What is Plast-aid?
We call Plast-aid a “Toolbox Essential for Fixing and Making Things.” Plast-aid is a versatile, very high quality, two-part acrylic based material that comes in the form of a powder and liquid. When mixed, the powder and liquid produces a strong, hard, long-lasting, durable, waterproof plastic in about 15 minutes.
Plast-aid is derived from similar materials that orthopedic surgeons use to attach artificial joints to bone. The dental industry and fingernail saloons also use acrylic based materials in their lines of work. Plast-aid is a modification of these materials to enable a wider range of uses.
In addition to mechanically bonding to many dissimilar materials such as bone to artificial joints, fingernails, wood, metal, and concrete, Plast-aid chemically fuses to the surface of many plastic materials (ABS, Acrylic, PVC) but not others (Teflon, PE, PP). This ability to chemically fuse at a molecular level makes a very strong bond. In comparison to an adhesive bond where the molecules attract like a magnet on steel, Plast-aid’s chemical bond is stronger. As long as the broken part is made from a compatible plastic, such as PVC pipe or ABS computer keyboard, Plast-aid chemically fuses to it at a molecular level.
As Plast-aid hardens, its consistency thickens from a free flowing liquid used for casting - to a smooth creamy glue – to a consistency of toothpaste for filling gaps – to a formable clay – to its final stage of a hard durable plastic like a screwdriver handle. This feature gives Plast-aid an even broader range of uses.
Fiberglass tape can be saturated with Plast-aid to strengthen and repair wooden handles or bridge across a automotive lens motorcycle fairing with a missing piece. Adding sawdust to the mix makes Plast-aid lighter to create fishing lures. Adding fine sand, metal shavings, even BBs to the mix can extend Plast-aid’s volume and make it more resistant as a bearing surface. Plast-aid and a little imagination can go a very long way!
Once Plast-aid has hardened it can be sawed, drilled, tapped, sanded, filed, polished, and painted.
Plast-aid’s natural color is off-white, similar to the color of skim milk. To change its color, coloring pigments can be added at the time of mixing Plast-aid. Many different coloring agents such as artist acrylic and wood stain can be used to color Plast-aid. We offer a “Plast-aid Pigments Coloring Kit” which includes a pallet and mix stick, and small dropper tipped bottles of black, white, red, yellow, and blue pigments to create a custom color to add to the mix. Plast-aid can also be painted with most paints.
Plast-aid is packaged in 6.0 oz and 1.5 oz kits and convenient pre-measured Plast-aid Pouches. The 6.0 oz and 1.5 oz kits include a mix cup and mix stick with individual bottles of Powder and Liquid. These individual bottles allow the user to mix the exact amount needed. Plast-aid Pouches are pre-measured 0.15 oz packets where Plast-aid is mixed in the pouch and cut open to use.