancer that I can't cure with regular super glue - the fissures just keep cracking open. So I'm using a sodium bicarbonate solution (rather than a paste) to inject in the cracks. I know it looks 'bad' but a saturated solution aspirated with a cooking syringe and drawing up needle.

I'm trying two techniques - soda solution first then the super glue - and then the reverse. I think I'm getting better results with the latter. The soda quickly curdles to a hard mass that looks like leftover PVA glue.

I'll test the results tomorrow.

EricL

Hi @Noyade

A very interesting experiment, please keep us updated.

Eric

TedBear

Hi @Noyade, like EricL I am interested in the result of what you are doing. I have used the method to build up missing pieces of plastic from broken screw posts in plastic cases of electronic items. Getting the just right amount (ie the minimum) of Baking Soda is the crucial part. I've never tried a paste, so it will be a good experiment. A fine spray of water is a good way of speeding up the setting of Super Glue (or you can buy a special hardening spray, consisting of expensive water in a sprayer.) My repairs have been aplued to the inside of a crack, so I've never had a problem with a white join.

Noyade

Thanks @TedBear

Maybe I'm expecting too much.

Yes, it looks like the dog's breakfast - but the fractures on the front are holding well. The side (seen above) re-fractured easily.

TedBear

The baking soda doesn't really add strength, it just activates the super glue in a more "furious" way so that it gets hot and grabs stronger onto some surfaces.

Noyade

Thanks @TedBear.

I'll look for more appropriate applications in the future.

This looks particularly interesting and a common problem…

"plastic from broken screw posts in plastic cases of electronic items."

Cheers! 👍️

Noyade

Sodium bicarbonate, super glue and woodland grey.

Repaired and moving again.

Cheers.