Thread: Modifying a Plastic Bezel. Epoxy, Fiber, Bodyfiller+Resin?

Lots of questions there, my friend. Fortunately, there are lots of answers in similar projects posted on the forums already. I think that the reason no one has replied in two days is because you asked a bunch of questions. Do some research, post those questions one at a time, and people will probably be more forthcoming with answers.

I had good luck cutting, assembling, and painting my ABS plastic trim pieces using an epoxy putty (sounds similar to the stick you're describing), lots of sandpaper, Krylon automotive primer, a red bondo filler paste, more sanding and primer, and a lacquer-based color matched top coat. A few pics are in my worklog...link is in the sig.

Good luck.

from my experience, i'd recommend doing the abs sludge method of bonding the plastic instead of using fillers and fiberglass

well since I asked so much and got no response i did this

I took the large sheet of abs plastic i got from partsexpress. made a cutout that filled in the holes in the bezel and epoxied it in

Then I laid down a layer of fiberglass bondo and made a huge mess.

then I laid down large globes of gold bondo and tried to smoothen it out. In the end made a larger mess and stunk up the place bad. Also seems like I used too much hardener as it hardened up fairly quickly

we shall see what happens tommorrow when I attack it with a rasp/file




As for reading up. I've read every forum and every post I could here. Literally have spent months doing such. I just keep seeing the run around. use this, dont use this. No dont use that use this! and so on, over and over again. The bezel was free so I dont mind screwing up. I still have 2 more. We shall see what happens.

I need to make a cutout of where the screens going to go. I know I should have done that first in the abs sheet I epoxied in but the fumes confused me!

I must say. my first attempt at bondo was a magnificent failure!

I did use way too much hardener. While I was trying to form/smoothen it out it hardened on my plastic putty spreader. Big giant lumps were left! It was great!

Seems the fiberglass cargroom filler didnt like sticking to ABS much. I was able to, with good force and flexing, remove it from the bezel. as seen here



Heres the bezel afterwards



Pic of bezel, backside of bondo creation and my touchscreens bezel



Now im back to square one. The abs sheet is fully epoxied in. I cant punch it out even if I wanted to.


Should I cut the hole for the screen now? Any ideas on how to make this cut easier?

Or should I just bondo it, smooth it out. then cut the hole and continue smoothing/shaping.


It seems bondo gold will stick to abs alone. I did a small test patch and I cant get it off. So i wont be using the fiberglass reinforced stuff for this. I'm going to try to get bondo to stick to the dried epoxy next. if that works out then I might use the other two tubes of plastic weld I have to fill in as much as I can. then bondo.

Larger pics here
http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...gAnch=imgAnch1

well, if i did this i would have done something like "Mega" did http://megatr0n.blogspot.com start from the bottom

remove the bezel from minitor, cut a hole in you faceplate exactly minitor size (you should have decided whether you want to stay with buttons)

attach the bezel to the faceplate with epoxy, use body filler to fill the cracks, and sand until satisfied, then plant the screen, and you are set

Yev

Originally Posted by scott_fx

from my experience, i'd recommend doing the abs sludge method of bonding the plastic instead of using fillers and fiberglass

technically Scott is right, because technically you are bonding 2 different compounds, on the other hand i lot of people got away with body filler, after my screen was finished i have laminated it in vynil to preserve against chipping

Yev

Originally Posted by Yevmeister

well, if i did this i would have done something like "Mega" did http://megatr0n.blogspot.com start from the bottom

remove the bezel from minitor, cut a hole in you faceplate exactly minitor size (you should have decided whether you want to stay with buttons)

attach the bezel to the faceplate with epoxy, use body filler to fill the cracks, and sand until satisfied, then plant the screen, and you are set

Yev

Theres the problem. I dont want to use the default monitor bezel as if i want to sell this monitor in the future i'd like to be able to put it back together.

I dont want the buttons but I do plan on relocating the ir sensor somewhere into the bezel.

Right now im thinking i'll first cut the hole for the monitor, then I'll use the rest of my abs sheet to fill in as much as i can with epoxy and abs sheets

Lastly I'll bondo. Doing this would mean using alot less bondo than if i tried to fill it all in with filler.

well by doing that the difficulty is handred times tougher

but here is the solution, you can buy a empty 8 inch dimater liilipiut monitor housing, i am sure that lcd panel is the same, so it will scren in in hinges no problem

$15.00 @ http://digitalww.com/lilliput_housing_8.htm

the only other simple way i see you accomplishing is custom Plexiglass cutout, where you can implant lcd hingles, and infrared

Yev