Thread: Solvent adhesives... why don't more people use them?

Originally Posted by Urinemachine

Laugh your *** off, I've called local businesses, they are all vacuum manufacturers and they sell their scrap to other businesses, i called THOSE businesses and they don't sell scrap...

so...

to those people buying ABS pipes from Home Deport or lowes, state which store, and then provide us a UPC!!!

Huh?

Look dude.. just go to Home Depot and ask for it. Granted, 90% of the employees won't have a clue, but someone there will definitely be able to help you.

I hope you weren't serious.

Originally Posted by tj!2k4

Huh?

Look dude.. just go to Home Depot and ask for it. Granted, 90% of the employees won't have a clue, but someone there will definitely be able to help you.

I hope you weren't serious.

Two home depots, asked people at both neither knew for sure which pipe was ABS, so i bought the black one as instructed, and it didn't dissolve in the acetone, whatever. I am going the bondo route. You guys are really rude. You act like I've never done a carpc before. I have, i've just never used solvent adhesives.

ou should've said before that you were having such trouble with Home Depot in the first place.

Sorry if I offended, didn't mean to be rude.

so...

to those people buying ABS pipes from Home Deport or lowes, state which store, and then provide us a UPC!!!

WE'RE RUDE??? omfg - get real. Now that you're finally talking like a human being I actually feel like helping.

I went to walmart the other day and saw a bunch of different-colored abs hangers on sale for $1.22 for like 20 hangers. they'd be much easier to cut up with a pair of wire cutters than a pipe would.

Just go to Lowes or Home Depot....look for the black plastic pipe in the plumbing department. It is used for waste water out of homes. Look for the identification/manufacturing stripe that is printed down the length of it. Somewhere in all that information will be what it is made of......It should say ABS and a bunch of other stuff.

Next, make sure you are using acetone. It is used as an expoxy and fiberglass thinner. I'm using ACE brand Acetone Extra Strength. Item number 12270 in a 16 oz can. Make sure that you use shavings of ABS, as chunks just take way too long to melt. I've found that mixing in a small plastic bowl (non ABS) to the consistency that I want works best.....then pour into a plastic squirt bottle to apply. I've been working on my lilli bezel for the past day or two and this works great. It really is quite well attached to the dash bezel. I'll get around to posting some pics.

Thanks a heap to coachreed for this information....really dreaded the epoxy, bondo thing.

Guys calm the insults and stupid questions/answers this is a useful thread. Most plastic components are labelled with the material they are made from in the moulding. Look at any of your car parts and in the moulding there will normally be a serial number, date and manufacture/revision and the material (sometimes in a circle) eg PP or ABS and this goes for a lot of domestic plastics you can potentially use as it is for recycling purposes.

Most guttering, drain pipes are ABS and if you are not sure buy a small pipe fitting, eg a bend, and take it home and try it. Most black plumbing parts are normally ABS but there are lots of other parts eg the hangers someone mentioned. Normally you can get scraps from plastic companies for free if you go along and explain its for a hobby. If you go to your 'home depot' which i assume is just a normal DIY store and are not sure try some 'polyweld' pipe. this is a 'special blend' (apparently) for melting with the solvent to make nice fast permanant pipe work but it is expensive Ia polyweld elbow cost the same as a fitting with seals and screw caps!!!!! - what is goign on there??). If anyone finds a reliable source of cheap ABS in black and white (potential for dying to match car parts) i suggest you post the exact part numbers and stores to help people who are not thet good with this kind of thing (we sometimes forget that different people have strengths in different area but yes a lot of people are just lazy and don't really try)

Originally Posted by shizzle

Great info, coach! Thanks! Now I know what I am going to do with my lilli!
Just one thing: can someone post some step by step pics of the actual forming and what not? I'm gonna start soon, and you all dont want to go by my example, that's for sure!
What color is that Oatey's cement? Is it black because its ABS, or could it be white or grey? Im just curious.
I'm definitely gonna experiment a few times before I try, so If anyone could post some step by step pics, or any more pics of ABS or Oatey's application, I'd very much appreciate it.
Great thread, thanks everyone!

thats all i was asking, its not that im lazy, ive made about 3 trips to home depot and lowes, spent about $15 in pipes because employees there said it was ABS but it wasn't. Any how, how fast is the melting process supposed to take? I cut up piece of ABS plastic from a model car I was building (the scrap, frame part) and it took over night for it to become a runny paste... all i saw within the first 30 mins was a slight flexible stick still... what gives? Im using acetone, same one Coach uses in his picture.