Source for ABS plastic

[SteveM]

I need to fix my camper, and one thing that was suggested was to get some ABS plastic and melt it with MEK to make a paste.

Then prep the crack, just like metal welding, by vee-ing the crack. Brush some MEK on the crack to soften it and then trowel on the abs/mek paste.

Harbor Freight used to sell ABS plastic welding rod, but when I went down to get some, they no longer carry it (only PVC).

Any idea what I can use for ABS? Need it in white to match the camper body.

Steve

[warmstrong1955]

Several sellers on fleaBay.

Bills

[SteveM]

Several sellers on fleaBay.

Not sure if I have the time for delivery. Hoping to get this done this week before the snow hits.

edit: Just realized one of the ebay vendors is local, so I sent them an email.

Steve

[Harold_V]

With a lathe, it's easy to make thin strips of ABS simply by machining white ABS, assuming you can find some. In its natural state, it's amber in color. So then, the question is, is it ABS, or is it PVC?

By the way, one does not "melt" with MEK. Melt implies temperature. MEK dissolves, it does not melt, much the same way coffee dissolves sugar. While results may be similar, they are not one and the same.

Harold

[DavidF]

Any local 3d printers in your area? You may be able to get a spool from them, or even some failed prints. Look on 3d hubs.

Technically , a steak doesnt melt in ones mouth either but it is very descriptive of whats going. Lol

Melt, synonym= dissolve.

[Harold_V]

Technically , a steak doesnt melt in ones mouth either but it is very descriptive of whats going. Lol

Agreed. It also doesn't dissolve, although, given enough time, I expect it would (digestive enzymes in the mouth). Long before it would melt, anyway. Meat has a way of not melting, but burning away.

Melt, synonym= dissolve.

Just because several folks misuse a word doesn't make it proper. Technically, there is a difference, one that has already been explained. Some folks appreciate knowing the difference. Some may not.

I make mention of proper terminology because one is often associated with the language used. If one sounds as if he doesn't understand, he most likely does not. If one hopes to have others think of them as not knowing, yep, talk about melting when you mean dissolve. If they know the difference, it will be abundantly clear to them that you do not.

I bump in to this on a routine basis when discussing the refining of precious metals. All too many want to discuss melting when what they're really talking about is dissolving. An example---"I melted my silver with nitric acid". In that instance, it's not anywhere near the same thing, and can be the source of being completely mislead. For that reason, I tend to be somewhat anal.

How many folks want to "smelt" metal? (What they really want to do is melt metal)

Precious few, at least if they really understand what they just said. Smelting is the process of extracting metals from ores by heating and fluxing (smelting). Melting metal? That's a different animal. One melts when smelting (and he may even dissolve when smelting, such as lead being used to dissolve and capture metals that melt above the temperature involved), but one does not necessarily smelt when melting. A colt is a horse, but a horse isn't necessarily a colt, if you get my drift.

Bottom line? The use of a proper term is a disclosure to others that you know and understand, as opposed to not knowing and not understanding.

Harold

[DavidF]

Well Harold, lucky for all of us you didnt write the script for the wizzard of oz. Some how i doubt "im dissolving" would have had such an impact.

[Harold_V]

Well Harold, lucky for all of us you didnt write the script for the wizzard of oz. Some how i doubt "im dissolving" would have had such an impact.

Chuckle!

I live in a world of reality, and am primarily interested in what is true, not fantasy. I'll leave the fantasy world to those who enjoy that environment.

Harold

[DavidF]

Well Harold, lucky for all of us you didnt write the script for the wizzard of oz. Some how i doubt "im dissolving" would have had such an impact.

Chuckle!

I live in a world of reality, and am primarily interested in what is true, not fantasy. I'll leave the fantasy world to those who enjoy that environment.

Harold

Todays fantasy may be tomorrow's future.

[BadDog]

I think Harold's future is our today...

I will add that I'm not normally too pedantic, not into policing other people's word choice as long as they can be reasonably clear (I just ignore those that are otherwise). But I think that in this case the distinction is quite important. Particularly since it is very literally THE point of the process described, as opposed to an alternate process that would involve melting (aka plastic welding). Potentially even more important to correct communication than the use of "stone" vs "wheel".

[DavidF]

Ok, there is a term "vapor polishing" where the surface of 3D printed parts are smoothed. Typically the vapor is created from heating either acetone or mek. Sooo, is the parts surface being melted, dissolved, polished ???
If the vapor temp is at the glass transition temp of the plastic, and what if it is below it? Did i actually polish it?
What would be the best way to technically describe the process?

[BadDog]

I didn't really want to go down this road, my statement was made more in jest than serious intent.

However, if industry standard name is vapor polishing, then that is what I would use. But if discussion were to turn to what happens in the process, then I would think that the most accurate term would be to say that it dissolves the irregularities to produce a smoother finish. The resulting action would appear to be due to chemically dissolving rather than one brought about by temperature (energy input) with resulting phase change. Particularly with the energy reduction of the evaporation transition, I would strongly doubt that vapor temp is anywhere near melting temp for the material. However, if the environment were somehow both chemically reactive for dissolving AND at a suitable temp for melting, then I'm not sure what the outcome would be. Quite a vigorous and unpredictable reaction would be my guess. But that's just me rambling...