How to repair small screw holes in Pelican cases?

[pluton]

Geez, guys: Epoxy, hot glue, roofing goo? Really? Rigid adhesives for an inherently flexible material that is notoriously slippery?
Think!
Please seal the small holes in your Pelican with RTV(Silicone rubber sealant).
Not "contains silicone" bathtub/sink caulk.
I personally recommend the Permatex "Ultra" series of fine RTV materials, available at any auto parts store.
Your choice of black, gray, maybe red.
The Ultra series seem to be particularly stiff when cured and make a good match for the 'stiff flexibility' of the polypropylene that the cases are made out of.

 

[Brian McVickers]

Try using a kayak repair stick
http://www.rutabaga.com/Plastic-Repair-Stick_p_287.html

Brian

 

[nat]

Use these screw on rivets you can find in the hardware store, then set it with the salt water JB weld. Low profile and a good long term solution.

 

[RangerXLT]

I just did a destroy in field with Pelican on a 1720. The case is pretty rough but plan on keeping it around for whatever comes up. They are larger holes so I plan on using G-Flex to repair them.

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[java]

A little sealant of your choice, and a couple washers and button head bolt and nut.

 

[jeepdreamer]

I wonder what pelican does? Don't they have like a lifetime warranty or something? You send them your damaged one and they fix or replace it.??
I have about a dozen small (1150 cases?)

that were used as switch boxes for pyrotechnics. I'd love to repair the holes that were added instead of sending them to pelican and them likely just throwing them away. They work fine just need the holes filled. Anyone come up with a good solution?

 

[RangerXLT]

To my knowledge, and I've used their warranty a few times, they will not replace a case if it's been modified like that. If the case is in fact damaged they will have you either send it in, send you a part, or have you destroy it in field as they call it. For instance my post from before was a destroy in field.


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[Whtshos]

The screw on rivets Nat described work with sealant. Depending on the hole size, an aluminum rivet with a washer and RTV sealant works great also.

 

[precision powder]

Use two part plastic weld. Apply from both sides and overlap past the edges of the holes so it has a good bite on the plastic from both sides. It is waterproof and works excellent. I used it to repair some large plastic dock floats 8 years ago. They still work to this day

 

[RangerXLT]

The screw on rivets Nat described work with sealant. Depending on the hole size, an aluminum rivet with a washer and RTV sealant works great also.

This too, I used rivets to mount L brackets and sealed them up with a basic silicone and no leaks.


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[AlbanyTom]

So far I like the plastic welder idea that shadow posted best of all, more than my suggestion. Plus it would be a new skill to learn and that's always good. The box sides are flat and wouldn't have to be pretty, so seems like an ideal thing to start with. After that I'd still go with epoxy. Someone was concerned with flexibility, but all of these things are pretty flexible, and the flat sides of the pelican boxes are flat enough that they don't move much. Adhesion to the polypro is going to be more of an issue than flexibility, with the possible exception of cyanoacrylics being fairly brittle.

 

[jeepdreamer]

So far I like the plastic welder idea that shadow posted best of all, more than my suggestion. Plus it would be a new skill to learn and that's always good. The box sides are flat and wouldn't have to be pretty, so seems like an ideal thing to start with. After that I'd still go with epoxy. Someone was concerned with flexibility, but all of these things are pretty flexible, and the flat sides of the pelican boxes are flat enough that they don't move much. Adhesion to the polypro is going to be more of an issue than flexibility, with the possible exception of cyanoacrylics being fairly brittle.

This does sound like an interesting idea. Wonder if there is a way to get pelican specific plastic to use as the fill. Kinda like different metals require different welding rods.?.

 

[jeepdreamer]

To my knowledge, and I've used their warranty a few times, they will not replace a case if it's been modified like that. If the case is in fact damaged they will have you either send it in, send you a part, or have you destroy it in field as they call it. For instance my post from before was a destroy in field.


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Thanks and I wouldn't use the warranty for mine. I rescued them from the dump where DRMO unceremoniously threw them away.

 

[RangerXLT]

Hey at least you found them. When I was in I was constantly on the look out for stuff they just tossed. I scored about 8 or so cases they just tossed.


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[rayra]

100% silicone will do the job sufficiently for what you are asking. But a mechanical fastener would be better. Hard-setting epoxies and such won't bond well to polypro.