From: jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Fixing holes in center console
Date: 21 Aug 92 07:14:58 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.

drozt@ssd.comm.mot.com (Peter Drozt) writes:

>I recently bought a used Prelude and unfortunately, the previous owner 
>had a car phone mounted to the passenger side of the center console.  
>Since he wasn't kind enough to leave the phone behind, I am left with 
>just four holes and screws.

>The holes aren't all that noticeable, but if I could, I would like
>to fix them somehow.  Has anybody had experience patching holes
>in plastic or does anybody have any good ideas on how to go about
>doing this?

body shops can plastic weld the spots shut and can probably match the 
texture.  Here's a trick I use that works just as well.

You'll need the following:

* JB-weld or similar thick real epoxy.
* some parafin wax
* unsharpened pencil or similar object.
* something to make cold.  A can of butane, freon, ice cubes, etc will do.
* something to make gentle heat.  A hair dryer will do.
* solvent compatable with the surface to be patched.
* dye or paint to match the surface.
* a sharp knife.

Deburr the holes and slightly countersink them with the knife. No "puckers"
can remain.  In preparation for duplicating the texture, find another 
horizontal area on the piece.  Apply some silicone spray, Armor-all or similar
to the surface as a release agent.  Melt some parafin and pour a puddle on
the surface so it forms larger than the hole to be fixed.  While it is 
cooling, stick the end of the pencil in the wax so that the wax will 
harden around it and form a handle.  Chill the wax with the freon.
It will fall off the surface.  You will now have a reverse mold of the 
texture.  If the hole to be patched is on a curved surface, rewarm the 
wax and press it onto the surface until it fits the contour.

Mix the epoxy and let it sit for 30 minutes.  Heat slightly if possible.
You want to catch it right at the threshold of setting.  Heat the area
to be patched and apply the epoxy.  Make sure it flows through the hole
and brads out on the other side.  wipe off as much as possible.  Chill
the surface with the freon.  This will make the freon very hard.  
Use the solvent on a rag to clean the area of all extraneous epoxy.  
A slight dome of epoxy should prtrude from the hole.  Heat the epoxy until
it is slightly soft again.  Freeze the wax mold as cold as possible.  
Spray the surface of the mold with silicone spray.  Press it onto the 
epoxy to impress the surface pattern.  Examine the surface to see if the
texture matches.  Heat it and resmooth it if not.  If the texture is 
satisfactory, gently heat the area until the epoxy cures.  Don't get it
so hot that it flows and erases the texture.  When the epoxy is cured, 
paint the patch to match the surrounding surface.

John

-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC               |Interested in high performance mobility?  
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Newsgroups: rec.autos