HDPE repair

I have a couple of trash and recycling wheelie bins that are starting to fail. I will attach a couple of mending plates and try some hot glue. The generic glue sticks are EVA which may not bond to HDPE. The replacement costs for the bins are only $70 so I won't spend a lot for a welding kit or hardware.

Anyone tried any of these type products?

Ebay has car bumper repair kits.

H.F. has a $50 welder with ABS, PP, and PVC rods

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with High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Plastic Welding Rod, 1/8" diameter, 30 ft.,

Reply to
Stumpy
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I don't know if glue will hold but I fixed one of mine (before the city eventually replaced it) by just drilling six holes and bolting a (scrap) sheet metal plate across the broken area.

My cost was zero

Reply to
philo

Cut up a plastic milk jug for the donor HDPE material.

Fuse it with a hot air gun or soldering iron. Use a light dimmer to make the air/iron run much cooler.

Reply to
mike

There is no good glue for polyethylene but fusing the plastic, adding more of the same plastic should work.

Unfortunately when PE starts to crack the whole polymer product has probably been degraded by oxidation and sunlight and may no longer be useful and best just be replaced.

Reply to
Frank

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Damn.

I already used a couple of Simpson mending plates and tried some EVA hot glue. When that fails I can afford a new one.

Reply to
Stumpy

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When the city replaced it, did they charge you? Property taxes pay for "free" disposal here, but the bins are my expense.

Reply to
Stumpy

There's a whole row of damaged bins in my neighborhood. Probably a maladjusted robot arm.

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Repair job opportunity.

Reply to
Stumpy

The EVA hot glue sticks didn't bond all that well so next I tried burning polystyrene coat hangars similar to applying P-Tex onto a pair of skis. Still not ideal so I got

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for my 140 watt Weller soldering iron. Wore my trigger finger out after about 12" of repairs. Burning 1/2" strips of a cut up jug and dripping it onto the joint works pretty well. It goes fairly fast and you can go back over it multiple times to reinforce the repair.

Neighbors are looking at me funny.

Reply to
Stumpy

try an Ungar-style pencil iron with a BIG tip. use a light dimmer or variac to set the temperature. This site has a temperature chart:

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I use a SMT hot air rework station to get accurate temperature control. A butane soldering iron with a hot-air tip works too, but you have to be careful not to overheat.

Reply to
mike

Thanks for the link. I was looking at melting temp instead of welding temp.

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I'm OK with my hillbilly burning technique. Don't really need any more equipment for what should be an occasional problem.

Reply to
Stumpy

Stumpy posted for all of us...

Rightly so.

Reply to
Tekkie®

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