UPS----argh!

[nevohraalnavnoj]

Hi guys and gals, my three new racks from Rich at Reptilebasics just arrived. These are the 32 quart with belly heat, and I just love them.

Unfortunately, UPS was having their BiCentennial package tossing contest and some burly Scottish guy must have hurled mine an amazing 13 furlongs end over end for the win. It now has a dual 3" crack down the side of it, right above and below the second shelf. I really hope that burly Scottish guy is happy.

I know Rich will take care of this one way or another, so I'm not complaining about him at all. I think he has great customer service. But, I'm just curious does anyone have any experience repairing PVC racks and to what success? In particular does a small fracture tend to explode down the side, or is PVC pretty stable with respect to that? Superglue??

Thanks!

JonV

[Patrick Long]

superglue, or even silicone sealant (the one specifically for animals) and spread it over then smooth out. 2 step apoxy might get hard enough, and you might be able to find a sandable one so you can fix then sand back to normal. Good luck!

[Gloryhound]

I would 2 part epoxy one side trying to work the epoxy as deep as possible. Let it cure fully. Then on the other side start with a superglue or something that will run down into the opening without having to be pushed. Might try 2 or 3 times waiting for a full drying time inbetween. Then cover it all with another layer of 2 part epoxy. Wait till it is fully cured. Sand it all smooth. Finish with touch up paint. The reason for so many steps is an air void is your biggest enemy at this point. Racks generally are not really abused and they really don't support a lot of weight. But an air void with trapped air will expand and contract as the air is heated and cooled. This could put pressure in an old crack that could cause it to crack again. If you lived closer I could get you some industrial Z1 resin, but it is hazmat for shipping purposes and waste unless it is fully mixed and cured, at that point you can eat off it! It also is extremely good at filling voids since we use it in large turbine driven steam turbine generators.

[tideguyinva]

wow I just ordered my rack from Rich Monday. I hope it doesnt get cracked or damaged.

[FIREball]

My last rack I got a few months ago from Rich was bent at the top, first one arrived perfectly fine. They do come packaged extrmely well so I don't know what is going on. It is still bent a little but was able to still connect to my others so I wasnt that worried about it.

[frankykeno]

Hope you've notified Rich and UPS and taken pictures of the damage that UPS did to the rack. I'm sure Rich will sort this out for you, he's a great guy.

[maxinout13]

grrr ups strikes again, they cost me tons of money with thier package throwing contests, i rather air freight or fedex, sounds like youll be ok though, good luck!

[nevohraalnavnoj]

wow I just ordered my rack from Rich Monday. I hope it doesnt get cracked or damaged.

I have ordered 5 from him, and only this one has had problems. So I wouldn't worry about it. He emailed me this morning regarding the rack, I could return it if I want but I will try to repair it first.

JonV

[nevohraalnavnoj]

Hope you've notified Rich and UPS and taken pictures of the damage that UPS did to the rack. I'm sure Rich will sort this out for you, he's a great guy.

Absolutely. He already emailed me this morning. I agree 100% that he's awesome, and he has great customer service. I'm going to try to repair the rack and then he and I will decided where to go from there.

He recommended PVC cement, so I'll try that.

JonV

[nevohraalnavnoj]

Okay, so my next question is...how do I clamp this thing without gluing the clamp or board to the rack? I am assuming glue is going to come out of the crack after I get it all filled in..maybe cover a board in cling plastic wrap, clamp the boards in place, let that get glued to the rack and then sand it all off at the end? Or should I just try and hold it in place with my hands? I think this stuff sets pretty quick.

JonV