Making new tabs for side panels...

[malbojah]

I've come up with a new way to mold up the thick push tabs that are used to hold side panels in place.

Grab some wet foam from Jo-Ann fabrics:



Cut in half:



Press around a good tab to get the shape:



Tie together with zip ties, pour in favorite plastic (my choice is Duramix 4230)

Cut the ties, remove the mold and you're left with:



I used a nylon brush to clean off most of the leftover foam, then glued it onto the offending panel.




I thought it looked better than my first attempt at building a push tab from the ground up:



The only problem is the cost of the supplies. Duramix is expensive ($55 at my local CarQuest, $40 online shipped), never mind the cost of the applicator gun. But I do have a good working tab now.

[MK96xj]

  for ingenuity.

[auggius]

http://www.plastex.net

I've used Plastex to repair cracked fairings with some success. Stressed areas cracked again so I've redone the repair adding fibreglass backing. But the kit also contains a molding bar to repair missing tabs. I haven't used it but it looks straight forward. Plus the molding bar is re-useable.

[Black Ice]

Do you realize how much free beer you're going to get from folks with busted plastic who were about out of hope?  

[thetable]

http://www.plastex.net

I've used Plastex to repair cracked fairings with some success. Stressed areas cracked again so I've redone the repair adding fibreglass backing. But the kit also contains a molding bar to repair missing tabs. I haven't used it but it looks straight forward. Plus the molding bar is re-useable.

I have used the molding bar, and it does work, but takes a few tries to figure out the right temp to get the stuff to for it to mold properly, and the first couple examples will probably come out needing some help.

[Boxerdawg]

Genius! Dude!!    A "why didn't I think of that" solution if I ever saw one.

I'll be owing you a beer shortly.