# Plastic skirt welding-Do I need a proper job?



## mike800966 (May 1, 2005)

I rather sillily allowed the 'van to roll back into a crash barrier and have cracked/ split the rear skirt- I daren't repeat what chatnav said but it was a pressurized moment!:surprise:

Has anyone had this skirt plastic repaired?
Its the usual dark grey and the damaged bit is the right angled piece around the rear light, I think its all there just need the crack closing and a little surface filling

Presume its worth getting done properly rather that DIY, I hate to think what a new one would cost or even to know where to start looking


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Yes, I've had that done.

I'd definitely go professionally, though I have no skills in that area.

It was a good job though so long ago I couldn't tell you cost or anything useful.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

I cracked the front skirt on our van a couple of years ago by driving off the top of the Millenco ramp.  I took it into a local body repair shop and they did a perfect repair job including a respray of the affected area. As I recall it they removed the damaged section, did the repair, put it in a low bake oven and then resprayed it. I'm sure it was more complicated than that but it cost me about £350.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Are you sure it's plastic, some are made of fibre glass and are a much easier repair.


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## pete4x4 (Dec 20, 2006)

A lot of plastic skirts are ABS which can be repaired wirh MEK _Methyl ethyl ketone, _it melts the two surfaces when brushed on so when pressed togethe they can be welded together, dries very quickly
I repaired a wheel arch with it few years back.


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## deefordog (Dec 31, 2013)

I used this guy to repair the front valance, again after coming off the levellers http://www.bumperscuffshrewsbury.co.uk/services.html. Not saying he'd come to the Glos area but maybe there's someone similar in your locality.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

pete4x4 said:


> A lot of plastic skirts are ABS which can be repaired wirh MEK _Methyl ethyl ketone, _it melts the two surfaces when brushed on so when pressed togethe they can be welded together, dries very quickly
> I repaired a wheel arch with it few years back.


Or acetone. My car is made of ABS and I've done lots of repairs on it and all kind of things using acetone, though I've usually also had some of the same plastic of the right colour dissolved in acetone to use as a filler.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

OP - I live in Gloucestershire too. I also have a crack in my rear bumper so I would be interested in any solution you come up with.

I got 2 quotes for mine at £450 and £500....









So I have put a bit of tape on it which exactly matches the grey colour, for now.

Graham :smile2:


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

I have got ( a bit more) ignorance to display:wink2:

How does one determine which plastic the skirt is made from? and what is ABS?

I know how to test for fibreglass as most is not gelled on surfaces out of sight (gel is expensive) so one can feel behind for the fibre-matting.

Geoff


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

nicholsong said:


> How does one determine which plastic the skirt is made from?


Surely everyone can tell the difference between thermoplastic olefins, polycarbonates, polyesters, polypropylene, polyurethanes and polyamides can't they?!!!:grin2:


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

:laugh: Precisely:wink2:


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

If you want to know if it's ABS shave a tiny bit off from where it can't be seen and put it into a glass jar with a little acetone. If it dissolves in it it's ABS. Lot's of thing are made from ABS.

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, why would you want to say all that when you can just say ABS?


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Look in Yellow Pages for a car bumper repairs.
Had mine done a couple of years ago when it eventually had more cracks than bumper. I was able to remove the bumper (Chausson) and deliver it to the repair shop. The guy made a first class job with the back of the cracks looking very similar to a metal weld.
His only query was for a paint colour code. Seems they don't have colour codes for dark grey contrast skirts! His spray man just did nearest match, which was perfect.
Of course that bumper is long gone, it's successor I bought from a dealer who was having a workshop stores clear out . At half price it cost about £350. That bumper bit the dust in April during an accident recovery in France.
More about that later when I've got the Motorhome back from the repairers! :crying:


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

peribro said:


> Surely everyone can tell the difference between thermoplastic olefins, polycarbonates, polyesters, polypropylene, polyurethanes and polyamides can't they?!!!:grin2:


Yeh...come on Geoff









Graham :grin2:


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

do a Google search for a 'plastic surgeon' in your area they can match colours in their van


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

erneboy said:


> If you want to know if it's ABS shave a tiny bit off from where it can't be seen and put it into a glass jar with a little acetone. If it dissolves in it it's ABS. Lot's of thing are made from ABS.
> 
> Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, why would you want to say all that when you can just say ABS?


Thanks, but cannot do a test here as they do not sell real acetone, just a very weak version which would probably not disolve a sugar cube. It is a bugger if you need a solvent for cleaning when using Sikaflex as their stuff really does not 'cut it' - literally.

Maybe the authorities think the Poles will drink real acetone:wink2::laugh:

Geoff


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

For cleaning up Sikaflex white spirit is the job.

I mail order acetone from Amazon.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Sprinta said:


> do a Google search for a 'plastic surgeon' in your area they can match colours in their van


Thanks for this. I emailed them with a couple of photos.

We'll see how they go

ta

Graham :smile2:


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

GMJ said:


> Thanks for this. I emailed them with a couple of photos.
> 
> We'll see how they go
> 
> ...


So what's it going g to be. Nose job or boob enhancement? :grin2:


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Spacerunner said:


> So what's it going g to be. Nose job or boob enhancement? :grin2:


I thought this was a post reversing boob job?

The easiest way to get the right stuff for ABS repair is to go to somewhere like Screwfix and buy some 
http://www.screwfix.com/p/evo-stik-...fa279720706f&gclid=COeFg4O-t80CFUeeGwodSCYNKQ


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Stanner said:


> I thought this was a post reversing boob job?
> 
> The easiest way to get the right stuff for ABS repair is to go to somewhere like Screwfix and buy some
> http://www.screwfix.com/p/evo-stik-...fa279720706f&gclid=COeFg4O-t80CFUeeGwodSCYNKQ


Useful to know they deliver anywhere in the EU.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

nicholsong said:


> Useful to know they deliver anywhere in the EU.


Well just about every driver who has delivered to me recently has been either a Pavel, a Lezsek or a Lukasz.
Ohh and there was one called "Danish".

So they should know the way. :wink2:


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## alexblack13 (Feb 10, 2013)

The motorcycle repair guys are constantly welding plastics. I believe that ABS is simple for them to repair and paint?

Pal of mine once dropped my Honda VFR750 and the repaired panels were faultless. I also backed my car into the garage and forgot my Honda ST1100 was behind and did not stop till I heard a loud Crash. Oopps!

Same again with the same company. Different colour though. ;-) 

Might be worth a try?

All the best with your repair. It will all be fine I am sure.

Al' .....


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Had two ST1100s, cracking bikes, but made my little fingers go numb, first bike I could do a (successful) stoppy on   I bought the second one as a write off and rebuilt it, but never felt right on it so moved it on, didn't like the 1300s though.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Stanner said:


> I thought this was a post reversing boob job?
> 
> The easiest way to get the right stuff for ABS repair is to go to somewhere like Screwfix and buy some
> http://www.screwfix.com/p/evo-stik-...fa279720706f&gclid=COeFg4O-t80CFUeeGwodSCYNKQ


That's the job for sticking it together which on it's own won't usually make a tidy repair.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

You won't need to have that glue delivered Geoff. It's the same stuff as is used for sticking plastic waste pipes together and can be bought in any builders suppliers.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

erneboy said:


> You won't need to have that glue delivered Geoff. It's the same stuff as is used for sticking plastic waste pipes together and can be bought in any builders suppliers.


I was not referring to that product alone, just the fact that if I could not get something locally, but which Screwfix sell, I could use that service, so just noted it.

Geoff


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

That's why I only referred to that stuff Geoff.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

GMJ said:


> Thanks for this. I emailed them with a couple of photos.
> 
> We'll see how they go
> 
> ...


Update

Thy emailed back yesterday saying that they think they can help but have passed my info over to one of their techies who will contact me!

Graham :smile2:


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Well they have come in £85 cheaper than the other 2 quotes I have. The next cheapest is from a local caravan specialist chap who has done (good) work for me before so I'd probably need some persuading.

Plus their quote isn't a quote its an estimate based on photos with a caveat to re-estimate if they turned up and it had a larger scope than they thought.

Lastly they state that I would need to provide my CC details prior to them turning up OR full cleared payment by BACS!

Hmmm...









Graham :smile2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

GMJ said:


> Lastly they state that I would need to provide my CC details prior to them turning up OR full cleared payment by BACS!
> 
> Hmmm...
> 
> ...


That trick is getting more common these days I'm afraid, I won't use any company that tries it.

Same goes for restaurants which want paying before you sit down, yeah right.


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