Flexible plastic bends when it comes into contact with another surface. There are times, however, when it cannot flex enough to prevent damage and it rips, creating a hole. Repair holes in flexible plastic, such as automotive plastic fenders, bumper covers, dashboards or interior trim panels, with an electric sander and a repair epoxy.
Instructions
- 1
Put on your respirator, safety goggles and rubber gloves. Clean the surface you are going to repair with a gray scuff pad to remove any residue or debris. Test to see if you removed it all by pouring a small amount of water onto it. If the water beads on the surface, then wax or another substance is still on the plastic and it will need to be scrubbed further. Keep cleaning with the scrub pad until water no longer beads up on the surface.
2Wipe off the surface with a clean microfiber towel. Wipe in one direction to remove contaminants or dust that remain on the surface and prevent smearing them into the surface.
3Sand down the ragged edges of the hole with an electric sander and 80-grit sandpaper until the area to be repaired is as even as possible. Sand 3 inches out around the area that is damaged to prep the surface.
4Exchange the 80-grit sandpaper with a 24-grit sandpaper on your electric sander. Turn the sander on at a low speed, and slowly make a V-shape groove along the edge or "dish out" the damaged area. If while you are sanding you notice the plastic dust melting or smearing, stop sanding and dust off the area. Clean it as before and continue sanding until the area has been completely dished out.
5Cover large holes with plastic repair reinforcing tape. Apply the reinforcing tape on the underside of the hole, 3 inches out from the damaged area. Press the tape down into the hole with a putty knife to remove air bubbles that may have formed.
6Apply a bead of the plastic repair epoxy over the hole, adding more epoxy until the hole has overfilled and starts to spill onto the surrounding area. Spread the epoxy out over the surface of the damaged area with a putty knife. Add more repair epoxy as necessary and continue spreading it out to make a continuous level surface on the repaired plastic.
7Wait 20 minutes. Sand the repaired area with 80-grit sandpaper. Sand the repaired area again, this time with the fine 180-grit sandpaper to smooth it down.
8Wipe off the surface with a microfiber towel in one direction. Apply an even layer of flexible plastic sealant. Wait 30 minutes and apply another layer of the sealant. Wait another 30 minutes.
9Prime the surface of the plastic by spraying it with an even layer of flexible plastic primer surfacer. Wait one hour for it to dry.
10Spray an even layer of guide coat black plastic spray paint. Wait one hour or until it has dried. Sand it down by hand with 400-grit sandpaper. Wipe off the surface with the microfiber towel. Apply matching topcoat by spraying an even layer of the plastic topcoat paint onto the surface.
