Quote:
Originally Posted by maxandkona
Looking at the suggestions:
The build up with ABS cement, fiberglass, and shopping bag is a little strange chemically. Fiberglass will add structure. Shopping bags are made of polyethylene which is thin version of the same material used in buckets. Neither should react with ABS cement but hard to argue with proven success. I hadn't thought about cleaning with ABS primer but that is a great idea.
The whole Permatex site looks like a good resource for a lot of patch and repair kits. The one for fixing tanks uses a two part epoxy with fiberglass reinforcement. That would work but doesn't take advantage of of the ABS material in the tank.
The ABS welding could work, although this is just a micro crack that doesn't have a gap to be filled.
Creating a paste with MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) and legos is very clever. Legos are made from ABS and MEK disolves just about any kind of plastic. It's also a good paint remover. This type of paste would have the same color as the legos, a real advantage for a cosmetic situation involving ABS repair.
Putting all this together...
I'm thinking to clean the area with ABS primer, make a black paste using ABS cement and ABS pipe shavings, reinforce with fiberglass mesh (drywall tape), and layering it up to cover the fiberglass. I would want to try this on a scrap pieces of ABS before trying on the tank. I'll get back to the forum on how this works.
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I forgot about using ABS shavings. I've heard of that before. You can make your own with an ABS pipe and a file or hacksaw.
ABS cement is, basically, MEK. Practice is a good idea. Working time is the issue, you would have to be very quick and don't forget to put a coat of ABS cement on the tank before applying the goo mixture.
I still don't see where the F/G tape comes in.
It won't stick to the tank and the cement won't work on it. If your thought is, "Holding the muck in place", I don't think that should be and issue. Adhesion should only take a few seconds, as the 2 surfaces make contact. Pressing the mixture tightly against the tank with a trowel for a few seconds should do the trick. It shouldn't stick to the trowel.
IMO, if you use the F/G tape, it could complicate any further repairs, in the unlikely event that the patch leaks in the future. If you fill the concave area with the goo that you've created, it might be a good idea to try to level the surface to the rest of the tank. That would facilitate an easier surface to make any future patches.