Suitcase Repair

[SteveD]

During its travels, my hardshell plastic suitcase has been dropped onto one of its wheels which has resulted in a 15 cm crack in the plastic of one half of the case. Does anyone have a recommendation for a mastic/filler which I could use to repair it?

[TonyV]

Difficult to say without seeing it but I would be inclined to first reinforce inside with some fibre glass first. If your not familiar with this type of repair, your local car body shop maybe able to help you out. Just test that resin will not melt your case though, do a test on a small area first.

[woofgang]

honestly i wouldn't trust it....I mean there are loads of good fillers around but if it breaks again in transit then everyone will get a good look at your undies!

[SteveD]

[IMG]http://i68.tinypic.com/fdx6a1.jpg[/IMG]

[ummmm]

A car body shop would probably charge more than the suitcase is worth.

[Mamyalynne]

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=fdx6a1&;s=9

[Tilly2]

Time for a new suitcase, I think.

[Tilly2]

...Or perhaps you could use some heavy duty tape on the inside of the case.

[SteveD]

Is there a European equivalent to Sugru? The suitcase wasn't cheap even in the sales.

[Mamyalynne]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sugru-Mouldable-Glue-Original-Formula/dp/B008URBC9I

[TonyV]

Yes you might be better buying new suitcase, was just my instinct that I hate throwing things away. Anything paper or cardboard goes to my community garden. Plus off cuts from edging boards we use, I make bird boxes from. Not really tight with money, but why not reuse what you have to hand and able to use them?

[retrocop]

Depending on the width of the gap of the split I would consider a red hot chisel blade run across the split to try and seal it by melting the plastic. It aint pretty but might work.

[bhg481]

I got a crack in my car roofbox and repaired it with car body filler with glass-fibre sheet on the inside.

[SteveD]

I've ordered some Sugru. Definitely cheaper than a new suitcase. I'll report back when I've used it.

[woofgang]

If it was only going to be me who handled it, I would have no hesitation in attempting a repair....If its going to be processed by others when you travel, eg if you fly, then I wouldn't trust a repair. Sugru is good stuff but its not invincible.

[237SJ]

When my friend's hard shell case got a crack in it her partner fixed it with fibre glass sheet. It lasted for a few more flights and I think when the case eventually gave up the ghost it was due to something else and not his repair

[ummmm]

I think the shelf life of suitcases depends on whether the go in the hold or not. The majority of my holidays I take them on as hand luggage.

[237SJ]

My suitcases last for eons but I only buy Samsonite. My friend's case that cracked was used a couple of times per year and was really expensive (Brics) and it cracked. Her partner did do a really good repair though.

[ummmm]

Mine are just cheapos from Amazon. We go away 2 or 3 times a year. I only bought them because they stood out because on a transfer from airport to hotel someone took my OHs black case by accident. OH ended up with a suitcase full of womens clothes :-)

I think they've lasted because we take them as hang luggage.

If I travelled as much as you I'd invest more in my suitcases.

[bhg481]

Incidentally, the important thing with fixing a crack is to drill a hole at the end of it - it stops the crack spreading further.

[SteveD]

I removed the wheel, drilled two holes as bhg481 suggested and aligned the edges of the crack as far as possible. I then applied the Sugru. 24 hours later when the Sugru had hardened, I sanded it down a bit then refitted the wheel. Sugru doesn't cure rock-hard so the repair might be OK. However, the packaging says that it doesn't work too well with polycarbonate. I don't know what the case is made of. Time will tell!
http://www.upl.co/uploads/A-Suitcase-outside1558275297.jpg
http://www.upl.co/uploads/B-Suitcase-inside1558275445.jpg
http://www.upl.co/uploads/C-Suitcase-outside-Sugru-applied1558275476.jpg
http://www.upl.co/uploads/D-Suitcase-inside-Sugru-applied1558275513.jpg
http://www.upl.co/uploads/E-Suitcase-Outside-Sugru-sanded1558275544.jpg