If one finds a split in one of the standard modern plastic water butts,
ubiquitous at B&Q and every garden centre, what is the best way to repair
it? I suspect the plastic is polypropelene, but I may be wrong. I wondered
about using a hot soldering iron to melt the plastc together, over the
crack, or woild it be better to use that black mastic gutter sealant stuff
sold in tubes for mastic-gun application? What do you think? Which would
make the strongest most durable repair?

TIA,

Al

Chris Hogg wrote in
:

I have in the past 'welded' the crack from the outside with a
soldering iron, but included in the weld a bit of stainless steel mesh
to provide reinforcement. I trimmed small pieces of plastic off the
inner rim of the butt to provide extra material and act as a welding
rod. On the inside, I applied some black Unibond gutter sealing goo
(after the butt has been well dried). Water pressure will push the goo
further into the crack, assisting the seal. That was several years ago
and the repair is still good, although I see another crack is
appearing nearby (both are near the tap; obviously a point of stress).
Be aware when using a soldering iron that the plastic melts very
easily, and it's quite easy to make a narrow crack into a great big
hole.

Thanks, Chriss; just the kind of guidance I needed! Where did you get the
stainless mesh from?

Al

On Aug 19, 10:44*am, "AL_n" wrote:
If one finds a split in one of the standard modern plastic water butts,

Replace is easiest.

To fix it, you 3mm stop drill the ends of the crack to stop it
spreading further. Then you place a patch over it. I usually use a
patch of old water butt, from one that has split badly. Attach with
big pop rivets and washers. You could also use aluminium, even double-
layer beercan. For beercan I'd patch both sides. Goop under the patch
with a polysulphide mastic ("roof repair" that can be applied wet -
works much better than silicone and cheaper than PU).

Also fix why it cracked. If it was permanently stressed from sitting
heavily loaded on tooo narrow a support, then you have to fix that or
it will only happen again.

it's quite easy to make a narrow crack into a great big
hole.

i found that too, when i popped my first GF's cherry

Chris Hogg wrote in
:

Ah! I thought you might ask. From the waste skip at my former place of
work, where scrap ends of such things were regularly disposed of. I'm
not sure where you'd find it otherwise. It was mesh used in big
industrial screens for removing oversize material from slurries;
approximately 1 mm aperture, although many sizes were available.
Phosphor-bronze was also used, and I imagine copper would do also if
you can find it. A quick search on eBay for stainless steel mesh
throws up all sorts, as always, but there are some cheap tea strainers
that might be strippable.


Yes indeed - the tea strainer idea is a good one! Anyway, I think I have
accomplished the repair effectively, thanks to your excellent idea of using
shavings as welding rods. I reckon that if the thing springs another leak,
it won't be in the same place!

Thanks again..

Al

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Gazz" saying something
like:



it's quite easy to make a narrow crack into a great big
hole.

i found that too, when i popped my first GF's cherry

It's a common problem.

"Grimly Curmudgeon" wrote in message
...
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Gazz" saying something
like:



it's quite easy to make a narrow crack into a great big
hole.

i found that too, when i popped my first GF's cherry

It's a common problem.


That's why they call her "Liberty Bell" :-)




--- Posted via news://freenews.netfront.net/ - Complaints to ---

replying to AL_n, pete wrote:
used the gutter sealant a couple of times. Lasts 8 months or so then seems to
get brittle and fail again.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...tt-724890-.htm

On 14/02/2019 13:14, pete wrote:
replying to AL_n, pete wrote:
used the gutter sealant a couple of times. Lasts 8 months or so then
seems to get brittle and fail again.

One solution that works reasonably well is a patch of butyl rubber pond
liner attached to the inside after careful cleaning and drying with a
good layer of the most aggressive high tack rubber glue you can find.

Needs some overlap onto sound material to stop the crack from propagating.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 14/02/2019 15:43, Martin Brown wrote:
On 14/02/2019 13:14, pete wrote:
replying to AL_n, pete wrote:
used the gutter sealant a couple of times. Lasts 8 months or so then
seems to get brittle and fail again.

One solution that works reasonably well is a patch of butyl rubber pond
liner attached to the inside after careful cleaning and drying with a
good layer of the most aggressive high tack rubber glue you can find.

Needs some overlap onto sound material to stop the crack from propagating.

What's the thinking about drilling a hole at each end of the crack to
stop propagation? Works with bronze cymbals!

Nick

I've never had much luck. The problem occurs if the butt freezes during the
winter and the weak point pops again.
Best chuck it and get a new one.
Brian

--
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Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"pete" m wrote in message
...
replying to AL_n, pete wrote:
used the gutter sealant a couple of times. Lasts 8 months or so then seems
to
get brittle and fail again.
--
for full context, visit
https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...tt-724890-.htm

pete wrote:
replying to AL_n, pete wrote:
used the gutter sealant a couple of times. Lasts 8 months or so then
seems to
get brittle and fail again.
Most of the plastics used for water buts can be welded, research plastic
welding.

On Thursday, 14 February 2019 13:14:06 UTC, pete wrote:
replying to AL_n, pete wrote:
used the gutter sealant a couple of times. Lasts 8 months or so then seems to
get brittle and fail again.


Eight years isn't too bad a life for a repaired water butt...

(See date of AL's post.)