Spray paint can tops are made of a thermoplastic that closely resembles the
plastic used in the dash and for the black switches.
Dash repair: The existing dash plastic gets brittle and cracks exposing the
foam underneath. Remove this plastic and clean up the area. Take your
black can top and cut into small pieces about 1 inch square. Use a forceps
or needle noise pliers to hold the plastic. Lght one corner of the plastic
with a lighter until it burns by itself. (It might not burn continuously so
keep the lighter handy). The plastic will start dripping. Drip the plastic
onto the foam hole in your dash. When you get a good layer you can smooth
it out into the existing dash with an iron, or a hot piece of metal (use a
propane torch for this). You can even texture the dash with a piece of coat
hanger haeated up with a torch.
This I would only use again if the dash needed to be completely replaced,
but I couldnt afford it. Cosmetically it looks fine from 10 feet away, but
looks crappy to the passenger....But hey..I was young and broke at the time.
To fix a switch (mine had the little leg broken off of one side that creates
the pivot point). I took a good switch shell (This was the black plastic
piece that rockers back on forth) and used some bondo to make a female mold
of it. This was very difficult and i almost destroyed the good switch this
way!!. I than took the spray can plastic and cut it into a strip roughly
the same shape. I made a popcicle stick stand to hold the plastic while I
heated it up (I dont remember the temperature..I just waited until it got
real soft and pliable). I than worked this plastic into my Bondo mold with
the popcicle sticks, complete with small tangs. I had to put the entire
mold into the oven a few times to keep the plastic soft while I worked on
it. The final part took alot of finishing with a dremel and epoxy to fill
in other gaps. The hardest part was the internal supports for the spring
and such. But in the end it functioned just fine....
Would I do it again? Nope...replacement switches are out there, and the
hassle of doing it this way just wastes time and does not come out
cosmetically good.
This is not what I would call a perfect fix (it is functional but not that
pretty and very time consuming). But I couldnt afford the repalcements when
I came up with these ideas...and I am very cheap. Usual disclaimers apply,
I am not responsible for your car bursting into flames etc......
Later,
Drew
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard D Arnold [mailto:richard.arnold@juno.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 1999 12:44 AM
To: mgs@autox.team.net; dstieber@PACCAR.com
Subject: RE: stuff and ramblings...
Drew:
>I have even gone so far as to mold new plastic
>shells using paint can tops and an oven.
I'd be interested in hearing more about this process. Would you share,
please?
Rich
Council Bluffs, Iowa
'74.5 RB MGB "Miss Maggie"
'78 Chevy Half-Ton "Waltzin' Matilda" (LBC Support Vehicle)
'79 Midget "Miss Molly"
richard.arnold@juno.com or rdarnold@neonramp.com
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