[Feetsdr]

Sorry, not sure where in the forums to post this question.

We have a plastic birdfeeder that we thought could be left out over the winter. Water in it froze and now we have a couple cracks in it. It can be pushed down and the cracks mate up / bowl is smooth, but water goes right through it.

Any advice on how to seal it with something that's non-toxic to the birds? Some plastics are harder to bond to anyway, right? scuff it up and use silicone caulk? any way to tell if I can heat it with an electric soldering gun and maybe fuse the 2 sides back together / heat up the upper layers and swish it around to cover the crack?

Thanks!

 

[Colbyt]

I sealed something similar with clear silicone caulk. Also known as aquarium sealer.


Hot glue from a glue gun might also work.

 

[chandler48]

All of what Colbyt said, plus JB Weld is another.

 

[bob22]

Careful; some silicons with no mold emit chemicals that might harm the birds.
How much did this cost?
Plastics are tough to fix unless you know what kind of plastic it is made from so UCSB pick right adhesive/material.

 

[Colbyt]

Mine was a real terracotta saucer base for a plant pot.


A new one is about twice the cost ($10) of a tube of pure silicone caulk. I had an open tube.

 

[Feetsdr]

thanks eeryone! Yes - when people talk of repairing plastics it sometimes turns into a science class / molecular charge / some plastics aren't bondable, etc.. Some won't melt bond, some will, etc.

Birdbath was likely 25 - 30. like most of the people here.... looking to fix this for the challenge, to 'save' money , 'it still works'

 

[huesmann]

Is the birdbath solid or hollow, i.e. if you flip it over is that crack also visible from the bottom? If it's solid and not a double layer of plastic, you can just tap the cracked pieces back together and seal on the bottom with whatever you happen to have on hand. Hot glue would probably be my choice too.

 

[Retired24]

I've had good success with making a repair similar to what one would do with fiberglass repair. Take some fabric, like an old rag or t-shirt, cut it to cover the crack with about an inch extra all-around. Clean the crack area, and mix up some epoxy for plastics and spread it around the crack. Embed the fabric in the epoxy and make sure the epoxy oozes into the fabric - don't just lay it on.


You can do the same thing to the other side of the birdbath for extra strength and "waterproofness." Mind you, this wont look pretty, but it will extend the life of the birdbath, and, of course, the birds won't care.

 

[Feetsdr]

thanks!