Filling cracks and scratches

[PgrAm]

A few items in my collection have really bad scratches or cracks in them. How do you guys deal with these problems. Is there something that will fill these on a plastic case sort of how you can use wood filler to fix similar problems in wood? Is sanding down the plastic a good solution or does it cause too much damage?

 

[Chuck(G)]

You can use auto body filler (e.g. Bondo) to fill large cracks and even fabricate small missing pieces. It takes paint very well.

You can sand plastic, but be careful to make sure that you're not sanding off a texture. Use succeedingly fine grits to avoid making scratches that will be difficult to fill.

 

[Plasma]

I like to use epoxy putty to repair cracked plastic. You can sand and shape it just like bondo but it's stronger.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Plasma, that's a good idea.

Also, if you're repairing seriously damaged plastic, it's often prudent to reinforce it from the opposite side (non-display side) using fiberglass cloth and resin (either epoxy or polyester). The result is very strong.