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GOT CRACKS IN YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL?
Keep it Together and Have it Look Good, Too!
By Scott Bixler, Contributing Editor
Trenton, Georgia

In character with the ruthless miser that I am, I am happy to report there is a way to keep plastic instrument panels together and still have it look good without spending a bundle of hard-earned cash. This method of repair is perfect for those of us who like to do as little work as possible and still have good-looking results.

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Crack in Instrument Panel
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If your plastic instrument panel has cracks, you have two options: replace it entirely or try to repair it. Because both options are expensive if someone else does the work, people often put off simple repairs like this until the parts are ready to fall off the airplane and are not easily repairable. The way to save money for your new airplane and not be embarrassed by what your interior looks like, is to do the repair yourself.

Because trim is not considered an airworthy item, it may be repaired by the owner as long as it doesn’t involve removing any airworthy item. Most panels are held in place by just a few screws and some retaining pins stuck into grommets, so removal is fairly straight forward. Removal of the panel is suggested to make the best repair. If you don’t want to remove it, you may do the repair in place, but it will not come out very pretty because the adhesive will end up on the wrong side.

Most interiors are made from ABS or AES, both of which can be treated identically for all intents and purposes when using PlastiFix.

If you have a tight fitting crack that doesn’t carry a lot of stress you may opt to use a thin cyanoacrylate adhesive like Insta-Weld that will wick into the joint. For most areas, I would recommend using PlastiFix because it is much stronger and can withstand a lot more vibration and stress. PlastiFix is an acrylic based adhesive similar to what dentists use to make dentures. It is super strong, sandable and paintable and it comes in black, white, or clear.

With all plastic repairs, you begin by cleaning the plastic with something like Super Clean Plastic Cleaner to remove all contaminants from the joint that will impede adhesion. Be careful what cleaners you put on ABS as many will dissolve or stain it! Test a small area if you are not sure if it is safe.

The next step is to v-groove out the crack on the backside using a Dremel tool. For the strongest repair you would do this on both sides of the part, but for most panels a one-sided repair is fine. A one-sided repair also eliminates the need to retexture the panel.

Make the groove go down to the front surface of the panel or about 99% of the way through.

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V-Groove Out the Crack on the Backside
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Once grooved out, sand the groove and about ½” from the crack, make a radius on the top edge of the v-groove to help eliminate the stress riser. 80 or 120 grit sandpaper works great for this.

Using a piece of aluminum tape, join the crack, taping the front side only. Run the tape the entire length of the crack to keep PlastiFix from leaking through. Be sure to press the tape into every nook and cranny and hold the part tightly together while doing this.

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Join the Crack with Tape
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Apply the correct color (black if you have black panel, white if you have white or cream colored panel) of PlastiFix to the backside of the repair.

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Apply Color PlastiFix® to The Repair
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Follow the directions on the package and you will have excellent results. If in doubt, the manufacturer has a helpful tech-support staff (800-633-3047) to give you pointers. Once applied, allow the PlastiFix to cure for half an hour minimum, then remove the tape.

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Remove Tape After PlastiFix ® has Cured
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Assuming everything goes according to plan, you should only see a hairline where the two parts were joined when you peel off the tape.

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Results After Application of PlastiFix ®
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It’s a common mistake to remove the tape too soon. Doing so may pull a little adhesive to the front and it will make the joint more noticeable. If the results are satisfactory, there are no further steps except to put the panel back in place.

In case you peeled the tape off too soon or if some PlastiFix leaked around the tape, finish the joint by lightly sanding the crack with 1000 or 1500 grit sandpaper until the area is smooth. If you were to use a more aggressive paper, you may wear through the surrounding texture and that is not what you want to do! If the repair is still more noticeable than you like after sanding, you can repaint the panel using Bumper and Cladding Coat Paint. Although it will not add texture, it will make huge improvements to the appearance for very little cost or effort.

As you can see in the photos, the repair is not invisible, but it is much stronger and better looking than an epoxy repair would have been. Best of all, it was inexpensive, easy and it makes you… er, your airplane look a whole lot better!

If you have any questions about this or any other plastic repair, please feel free to write to scott@buttercupairplane.com

Click to vist PlastiFix website

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