Lexan body chopping advise

[akatz]

So I have this axial rubicon body and wanting to make into a brute, just wondering how everyone has made a tough joint with lexan. I was planning to use more lexan with fiberglass mesh tape and shoe goo but figured I'd ask to see what the best way is.
Rebuilding my scx10.2 so maybe I'll make a build thread but it's intimidating with all these amazing builders on here. Anyways thanks in advance.

[Natedog]

You're on the correct path, cut, heat (very carefully only if really needed), glue with E6000 (think of thinned out ShoeGoo) and sheetrock mesh tape, paint on the outside.

[Big Bill]

If you are careful and the paint is fully cured you wont even see the cut/join seam. A few carefully placed decals works wonders

[shiftauto]

Originally Posted by akatz

So I have this axial rubicon body and wanting to make into a brute, just wondering how everyone has made a tough joint with lexan. I was planning to use more lexan with fiberglass mesh tape and shoe goo but figured I'd ask to see what the best way is.
Rebuilding my scx10.2 so maybe I'll make a build thread but it's intimidating with all these amazing builders on here. Anyways thanks in advance.

Any update on the progress of this?

[akatz]

No progress yet, life has gotten in the way of my crawler projects in the past couple months but I will be doing this, Been driving it the way it is and seems more top heavy than I care for and it just looks to much like a mall crawler haha!

[akatz]

Well I've devised a plan and it's going to be way easier than I though. Going to pick up some e6000 in the morning and get after it. Here's where I'm at now, I'll post up pics once I get it ready for mesh tape and adhesive.

[RCMFMaxxMan]

This wouldn't work for this project because you are starting with a painted body, but if anyone else needs advice for unpainted lexan, Plastruct Bondene works great for fusing lexan pieces together. Just like on styrene, it melts the plastic together. If done well, the joint is as clear as the original piece of lexan, but edges and seams may require some prep to smooth them out before painting. Also remember to remove the protective film first!

[Natedog]

Originally Posted by RCMFMaxxMan

This wouldn't work for this project because you are starting with a painted body, but if anyone else needs advise for unpainted lexan, Plastruct Bondene works great for fusing lexan pieces together. Just like on styrene, it melts the plastic together. If done well, the joint is as clear as the original piece of lexan, but edges and seams may require some prep to smooth them out before painting. Also remember to remove the protective film first!

Great to know, does the lexan get more brittle from using the Bondene?

[SuperDrty]

I used shoe goo (or e6000) but use a piece of lexan as a backing piece for the joint, and then use light pressure from small spring clamps where I can just to hold it in place. On this body I didn't do any bodywork as I was rushing to get it done for a comp last year, so the joints are a little rough still.

This was the final result, with a styrene drop bed.



But the Facebook album for this body is here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=a846f0b041

Have fun!
Derek

[akatz]

Originally Posted by SuperDrty

I used shoe goo (or e6000) but use a piece of lexan as a backing piece for the joint, and then use light pressure from small spring clamps where I can just to hold it in place. On this body I didn't do any bodywork as I was rushing to get it done for a comp last year, so the joints are a little rough still.



This was the final result, with a styrene drop bed.







But the Facebook album for this body is here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=a846f0b041



Have fun!

Derek

Very nice work my friend! That drop bed turned out perfect. Thinking this winter I'll tackle the drop bed but for now it will have the tonneau cover look. I'm going to to my roof a bit different, plan is to have no roof seem. Going out of town for the weekend so hopefully I'll make some progress next week.

[RCMFMaxxMan]

Originally Posted by Natedog

Great to know, does the lexan get more brittle from using the Bondene?

No. Since it is only dissolving the lexan and then evaporating, leaving no foreign substance behind, the mechanical properties of the material remain unchanged. I performed a peel test (standard test for adhesive bonds) and, although I didn't actually measure the force required, it felt very much like trying to tear a solid sheet of lexan, i.e. it took a lot of muscle. The important thing is to get a good amount of mating surface area with a tight interface. Butt joints will be weak on the thicknesses that are common in RC bodies.

If you search the web for advice on bonding polycarbonate, you'll come across Methylene Chloride aka Dichloromethane as the recommended agent. This is the main ingredient in Plastruct's Bondene.

On painted lexan, I have also had good success with Shoe Goo including gluing other materials to lexan like aluminum light buckets for instance. Just be careful with Shoe Goo on styrene. It will soften and may even bubble and/or melt.

[SuperDrty]

Originally Posted by RCMFMaxxMan

Just be careful with Shoe Goo on styrene. It will soften and may even bubble and/or melt.

Huh, never had an issue with shoe goo and styrene, I used it to mate the drop bed to the lexan above, and on another truck as well. Granted, I don't glob it on, I always try and use as little as I can, smearing a thin layer over the parts to be joined.

[RCMFMaxxMan]

Originally Posted by SuperDrty

Huh, never had an issue with shoe goo and styrene, I used it to mate the drop bed to the lexan above, and on another truck as well. Granted, I don't glob it on, I always try and use as little as I can, smearing a thin layer over the parts to be joined.

My limited experience with Shoe Goo on styrene was glueing an aluminum tube to a sheet of styrene. I didn't over apply, but the Shoe Goo was essentially sealed off inside the tube. I think the Shoe Goo had a hard time drying and the solvents went to town on the styrene. Like you said, most other applications are probably no problem.

[akatz]

Well I think I got it good enough for who it's for. Still have some tweaking to do before I mesh tape and glue it together. Going to get the axial rigid light bar and mount to hide the ugly seam at the front but once that's on you'll never see it.

[akatz]

Got her out today, still waiting on my light bar to hide the front but should be here next week.

[Natedog]

That looks great, glad to see more peeps cutting up lexan and trying new body mods!

[TooOldForThis]

Originally Posted by RCMFMaxxMan

If you search the web for advice on bonding polycarbonate, you'll come across Methylene Chloride aka Dichloromethane as the recommended agent. This is the main ingredient in Plastruct's Bondene.

On painted lexan, I have also had good success with Shoe Goo including gluing other materials to lexan like aluminum light buckets for instance. Just be careful with Shoe Goo on styrene. It will soften and may even bubble and/or melt.

Will Bondene work for bonding styrene to lexan, or do both things need to be the same material?

[RCMFMaxxMan]

Originally Posted by TooOldForThis

Will Bondene work for bonding styrene to lexan, or do both things need to be the same material?

Not sure. It will dissolve both, but will the materials fuse to each other? Only a test will tell. If you don't have the material to test it, let me know and I can do it tomorrow.

[TooOldForThis]

Originally Posted by RCMFMaxxMan

Not sure. It will dissolve both, but will the materials fuse to each other? Only a test will tell. If you don't have the material to test it, let me know and I can do it tomorrow.

I don't actually have a project going at the moment, but I'll give it a try when I do. I haven't experimented with shoe goo yet either, so that's another possibility.

[M and M]

I've had no problem using Dichloromethane for Lexan to Lexan, and Styrene to Lexan, say for a dropped bed or reshape as in the VW shell. Can cause clouding though, but I tend to paint the outside anyway. I have given a skim of shoe glue to some very high stress areas in the past