Crap stuff I buy that doesn't work

[Station]

Without further ado:

 

Araldite - the stuff that comes in the dual syringe applicators. I've heard good things about this stuff - but I think it's crap. Am I doing it wrong? I'm mixing it correctly. I've used it to stick plastic, metal and alsorts and guaranteed it'll break off. For example, the rear boot blind on my Fuego had snapped from the mount. I used a thick piece of plastic and glued both sides together with the plastic as a 'bridge'. It was fine ... until I was showing a prospective buyer the car, opened the boot lid and good old Araldshite gives up and the boot blind simply detaches and comes cascading out of the boot like a bat, moments just before I'm about to proudly announce '... and the boot blind is unbroken and working fine'.

 

Mastic uberglue and their 'supa-grab' variants - I recently bought a tube of Tigerseal (or Sikaflex), but have previously used the different types of those tube applicators (that go in mastic guns), with their outrageous claims they will stick anything and will stick them for life - unfortunately, it's the life of a gnat, and anything means pretty much nothing. Crap. I have yet to try my Tigerseal to stick side skirts onto car body, and have been told once they're on, they will never come off. I used the crap stuff on my Subaru boot letters badge. The next day they had all slid down the boot like a bunch of contorted, chrome slugs, and I was the now proud owner of an Ubaru.

[Partridge]

I've come to the conclusion that all glue or bonding agents you buy from "normal" shops are crap. I used Araldite to glue a cracked piece of trim on a wing mirror up.

Yup, it held it together but it must go pourus when it dries, becuase it let water in and the indicator lence (one of those wing mirror mounted ones) has gone green and mouldy.

Then again I did buy it from The Range, and everything you get from The Range is crap, even the biscuits (how the hell do you fuck up biscuits?).

 

I used superglue, can't remember which make it was, to fix something around the house. But boy, that was crap too. Said item broke the next week.

 

I'm guessing you can buy professional grade stuff which will work. But if you're a mingebag like me, you won't bother.

[garethj]

For glueing small things with small gaps I use Loctite 454 gel, it's damn expensive but it rarely fails.

 

Araldite rapid isn't bad but it's very dependent on how clean the surfaces are.  Get in there with some isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud and get everything thoroughly degreased.  Wait for it to evaporate and get in with the araldite.  If you're glueing on a painted surface you need to score through the paint first so you're sticking to the bare plastic.

 

If it's a difficult bodge you can reinforce across the break, then cover with araldite.  For serious circumstances fibrelgass tape coated with epoxy will hold things together but it's only marginally prettier than sellotape wrapped around 10 times.

 

EDIT: just thinking about your boot blind repair, if you reinforce with plastic it needs to be the right kind.  Avoid any plastic with a waxy feel

[beko1987]

I bought some of this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Q-BOND-QB2-ULTRA-STRONG-ADHESIVE-AND-FILLER-REPAIRS-IN-TEN-SECONDS-/200887881563?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item2ec5d9cf5b

 

and its pretty damn good tbh, fixed alot of hoovers with it. Bit of a PITA to use, and doesnt leave an invisible fix, bit it holds

 

However, on the flip side I bought some of this:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JB-WELD-WORLDS-FINEST-COLD-WELD-2-X-28-4G-/130958110906?pt=UK_Body_Shop_Supplies_Paint&hash=item1e7db630ba

 

and its shit. Tried to stick some bits of plastic together and it all dried nicely, but as soon as you put pressure on the plastic to do what it was meant to to the JB Weld breaks, leaving you with 2 bits of plastic and loads of dried crap. PLUS one of the tubes split on me so everytime I used it I had to squeeze it out of the hole, and eventually it dried up so I chucked it.

[Partridge]

The packaging just screams Autoshite though.

 

[beko1987]

Another thing is shit tools. I bought a cable stripper from the car boot. Looked ok, cost £3. Went to strip the insulation off some 2 core flex and the whole thing snapped at the hinge, causing me to cut my hand slightly and swear alot. Shame really as my £1 stanley knife and £2 jewellers driver set are quite good!

[Partridge]

Do not get me started on shit tools.

[Vince70]

I find with tools if ebay and delivery from China are mentioned in the same sentence that normally means shite,

[Partridge]

Yeah, there's no way I'd trust any tools Ed China had used.

[overrun]

Yeah, there's no way I'd trust any tools Ed China had used.

Teng gear is decent.

 

Plus that roll cab thing appears amazegreat for carting around air cooled engines.

I trust everything Edd China endorses. Including Terraclean*.

[stuboy]

tigerseal is excellent at bonding

 

 

but a bitch to get of anything that wasnt being bonded

[face]

Used to produce Araldite here at work. In fact the 1950s factory still stands and is a glorious old hulk of a thing. Filled with more modern gear today though.

 

As an employee, you used to be able to pop over and chat one of the packing girls up and get a pack or two of Araldite for free. Mind you, I also could never get on with it and used to go and purchase something else instead.

 

True story.

[Station]

Great story Face!

[Sigmund Fraud]

On the subject of gloopy chemical stuff : windscreen repair resins !

 

I've used them on various occasions but the results have been really, really poor. Am I doing something wrong, or are they rubbish ?

[Station]

Rear view mirror glue pads (a tube of glue and a plastic gauze).

Excellent for rear view mirror falling off on the first speed hump. Rubbish.

 

Exhaust (repair) paste! Does this have a use? Cracks off due to vibrations through exhaust. And dissolves in water!

[brickwall]

I used the JB Weld to fix the exhaust and it's still there months later. Couldn't get it to work on anything else though.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Exhaust (repair) paste! Does this have a use? Cracks off due to vibrations through exhaust. And dissolves in water!

 

Yes, it lasts for long enough to get through an MOT. 

[garethj]

Or long enough to see if your car fails the MoT on anything else.  Otherwise it would be

 

"Nice new exhaust, sir.  Shame it failed on rusty sills, front brakes, handbrake, balljoints, steering rack, emissions, 3 tyres and an indicator."

[Joey spud]

Another vote for Tigerseal,its really good shit(e).

[catsinthewelder]

After squirting myself in the eyes with one of those shitty little 12 for a pound superglues from Tesco, Ms C let me use her bottle of this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vitalbond-CA-Thick-Super-Glue-Cyanoacrylate-VB04-20g-New-/121149419393?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item1c35116f81#ht_2028wt_934 and it is pretty damn good.

[Bren]

A lot of stuff like super glue has been "dumbed down" because you cannot trust mongoloids to use it without gluing various orifices shut.

 

Talking of tools, I've yet to find a proper use for mole grips - they grip fuck all, and when the tension is released they become the automotive equivalent of a bear trap.

[twosmoke300]

You must have shite ones, Irwin ones are great but do ping off well when you release them.

[Junkman]

Cars.

But I keep buying them.

[dollywobbler]

For re-sticking interior mirrors, just go to a windscreen specialist, act all friendly and blag. I employed this trick for the CX. It was a bloody heavy mirror, and the 'pads you can buy' proved utterly shit.

[Richard]

If you buy the pads from the main dealer they work fine and are cheaper than the Halfords ones. The Halfords pads come in a pack of two, which is a fair indication that they are no good.

[Pillock]

Super glue is for sticking fingers together.

As an aside, it's EXCELLENT for sticking up cuts. Stings a bit but I've not used a plaster for years, just bang a load of superglue in/on it and get on with stuff. By the time it all flakes off, it'll have healed.

 

Mole grips are excellent at trapping fingers when they snap shut. Almost every blood blister I've ever had has been mole grip related.

[twosmoke300]

Super glue only sticks 2 things, skin and the lid of the tube it comes in!

[Shep Shepherd]

Never had any luck with JB Weld. My efforts with Chemical Metal were far more successful.

[STUNO]

Araldite... Many years ago I was in Australia, about 50 miles west of Alice springs. Suddenly a hole appeared in the sump of the Holden, probably because I should have been going slower through a rocky riverbed. Araldite was used to plug the gash. Some hours were needed to be spent lying under the car to make sure the Araldite stayed put until it surface hardened, then 24+ hours for it to set. result a perfect seal which was left in place.

 

Superglue...Works well if used sparingly. Too much takes a long time to grip, and cold wet weather causes problems.

 

That's my experience of them !

[londonm]

For sticking trim on cars you need to order a roll of the correct 3M brand double sided foam tape, it's the only thing that's worked for me. I can't remember the exact ref number, but it was £15.00 for a small roll. I know that's a lot, but the stuff you find in motor factors and Halfords is utter shit.