Windex Plastic Cups - Glueing and Strengthening

[Fuss]

I have an old navico corus wind transducer that no longer has replacement parts. After some years in the sun, the cups break off. What glue should I use to glue on a broken off cup?
My first choice would be araldite but I have heard that it does not bond well long term to plastic.... is this true or is there something better?
I would also like to strengthen the thin areas where the cups join so that the whole unit is stronger.
After doing this I would like to cover the whole cup unit to protect it from the sun, what should I use for this?
Thanks John

[hellosailor]

Araldite? I'm guessing you're not in the US, I've never heard of that one. Most plastics can be fused with the correct solvent glue and bond poorly with others. If you can confirm what the cups are made of (styrene, acrylic, etc.)...the right glue will soften the plastic and fuse the broken parts. If Araldite is like Crazy Glue (methacrylate) it only bonds clean breaks, it won't fuse plastics. If the break is clean, it often works well.

In any case you'd want to use as little as possible, in order to keep the cups in balance. I suspect that if you do anything to shelter it, you'll wind up with birds landing on the shelter and somehow only causing more damage. While they are pricey, there are modern anemometers that have no moving parts, and that might be something to consider. After all, once you fix the cups, there's still a bearing under them that's going to be wearing.

[Jim Cate]

G'DAy,

Another approach might be to fit the cup assembly from another brand of transducer. I suspect that the only practical difference would be a different diameter shaft, and that is easy to deal with. Getting aged plastic bits to bond well enough to survive is alwys difficult, and keeping your repairs light enough and well balanced as well might prove challenging!

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Church Point NSW Oz

[Christian Van H]

I'm thinking Goop here: AG Marine Product Information 0709 Of course, I'm always thinking Goop...