Need opinions on repair please

[Sublimeballs]

So I was supposed to trade for a good condition used boaphile 8'x2' enclosure the guy sold it after making the deal. But he has another that is cracked, I'm a very handy person. But I have no experience working with plastic. So I was hoping for some input on how I would go about repairing this damage, or if its a waste of time.

[Mikoh4792]

what is that? two cages combined or next to eachother?

There might be a better way to do this but i'm thinking a solvent that will bond the plastic to eachother in between the cracks.

[ErikBush97]

That sounds like a sketchy choice. He sells something after you make a deal and then tries to sell you something damaged... I'd just find another one. I'd bet you'll find more issues when you receive it.

[Donnie]

After him doing that I wouldn't buy anything from him, good deal or not.

[ErikBush97]

After him doing that I wouldn't buy anything from him, good deal or not.

x2... Even though I said it first ;)

[ErikBush97]

And look at the hinges in that photo... Old, and rusty... I know that isn't necessarily anything major, but it kind of gives an impression of the entire cage. Why would everything you can see be crappy, but the rest be in good or even decent condition? Just seems risky...

[Zoo Nanny]

You can get bonding agents for plastics at Lowes/Home Depot or at a Marine Supply. Some of them are epoxy based and easy to use like Gorilla Epoxy Syringe. The epoxys that come in a syringe are the easyest to use on small repairs. The syringe is two separate wells joined at the base. The epoxy mixes while you apply.

[marvelfreak]

And look at the hinges in that photo... Old, and rusty... I know that isn't necessarily anything major, but it kind of gives an impression of the entire cage. Why would everything you can see be crappy, but the rest be in good or even decent condition? Just seems risky...
You can easily replace them. That the only thing i ever had to replace on mine, but that expected when you have high humidity and metal. The crack should be a easy fix. I will say i drop one of mine down a flight of stairs and not so much as a scratch or crack. Makes you wonder what the heck they did to crack it.

[Terranaut]

I looks to me as if it was picked up from both ends with a heavy snake sitting in the middle. See the way the upper corners are crushed? Personally I would not accept that if it wasn't discussed at the time of the deal. If you do keep it and it is pvc just go to a plumbing store, buy some pvc cement and use a C clamp on the inside to crush it back together while the glue sets. You can take the hinges off and wash themwith an sos pad to remove the rust. If they still look bad paint them with a metal/rust paint .

[LarryS]

I'm not sure what those metal rusty things are, but they appear to be something added after the fact. They are on the top of the cage so I'm guessing some kind of latch, so there is most likely an issue with the original latches as well.

Epoxy for plastic as already mentioned would be my choice to bond that crack.

[Sublimeballs]

After him doing that I wouldn't buy anything from him, good deal or not.

Yeah it was a sh#*ty thing to do, and I'm pissed. But if my animal will benefit from it I'm willing to suck up my pride. The cage will not be shipped its local so ill be able to examine it more. But the crack here is what I know to be wrong and wanted to get some opinions.

Chuck you said you dropped one down the stairs, now I'm really wondering what happened to this one. How strong of a bond does the pvc epoxy hold? Do you think this is something ill have to repair time and time again? I'm thinking this cage will not be able to be the bottom of a stack.

[KORBIN5895]

Boaphile makes a sketchy product at best anymore. I have heard of a lot of people that have had their welds break.

[formica]

i personally wouldnt pay anything for that unit, thats a pretty substantial crack

if you really want to fix it, first you need to ensure that the crack wont simply carry on taring along its path after fixing (drill a single hole at each end of the crack, this will stop it cracking further) then i'd recommend welding, rather than epoxy or glue, to fix it



but tbh that pic is pretty useless, it doesnt tell us enough about where the crack is, how much load the area needs to take, etc

[knox]

IF that is the only thing wrong with the cage, a simple fiberglass or marine epoxy patch will make it the strongest point on the entire cage. VERY easy to do. Might not look great, but some touch up paint with Krylon Fusion will help with that. Or just sand it well and repaint the entire thing.

I would buy it in a heartbeat at the right price and fix that puppy up. But it would have to be DIRT CHEAP.

[Terranaut]

Why use anything but pvc cement? Seriously ??

[knox]

Why use anything but pvc cement? Seriously ??

I was thinking more of something that will not simply melt and bond, but would extend beyond the crack for a stronger repair.

PVC cement is great for joining, but I have never used it for crack repair.

[Terranaut]

If you put cement in between the 2 cages (its 2 bonded) and clamp them together the crack on the right one will just be a hair line and gaping like it is now. So a littke cement and a clamp will be way way better than trying to fill the crack up and hope it holds. Just my opinion but .....

[knox]

If you put cement in between the 2 cages (its 2 bonded) and clamp them together the crack on the right one will just be a hair line and gaping like it is now. So a littke cement and a clamp will be way way better than trying to fill the crack up and hope it holds. Just my opinion but .....

You are absolutely correct. It does need to be clamped together, so that the structure squares up. PVC Cement would probably work just fine.

There are several ways to fix that. Yours (PVC Cement and a clamp) would probably be the cheapest and easiest.

[formica]

Cement is excellent for clean, straight joints, and hairline cracks where the unit itself hasnt changed shape...i dont see how the crack shown in the photo could be forced together well enough for cement to work tbh, even the tinest gap will cause the cement joint to fail, or how it could be cleaned well enough to allow the solvent to work properly - cement should never be used as a 'filler' - what is needed, is an adhesive sealant, to fill the gaps, not a cement, or better still a weld.

Epoxy is the next best solution, welding would be the most aesthetically pleasing, most water tight (depending on how well the surfaces are prepared before hand in both cases)

[knox]

True. It's all about the damage from the crack and the deformation of the structure.

All of this, though, points to viable options for a good repair if it is not too damaged and the price is right.

[LarryS]

Boaphile cages are all assembled and then the bonding substance (?) is applied after assy. The fact that the crack is opened up means there likely is more damage than is visible.

If the solvent could be used and ample clamping pressure applied with the joint in perfect alignment it could work. PVC cement needs adequate pressure to work, I have found that to be difficult under certain situations.

Even with the epoxy repair the underlying damage that is causing that crack to be opened up should be dealt with.

IMHO the repair could be done best with epoxy and a backer piece all clamped and bonded in place, only because of the condition of the cage.

Edit; I walked away from my phone in the middle of my reply, took too long and basically just repeated what you guys said!

[Terranaut]

Cement is excellent for clean, straight joints, and hairline cracks where the unit itself hasnt changed shape...i dont see how the crack shown in the photo could be forced together well enough for cement to work tbh, even the tinest gap will cause the cement joint to fail, or how it could be cleaned well enough to allow the solvent to work properly - cement should never be used as a 'filler' - what is needed, is an adhesive sealant, to fill the gaps, not a cement, or better still a weld.

Epoxy is the next best solution, welding would be the most aesthetically pleasing, most water tight (depending on how well the surfaces are prepared before hand in both cases)
Its 2 boxes sandwiched together with the common walls cut out. There will be a lip inside. Vice grips would hold it and clamping it will force the shape back to normal somewhat.

[Sublimeballs]

i personally wouldnt pay anything for that unit, thats a pretty substantial crack

if you really want to fix it, first you need to ensure that the crack wont simply carry on taring along its path after fixing (drill a single hole at each end of the crack, this will stop it cracking further) then i'd recommend welding, rather than epoxy or glue, to fix it



but tbh that pic is pretty useless, it doesnt tell us enough about where the crack is, how much load the area needs to take, etc

The crack is dead center so thats where all the stress will be. the boaphile 8x2 s are two 4x2 bonded togather. Idk I might pass on this one. but I was looking into getting the pvc sheets to make my own cage, didn't realize how much the stuff cost. Might just have to build a wooden cage.

[formica]

Its 2 boxes sandwiched together with the common walls cut out. There will be a lip inside. Vice grips would hold it and clamping it will force the shape back to normal somewhat.

ah i see - i'm not convinced the horizontal crack could be fixed that way tho - tbh the whole thing looks very deformed

The crack is dead center so thats where all the stress will be. the boaphile 8x2 s are two 4x2 bonded togather. Idk I might pass on this one. but I was looking into getting the pvc sheets to make my own cage, didn't realize how much the stuff cost. Might just have to build a wooden cage.

if you get the enclosure for nothing, then its worth trying to fix it i think, if it doesnt work, well at least you can take the doors off and save yourself some money in your new build, coz acrylic isnt cheap!

yep its expensive to build plastic cages, but, they last longer, so it should even out eventually - that said, choosing a safe plastic is very important, if you do go down that route, avoid all PVC's with Phthalates (plastiziers), solvents and heavy metals, so check the datasheets

If you have access to a van (eg ford transit, dont know what you guys call vans in the US) then you may be able to pick up a sheet of PVC direct from a manufacturer's local distributor, you will find the cost to be allot lower than retail prices, but as soon as you add delivery, its just not cost effective.

[KORBIN5895]

So cut four 2"x4" out of something about 3/16" thick. Bond them and pop rivet them with the cage sandwiched between. Said and done.