Where to get small metal half tubes?

[TomVDJ]

I need some advice: I plastic frame with Game Workshop figures in it. However one of the bars of the frame broke. This is not a problem if you intend to take out the figures to paint them / play with them, but I like to keep the figures in frame as collectible, and like to see that bar fixed again.

So I was thinking: if I had two small metal half tube parts I could but around that bar and heat it up a bit, the plastic would melt and "fuse" again, and the bar would be fixed. So I'm now looking for two half tubes (both a few centimeters) that together form a tube with an inside of about 3 mm. Somebody know where to get something like that? I tested it on a waste piece of plastic, using aluminum foil twisted around a bar, and this more or less worked (the plastic melted together and was sturdy again), but since the foil was not rigid enough, the shape of what came out was not OK.

All advice is more than welcome!

 

[Sean]

If you can move the plastic bars to the side of each other. Drill two holes In each end the size of a nail or piece of wire coat hanger. And Epoxy. That would be my fix. But on thinking It some more. You would probably have to be able to spread the bars away from each other a pinch as well. If melting Is the way you want to go they make metal clamps for pipes. Just throwing Ideas

 

[TomVDJ]

The principle of the pipe repair clamp would be perfect. Problem is that I would need a very narrow one (3 mm). Don't know if these even exist. I really want to melt the plastic to make a new bond, rather than use glue or epoxy. The first one will be less firm, the second one will be way to noticable. I like the result of the test I did. It was as strong as the rest of the plastic bar. Just need something to keep the shape nice, too...

 

[TazMan2000]

(Edit) Disregard. Nothing in metal.



I believe Plastruct sells 1/2 pipes.

TazMan2000

 

[division 6]

Post a picture so we can see what your trying to fix.

 

[Duncanator]

If the plastic is styrene, acrylic or ABS you can use a solvent glue like WeldOn to fuse it back together.
WeldOn is a solvent glue that chemically melts the plastic together, and then evaporates away. It comes in different
formulas for different plastic types. I use WeldOn 3 for acrylics and styrene, but they make formulas for ABS, PVC, PETG, polycarbonate and others too.
There are some plastics that are resistant to solvents; like polyethylene, but I doubt yours is made from that.

I worry that melting you part together with heat might risk burning the part.