28 Jul
2015
28 Jul
'15
10:22 a.m.
On 28/07/2015 17:52, Tothwolf wrote:
If they are made of ABS and the ball isn't
critical, why not mill or
drill out a small bit of the broken stem and solvent weld in some round
ABS stock to make a new stem? Methylene chloride (dichloromethane) works
extremely well for ABS (methyl ethyl ketone in my experience does not
work very well with ABS).
I think the ball size is fairly critical but the exact length of the
shaft is less so. The problem is that the ball normally breaks off just
where it joins the stem, and ends up stuck in the panel, so it has to be
extracted first (I use a small drill followed by an easy-out).
MEK is very commonly used for ABS here (industrially) and works fine for
me. It's even pretty good at welding (gluing, in this case, really) ABS
and PVC together (you need THF for PVC alone). And getting thin round
ABS isn't always easy, though some model shops do carry it. I'd insert
a bit of aluminium rod, myself, which makes it less likely to happen again.
--
Pete
Pete Turnbull