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Any tips on plastic adhesives? Trying to repair headphones (slrpnk.net)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/diy@slrpnk.net
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Hi DIY!

My headphones of many years recently broke. My first response was to attempt to glue them back together with super glue (ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate) however that didn't seem to hold. Not even a little bit.

I then did a bit of searching and found that Sony often use ABS plastic in headphone manufacture, so presumably these are ABS. I then read super glue should work okay on ABS, however there seemed to be no bonding happening at all.

Do any of you have any tips for the best kind of glue or epoxy to bond these plastic parts back together and get the music flowing again?

I plan on wrapping the joints in thread afterwards, for additional durability. But first I need to get them bonded.

A close up picture of headphones with the plastic connecting the headband to one of the cups being snapped
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[–] 8 points 3 months ago (12 children)

UV Glue will fix that no problems, and the glue will be stronger than the underlying plastic.

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  • [–] 5 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    The problem with uv glue is it needs light to cure. So it can't be used to fill that broken area or inside the break itself. It can only coat the outside.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    Not with that attitude (unscrews the entire thing and shoves in a UV light on a wire in the gaps)

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago

    Next time I find myself with the right assortment of junk, it would be interesting to run a piece of optical fiber through UV glue inside an opaque enclosure and see if it helps the light get where it needs to go. There's decorative stuff that glows from the sides with a visible light source so I'd expect it to do something worthwhile in that situation. Could be a waste of materials for almost every possible use but maybe it'll solve a weird problem eventually.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago

    I never said it would be pretty. The other option would be to get some clay and make a mold around the break and then remove it and cut away at the break and replace the mold and UV the glue until it comes out as a resin and then take a buffer wheel to the UV Glue. Personally I would put up with the surface repair myself.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 3 months ago (6 children)

    I didn't even know there was such a thing. Buying a UV lamp for a single repair when other options are available feels a bit antithetical to the Solarpunk ethos though, so I think I'll try normal glues first. But hey, if all else fails, at least I know there's a nuclear option as plan b. Thanks!

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  • [–] 9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

    There is a JB Weld UV glue product that comes with a UV LED attached:

    https://www.jbweld.com/product/superweld-light-activated

    It's a blend, not pure UV resin, that will harden quickly where the light hits it but will also slowly cure without UV exposure, so the inner parts of the joint will harden over time.

    I use this and I've found that it is almost as good as standard 2-part epoxy in most cases, and easier to use.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago* (1 child)

    If you're trying to be true to the "solarpunk ethos," do you really think this is the last repair you'll ever do?

    I, for one, have never regretted letting a 'one time' project be an excuse to get a new type of tool.

    (Just don't get the disposable UV light another reply mentioned; that really is a bit wasteful. If you decide to go the UV glue route, get an inexpensive but proper standalone UV flashlight.)

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    The glue 'dries' clear and if you can do without your headphones for a while, the UV radiation in sunlight will do the trick, you just have to be patient. That is why most people use UV lights. Besides if you have the light, you can just put it aside until the next time you need it. I got a reeeeeal cheap one that is used for LOCA glue that they use for nail work to glue on decretive long fingernails but I used it for gluing LOCA adhesive for my cell phone screen protectors. Once you have it, take the battery out or insulate one side of it, and then you have it for the next time you need it. here is one like I used but there are a ton of cheap ones...(not an affiliate link)

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008406384030.html

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