Cracked Dash Repair, Here is what I did... - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Peter4 · #31 01-25-2021, 06:00 PM

It's interesting when other people reedit your argument, and then criticize their version.

I am not arguing with authority or without authority, but I have seen reviews of people who have used Sugru on their dashboards, and it seems to work pretty well. Having had two Mercedes with crack dashboards, I spent countless hours looking at every possible repair, and this material seems darned interesting to me because it can expand and contract, has strength, and is not rigid to the touch.

I have referred to nothing as perfect, but just registering my interest in this material. I did not compel anyone to use Sugru, or even suggest that they do so. I'm just bringing it to the attention of the forum.

To the poster who published his recipe, have you made your homemade Sugru, and have you used it?

For small crack repairs it seems a much better idea to buy something that comes in many colors and can be blended to match the dashboard.

moon161 · #32 01-25-2021, 06:58 PM

I made some a while back. It seemed to have similar properties to the expensive stuff that comes in the mail. My dash looks like the back of and alligator or a dried lakebed and I don't mind it though. It occured to me that however its made, if you put mold release on the dash you could mold some to a textured area and let it set and peel it off. This would give you a texturing tool to apply to filled area (top surface also coated w/ mold release), whatever it was filled with. You could the get a textured fill then, interesting to see if it works.

moon161 · #33 01-25-2021, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

I believe it's good to share various methods .

I like to gather as much info as I possibly can then read through it all and figure out which way will work best for me .

Everyone has different skills and works in different ways .

I've been working out in the open on the ground for so many decades that I have fine tuned my methods, I don't think I'll ever have access to a proper shop again, not even a work bench yet I manage to muddle through .

I hope everyone here watched the recent you tube video of a guy in Russia who took a completely rusted and ruined Ural Motocycle completely apart, then restored & rebuilt it .

He didn't have access to the many things we do here in the U.S.A. so he mixed up many different chemicals to do what he wanted to do. de rusting re plating and so on .

I'd be worried about the fumes and HAZ-MAT aspects of some of his works but he apparently knew what the was doing just as both of you here do .

For me, this forum is like FEE TECHNICAL SCHOOL ~ I've had a lot of factory, dealer and Tech school training yet I'm still learning .

THANK YOU ALL ! .

Preach on.

ngarover · #34 01-25-2021, 08:56 PM

The sugru looks interesting, ill have to mix some up and play with it. I use hacks all the time. One of my favorites is superglue sprinkled with baking soda. I've used it numerous times to replace rebuild plastic parts that are stronger than the originals. We need a hack thread.

vwnate1 · #35 01-26-2021, 02:32 AM

"Preach on. "

I'm also a vintage Moyocycle enthusiast and the Japanese ones from the 1960's tend to have unobtanium ABS side covers and other bits .

I' not talented like you alls but a buddy of mine took some ruined side covers and ground them up and mixed them with.....?acetone ? I don't remember what, he said it was nasty stuff, anyway he'd mix the two until he had a putty thick substance and use that to build up cracks, joint pieces and even make new areas .

I have one or to of his finished things and they're still solid twenty years later so you guys are onto something using talc or flour as an aggregate .

tdoublenastywitit · #36 01-26-2021, 10:16 AM

ya but can u guys just stop arguing once and for all lol...

Peter4 · #37 01-26-2021, 01:30 PM

There are probably many ways to create a good appearance when you're doing a crack repair, but the question is how will it hold up to the expansion and contraction which is part of living in the real world of temperature changes.

That's why I'm interested in any substance which is not simply rigid, but which has flexibility and can accommodate these temperature changes.

I'd also like to find the link to the remolded dashes for the W126, although I only have one small crack near the speaker grill.

jsb357 · #38 01-26-2021, 01:56 PM

very nice work...

aluminum · #39 01-26-2021, 07:22 PM

Great Post Thanks

I did the same thing but with J B Weld epoxy and only small cracks . Basically I did the same early stages you used but then Just used " Vinyl spray paint" right on top of the epoxy . Your idea to use Undercoating I really like and understand the light sanding to bring it dawn a tad . Good post good Job

ngarover · #40 01-26-2021, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter4

There are probably many ways to create a good appearance when you're doing a crack repair, but the question is how will it hold up to the expansion and contraction which is part of living in the real world of temperature changes.

That's why I'm interested in any substance which is not simply rigid, but which has flexibility and can accommodate these temperature changes.

I'd also like to find the link to the remolded dashes for the W126, although I only have one small crack near the speaker grill.

The expansion contraction heat cycle was a huge factor for me living in TN. Gets hot as hell, and can get very cold as well.. My car is garaged now, but there will be days that that it will suffer. I tried to only use materials rated for the heat cycles. it will be interesting to see how it holds up.