My journey as a new(bie) New Astro City owner or : "How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Machine"

[bitBum]

Hi!

I've been a passive -but passionate- member of this forum since I joined it a couple of years ago, as I didn't have too much to contribute or nothing to fix.

This changed one year ago, when I could get a New Astro City.

I placed it on a garage/warehouse waiting for some renovation work at home that took an eternity to start but... I will have a place where to move the Astro soon

I've been reading here and there for sometime and feel like I have a kind of hodgepodge of Astro City related subjects inhabiting my brain.

My intention with creating this thread is to get advice and help on several topics related to the process of moving and tune-up my New Astro City.


1.- The Crack:

My first concern is this crack below the control panel. I've read that Astro City's are prone to this ruptures when people sits on the control panel.

I wonder if there's something that an amateur like me can do to stop the rupture growing. The only thing I occur and that I'm able to do, is putting some super glue into it.

Any thoughts will be highly appreciated

 

[TodoRojo]

There are some threads if you search around where people have fixed it with fiberglass repair kits and bondo. Just do it somewhere well ventilated. You will need to repaint when it’s fixed but if you sand the bondo well and stuff it’ll be like new

 

[JohnRambo'sKnife]

Bondo isn't meant for structural repairs like this - it is just a body filler for smoothing out panels before paint and a somewhat shitty one at that.

I will be testing an MMA repair product on an Astro upper control panel housing that has split in the center. The big selling point of MMA repairs is that you don't need to do the traditional preparation steps like drilling out a hole or keying/sanding. There are various compounds available with many for troublesome to bond plastics or bonding dissimilar materials. Worth reading up about if curious - example of one of these types of products:

https://www.infinitybond.com/produc...MMA Adhesives,on application needs and volume.

 

[West]

I so enjoy conversations about obscure adhesives.

 

[TodoRojo]

l

Bondo isn't meant for structural repairs like this - it is just a body filler for smoothing out panels before paint and a somewhat shitty one at that.

Thats what the fiberglass repair kit is for

 

[JohnRambo'sKnife]

What makes you think the entire body is just fiberglass? There is a 5 letter marking (PDCPD) on the inside of the cabinet just below the monitor service door.

 

[bitBum]

There are some threads if you search around where people have fixed it with fiberglass repair kits and bondo. Just do it somewhere well ventilated. You will need to repaint when it’s fixed but if you sand the bondo well and stuff it’ll be like new

Hi @TodoRojo, your GitHub log is a great resource. Nice to read you here!

I should have not started talking about the crack, but about my expectations for the machine's restoration. I can't post pics of the Astro right now, but it's not in bad shape, altough it has cosmetic scratches here, there and over there. My intention right now is to preserve it as it is as much as possible. So I'd like to avoid painting the body of the machine. What I'm looking for, if exists, is some kind of glue, paste or similar that just makes the crack not expanding anymore without being too invasive.

Bondo isn't meant for structural repairs like this - it is just a body filler for smoothing out panels before paint and a somewhat shitty one at that.

I will be testing an MMA repair product on an Astro upper control panel housing that has split in the center. The big selling point of MMA repairs is that you don't need to do the traditional preparation steps like drilling out a hole or keying/sanding. There are various compounds available with many for troublesome to bond plastics or bonding dissimilar materials. Worth reading up about if curious - example of one of these types of products:

https://www.infinitybond.com/products/infinity-bond-mma-330-medium-set-metal-and-plastic-methacrylate-adhesive#:~:text=Benefits of MMA Adhesives,on application needs and volume.

@JohnRambo'sKnife, thanks for your response, the MMA repair product thing looks a great idea! Drilling or sanding are the kind of things that I'd like to avoid. I'll be doing some research by myself. It would be of great help, if possible, if you could share the results of your tests with it.

 

[bitBum]

Hi there!

This week I've been doing some research about how to fix the crack in the control panel.

I discarded the fiberglass repair kit because when I read about the MMA adhesives it seemed more advantageous to me (it would be a lot of trouble to take the machine outdoors or find out somewhere well ventilated, applying the fiberglass coats, etc).

After searching structural adhesives available in Europe, one of the best options I found out, by my understanting, was Plexus MA310. It's a renowned brand, and this adhesive, specifically, seems to fit what I need.


So my plan is:

Take out the front panel and the upper part of the control panel so I can comfortably access the inner side of the break area.

Use something voluminous piled in the ground to apply pressure on the lower part of the control panel

Sand slightly the area, and clean it with isopropanol.

Apply some glue in the inner part covering the crack.

As the break looks even smaller from the inside, I've thought that maybe it could be a good idea after applying the adhesive using something like this to distribute the glue evenly.


So that's it. I only want to apply the adhesive on the inside part. If I screw it up it's a safer area, and furthermore, I don't want to paint the outer part of the control panel. My main concern is to fix the small crack and prevent it getting worse.


Thanks for sharing your opinion and knowledge.

 

[JohnRambo'sKnife]

You can grab the green poly tape and use it as a mask on the outside to keep anything from making it through to visible areas. I can dig up a link for the brand I use but it is the type of tape that glue will not bond to.

 

[bitBum]

Hey @JohnRambo'sKnife , thanks for your suggestion!

So, before applying the glue in the inner side of the crack, I'd take a piece of the tape and stick it on the outer part of the crack (don't know if it does matter placing it vertically or horizontally). Then apply the glue and let it cure, and finally remove the tape.

I took a look to some 3M's polyester tapes and I'm not sure about what to choose. Some are silicone adhesive based and other rubber adhesive based and some are more affordable while others not. It would be great to know what you use.

Thanks

 

[JohnRambo'sKnife]

I just used something similar to this - https://a.co/d/fevvHJh

The one I bought a few years back is no longer sold, but it is just a green polyester epoxy resin/silicone mold tape. You place it on the outside that if any of the adhesive happens to make it's way through to the visible portion, you at least get something that will confirm to the shape of the existing structure.