Repairing Taillight Lenses, What dissolves the glue & not plastic? Options

[markb]

I scored a nice pair of Euro lenses, but the backup lens is broken off of both of them. I'd like to transplant backup lenses from a pair of broken US lenses. Anybody know a real good glue dissolver that won't hurt the plastic of the lenses? And conversly, a good glue to use to put the Euros together with?

[Brando]

To dissolve the glue... I really don't know. That could be tricky...

To reassemble, try some MEK (Methyl Ethyl Keytone). It will dissolve plastics so you can put them together when it evaporates you've got a single piece. Just be careful what you get it on.

[Dave_Darling]

To diassemble, perhaps put them in a vise and hit the backup lense with a hammer? The idea being to support the part you don't want broken off, and have the edge of the support be right on the edge of the junction between the white and red parts.

Or perhaps cutting them with a very fine-toothed hacksaw or razor blade/razor saw would be a better idea?

To re-assemble, you might try cyanoacrylate (super glue) or even model airplane glue!

--DD

[markb]

Dave, I thought about using a dremel, but looking closely at the lenses, it looks like there are some overlapping areas, and I'd like to retain those, if possible.

Brando, is there a generic name, or a name the MEK is sold under (other than MEK, of course (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) )? And where would I get it?

[Cap'n Krusty]

FWIW, MEK is REALLY NASTY stuff. It attacks the liver, and goes right through your skin and lungs. The Cap'n

[markb]

Hmmm, guess I'll pass on using it. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

[Katmanken]

Methyl Ethyl Keytone

Became hard to get in the late 70's....

Nott hat thereee iss anytng wrong wittth meee after usig it...

kne

[Gint]

You can buy it at any Ace Hardware store. I probably won't, but you can.

[goose2]

Superglue works for putting them together...especially if you use the gel type with accellerant that is available for some...sprinkle with baking soda for a makeshift accellerant. For cutting you might try a "razor saw" available at hobby shops that sell model building stuff. I doubt if you'll be able to get a clean break at the factory joints...the things are chemically welded together. Another tip for old cracked plastic lenses: There's an adhesive sold at plastics supply places for acrylics that is very low viscosity and flows like water......comes in a little bottle with a needle applicator. If you apply this to cracks it will wick into them and they will disappear like magic. A little plastic polish wll do wonders when you're done.

[jimtab]

Mark, 3m makes an adhesive solvent that is available in most industrial hardware stores and paint/body suppliers, don't know if it will work tho because most hard plastics are "welded" by glue that fuses them, so there really isn't anything to remove.... good luck, if you can't find the remover we carry it at the store I work at all the time.

[jimtab]

QUOTE (goose2 @ Oct 12 2005, 06:20 PM)

Another tip for old cracked plastic lenses: There's an adhesive sold at plastics supply places for acrylics that is very low viscosity and flows like water......comes in a little bottle with a needle applicator. If you apply this to cracks it will wick into them and they will disappear like magic. A little plastic polish wll do wonders when you're done.

I also stock this glue in the store....good stuff.