Roof Box Repair

[LBSki]

Just thought I'd post this 'cause I was so impressed with the results.

During the past couple of months, my tried and true Thule roof box began to disenigrate right where it clamps onto the crossbars. The possibility of losing my prized sticker collection and plunking down $400+ for a new one got me thinking about repair options. I decided to try a surfboard repair kit to see what would happen, (retail cost $25) After about 20 minutes work and a few hours of curing time - BAM! Good as new! - Actually better - the area I repaired is much stronger than the other clamp areas on the box - so much so that I'm going to do a little preventive maintenance and hit them with the same treatment.

Hope this helps someone.

[leroy jenkins]

Just thought I'd post this 'cause I was so impressed with the results.

During the past couple of months, my tried and true Thule roof box began to disenigrate right where it clamps onto the crossbars. The possibility of losing my prized sticker collection and plunking down $400+ for a new one got me thinking about repair options. I decided to try a surfboard repair kit to see what would happen, (retail cost $25) After about 20 minutes work and a few hours of curing time - BAM! Good as new! - Actually better - the area I repaired is much stronger than the other clamp areas on the box - so much so that I'm going to do a little preventive maintenance and hit them with the same treatment.

Hope this helps someone.

Sweet idea, fucking jong

What kind of surfboard repair kit did you use (brand name). A link would be nice, I don't surf, so I have no clue.

But yea, good thinking, and good looking out. Thanks for the heads up.

[LBSki]

Quick Fix by Surfco

I paid $25 at my local surf shop, but you can get one direct at:

http://www.surfcohawaii.com/repairs.htm

Place a layer of fiberglass/resin on the inside and the outside of the box. You can sand off the excess after it dries.

You also get a nice epoxy induced buzz as a bonus!

[nhtele]

So my Thule box got FUCKED UP and I'm thinking about doing a pretty substantial rebuild using West System and some fiberglass cloth.

Good idea?

[XXX-er]

I been using 2 part epoxy and fibreglass cloth or lately just antistatic dryer sheets that been thru a dryer cycle also work reallly well

I think if you patch on the outside it will look like shit so I patch from the inside I might put a sticker on the outside to hold the edges together while patching or just some ductape

I fix loose rivets with a pop rivet tool

[GBB]

post a TR of that shit.
before and after pics.

[Sinecure]

So my Thule box got FUCKED UP and I'm thinking about doing a pretty substantial rebuild using West System and some fiberglass cloth.

Good idea?

I have some West Flex stuff left over from a ski repair that I plan to use on the corner of my box where I clipped the garage entrance at the old ski house. Right now it just has the Gorilla brand of duct tape on there (great stuff - its held up for a season). I was going to go buy some glass fabric, but now I'm tempted to use dryer sheets as suggested above. It'll make me feel like I'm recycling.

[nhtele]

post a TR of that shit.
before and after pics.

Well, here's the before:

[bmg97]

WTF is the second pic ???

[krp8128]

Sometimes things are just a lost cause...

[Blatant]

So my Thule box got FUCKED UP and I'm thinking about doing a pretty substantial rebuild using West System and some fiberglass cloth.

Good idea?

Well, here's the before:

pretty substantial, lol, no shit! May want to incorporate ALL of the suggestions above on that box.

[GBB]

wow. that is proper fucked.
for the record, i was hoping lbski would post some pictures.

[XXX-er]

I was going to post some of my repairs which seem to be an ongoing yearly maintenance kind of thing repairing stress cracks after 10 years and 500,000km

I would say you don't have much to lose ,all my stress cracks have been on the BOTTOM tray ... so I would say it looks like you hit something

I would still try to get it all straight & pulled together with ductape , patch from the inside ...you don't have much to lose

[wyocoyote]

geeze that cracked bottom half pic down below looks like a gonner to me. I'd just find a used box, but laud your eforts.
Take it to these guys in vietnam?
I love such resourcefulness:
[nomedia]www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuA6d49Z7Rc[/nomedia]
if the link doesnt work, just type in or do a search on youtube for plastic weld.

a fancier tool in use here, I may use something like this:
[nomedia]www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq9TdHB73p0[/nomedia]

Yakima tells me they do not have replacement tops or bottoms available, something to do with them being molded together for good fit. I dont know about all that. would prefer to spend 80 bucks on a new top. they recommend abs glue for repairs. dont think that'll fix something at a stress point such as near hinges.

PS similar topic here: [ame="http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2404736"]Thule Rocket Box repair - Teton Gravity Research Forums[/ame]

I wouldnt glass that box, I do a lot of surf repair, it wouldnt be worth it for an 800 board. Try abs plastic welding. You could become an expert in thes field by the time the box is done and make money.
[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_welding[/ame]

[LBSki]

Six years later - repair still holding.

[shafty85]

Got a cheap thule off craigslist and two of the four mounting areas are cracked (both are on the side it opens, so I'm thinking someone was reefing on it). I'm thinking fiberglass mesh and epoxy as mentioned above and in this thread.

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...ck-in-roof-box

In Canada, so any recommendations on the epoxy to use? Availability at pyTire/et al is a bonus as I'd like to start working on it this evening.

Photos of the two areas to be patched:

[XXX-er]

You can Probably find probably System Three up here, maybe at home depot, loop by the drywall section and get a roll of sticky back drywall repair tape, tape the plastic togetehr on the inside of the box and slather on the epoxy

[shafty85]

Thinking JBweld is the best I’ll find based on what I see. They have original and a plastic bonder - both look like they’ll do the trick


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[XXX-er]

well the thing with original JB weld its a paste so it does not flow, i think you want something that flows, so when I used it to fill binding holes it sucked

is the plastic bonder even an epoxy ?

I have done this repair > a dozen times

I would get something slo set/higher quality

but in any case good luck with that

[shafty85]

^^^ yeah, decided against the jb weld. Though, the original and plastic bonder both appeared to be two-part epoxies. Researching now to find a better epoxy - Nanaimo is not exactly known for its abundance of specialty stores. Looks like it won't be happening tonight so I'm open to suggestions even if it means purchasing online.

[XXX-er]

I would get some higher quality slow set that doesn't come in a bubble pack on a display rack,

I can buy system three in a small town on the edge of nowhere

so you must have a real plastics shop or a home depot or sft in a town of 90K

[NorCalNomad]

For those of you looking at surf ding repair kits. Get an epoxy one over polyester if you can, less toxic to you, epoxy bonds a better to tricky surfaces, and the actual resin is a bit stronger. Sand and clean any surface first for better adhesion.

Bondo (3M) makes a fiberglass repair kit kit that uses polyester resin and includes the cloth. Figured I'd mention it for those of you in Canukistan who have trouble finding stuff.

If you are really hard up, use the two part syringe packaged epoxies that you should be able to find at just about any hardware store. The longer the cure the better since the resin will be stronger and more malleable. For the cloth, if you can't find fiberglass, grab something with a loose-ish weave, and no coating. Cotton canvas, denim (uncolored if possible), and burlap are probably going to be the easiest to find that still have some strength. Don't bother with polyester or nylon woven's. It's real hard to find those state side with no coating on them. Coating = poor bond with the resin.

Don't worry about squeegeeing the resin through, for non aesthetic jobs a chip brush works wonders for pushing resin into your cloth.

When everything is cured don't forget to hit it with some sandpaper. Will prevent you from putting a splinter of resin infused cloth into your hand one day.

[Ted Striker]

Nanaimo is not exactly known for its abundance of specialty stores.

Lots of boats in Nanaimo. There has to be a marine store that sells fiberglass resin and cloth. Or maybe an industrial paint and coating supplier. If no joy, try a boat repair shop.

[shafty85]

For those of you looking at surf ding repair kits. Get an epoxy one over polyester if you can, less toxic to you, epoxy bonds a better to tricky surfaces, and the actual resin is a bit stronger. Sand and clean any surface first for better adhesion.

Bondo (3M) makes a fiberglass repair kit kit that uses polyester resin and includes the cloth. Figured I'd mention it for those of you in Canukistan who have trouble finding stuff.

If you are really hard up, use the two part syringe packaged epoxies that you should be able to find at just about any hardware store. The longer the cure the better since the resin will be stronger and more malleable. For the cloth, if you can't find fiberglass, grab something with a loose-ish weave, and no coating. Cotton canvas, denim (uncolored if possible), and burlap are probably going to be the easiest to find that still have some strength. Don't bother with polyester or nylon woven's. It's real hard to find those state side with no coating on them. Coating = poor bond with the resin.

Don't worry about squeegeeing the resin through, for non aesthetic jobs a chip brush works wonders for pushing resin into your cloth.

When everything is cured don't forget to hit it with some sandpaper. Will prevent you from putting a splinter of resin infused cloth into your hand one day.

I've read that fiberglass doesn't bond well to ABS epoxy (which apparently Thule boxes are made of) - apparently needs to be redone ever few years or so? Just what I've read, but yeah, bondo fiberglass kits are available.

Industrial Plastics and paints carries System Three and West System products and has a Nanaimo location (I actually was part of designing the building - don't know why I didn't think of it earlier). I'll stop in tomorrow after work and see what they actually stock in the local store. The West System Gflex looks like a great product for this application and is made for ABS plastic adhesion.

[XXX-er]

I never had to redo any patch job

I left my box on the car year-round for 10 yars to carry all kinds of shit so IME what happens IS as time goes by the box develops more cracks due to vibration & UV so repair becomes a yearly maintenance thing, I think my box was up to about 18 patch jobs before someone stole the car

I would use sticky backed dry wall repair tape for that job & 2-part epoxy

but I also used spent dryer sheets and 2 part epoxy on the more curvy bits