plastics

[Pete Turnbull]

On 23/01/2009 23:57, Tom Hudson wrote:
> many types of course. Generally speaking do the materials used in pc's from
> the 80s fall into a single category? Everything is injected into a mold for
> sure, from largish cases to tiny keytops. Would all this qualify as
> polystyrene?

Almost none of it is.  ABS is one of the most common plastics, but 
you'll find others, including PVC, glass-filled nylon, polypropylene, 
HDPE, and more.

>  Many surfaces are anything but smooth. Has anyone tried, given they were
> successful in melding the surface, in reproducing the look of the surface
> surrounding it? Smooth surfaces can be melded then touched up lightly
> w/ultra fine emery cloth and some sort of lubricant I would guess. But the
> rough textures are a different story.

If it's a really small area I've sometimes tried stippling with a fine 
brush after applying a tiny amount of solvent, or "ragging" it with a 
wad of suitably textured cloth (wadded into a ball and applied like a 
stippler).  Perhaps it's just my lack of skill, but I'd describe the 
results as disguises rather than matching repairs.

-- 
Pete						Peter Turnbull
						Network Manager
						University of York