Epoxy to fix the crack on the plastic clamp (for the light)?

Levinson

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I'll be getting a secondhand aquarium light (aqua knight v2) with a crack on the plastic clamp (as shown below).

Would the epoxy glue be good enough to fix the issue? Or is there a better stuff/method for the job?

Resized_20201023_183449.jpeg
 
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Levinson

Levinson

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Super glue should hold that , like the aquaforest one
That would be great. I was just worried because I heard somewhere that super glue is not that great with most of the common plastics. Not sure if it's true though.
 
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Scratch08

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There are a myriad of epoxy plastic "welders" available on Amazon, and possibly available at your local automotive parts stores or HD/Lowes. I have used the Permatex and the JB Weld in the past with good results.

This one


Or this one
 

Brewtoszek

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Gorilla glue (the original polyurethane version) is pretty tough stuff, they say not to use on polypropylene or polyethylene which i wouldent think that is made of(but just a guess). JB weld is good stuff too, i'd bet either would be fine, or probably even most of the epoxies you'd get in a big box store. Worst case im sure one of us could 3d print you a new one!
 

SteveMM62Reef

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Mitrealpel Super CA Glue and Primer, available on Amazon. Practice how you are going to clamp it first, because it grabs quickly! I don’t recommend using you fingers, don’t ask me how I know this, LOL. BTW It will not stick to Wax Paper.
 
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Levinson

Levinson

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Thanks for the input guys.
I'm having a hard time finding the exact products you've suggested for me locally so I'll have to make do with a similar kind of stuff that I can find here.
It'd make things easier if I knew what kind of plastic the clamp is made of. I could be wrong but I'm guessing it'd be either ABS or HDPE. If it's ABS, I think I should be able to weld it. If not, I might as well glue it, enforce it, rough the surface up and smear epoxy all over it, etc, do whatever I can to make it work.
I read that you can tell what kind of plastic they are by burning them. I kind of don't want to try since I might not be able to tell them apart and just end up burning it.
 
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mfinn

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I would try finding a similar piece of plastic and make a couple patches. One over the back side and one over the top.
I would rough up the clamp plastic with sand paper and the patch material and use a 2 part epoxy.
Most 2 parts say they are good for many materials. Just pick one and go with it.
 
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Levinson

Levinson

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I ended up two parts epoxy glueing it. Sanded the surfaces and applied quite a bit all over the area, on the crack, at the top and bottom.
It doesn't look pretty, in fact, it looks dang ugly and I sure could have done a better job (too glossy and uneven) but I think it will hold.
Thank you all.

IMG_20201026_220944.jpg

IMG_20201026_221001.jpg
 

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