Plastic repair: Back from the brink

Beyond the sinking feeling of diesel piddling over your boots, the sight of a leaking tractor fuel tank is sure to spoil your day. The expense of a new one, the hassle of fitting it, the downtime; it’s enough to make a strong man weep. Much the same goes for a ripped-up mudguard.

Yet all may not be lost. Before getting to what can work, it’s very unlikely that a hot soldering iron, glue sticks, epoxy adhesives or similar will fix a problem. Waxy plastics are generally unimpressed by glues, while localised melting with an iron seldom works for long, if at all. Sometimes silicone can be used as glue for a patch, but as the Americans say: ‘Your mileage may vary’.

So what’s left? That depends on the damage. A hole can be plugged if it’s not too big, while tears and splits respond best to welding.), although Leister’s Triac range is a good alternative ().