Saturday, February 9, 2013

Tubing As A Repair Material


Tubing, of all types, materials and sizes, is one of the most useful, versatile repair materials on earth. I salvage the stuff at every opportunity, and stash it in bins sorted by external diameter. Countless times I come up with neat repair methods by looking in on my supply of tubing. Here's a small, but telling, example of the sort of thing salvaged tubing can do for you.


That broken plastic clothes hanger is no heirloom, but it can still be made serviceable -- there's no need to add it to the landfill.

That bit of tubing in the photograph is the key to a strong, simple repair here. It's butt-seam tubing, about 10mm O.D. x 8mm I.D. x 45 mm long. I just have to trim some mould flash off the hanger where the tubing is to go, and the tubing will fit over the broken ends of the plastic just fine.

Here's the tubing installed.


I'll apply CA adhesive at the tubing's ends, and along its seam, and let it wick in. That will give me a repair that should last approximately forever.

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