Glove box resurrection - Is it possible?

You need to make a caul. Basically this transfers the clamping pressure to areas you can't get to with a clamp.
In this case you would make a caul the same shape as the surface of the glove box. Use whatever glue or adhesive that seems to fit this situation.
First you need to clean the metal side really good. A media blast cabinet comes to mind. Just don't blast the vinyl. Tape it up so you don't make a semi-gloss finish turn dull.
You may even be able to media blast the back of the vinyl rubber.
Heating the vinyl will make it much more flexible. Hard to heat evenly with a hair dryer so a short visit in the oven would warm all of it up.
But... if you heat it up make sure whatever adhesive you use can be applied to something warm. It actually may accelerate the drying.
I did this many years ago and don't remember what adhesive I used but the first one I tried did not stick.
That's why getting all the old residue off is soooooo important.
Look for adhesive that says metal and vinyl so you know it will stick to those materials.
Many epoxies can do this and possibly some glues like Gorilla?

Photo only shows flat surface cauls. You need something to form to the shape of the front of the glove box door. A piece of 1/8 ply might be suitable. You could even wet the wood and clamp it to the front applying a little pressure at a time to get it to take the shape of the front. Put some sort of soft material between vinyl door and wood.
Then after heating and applying adhesive of choice put the plywood with a piece of felt on it on the door and then you can run some of the cauls across and then start clamping. May have to use the cauls on both sides of the door so you spread the pressure out over the whole area.
Hope this makes sense.
It does work and mine has been glued together for a couple years now.
Then you get to flock the inside. Fun!
OBTW I think I have an extra door. Is this who you were asking for Scott?
Gary
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yes Gary, it is. i thought you had a spare.

Tyson, i had been thinking about what i would do to try to reform the face material. i would cut out ribs in the shape of the glove box - spaced to provide 3 braces for the box. so if the box was new it would fill the void. by using a 1/8" piece of plywood, and heating the foam, you could draw it into form with clamps as Gary as suggested.
 
@m5bb @rsporsche - Great suggestions guys. Yes, I understand the caul strategy and using ribs almost like stringers. The problem would be how to get the correct angles. I'd likely need one in excellent shape to get the template correct. It may be easier (not easy) to take it in sections and run the cauls from side to side like 1/3 at a time, giving each section a couple days to set up. I'll have to figure out what to put between the cauls and vinyl so they don't get dented with the pressure.

The base has a lot of surface rust and old glue so it may just be easier to drill out the rivets holding the glove box part and the vinyl foam metal base together, and seperate them and sandblast the entire base and restore it so the foam will have a much better chance of adhering to it. The challenge then becomes getting it back on square. I'll look at it more closely tomorrow. Thanks again for the suggestions!

Challenging, that's for sure!
 
i did mine a few years ago - i used a product called CT1 - its a glue/ sealant -- its stuck like hell....

www.ct1.com

CT1 - CT1

CT1 CTI https://youtu.be/R533UIVwBPIhttps://youtu.be/j5V3y0c2Hqc CT1 with revolutionary TRIBRID® Technology! CT1 is the only product in the market with TRIBRID ® Technology, making it 360% stronger than a traditional Hybrid Polymer. With TRIBRID ® Technology, it is scientifically proven to have...
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If your base metal plate is really rusted, then I would also take the step to separate & sandblast it. In order to be able to relocate the vinyl to the metal support, measure or mark some points for alignment.

Getting the vinyl to accept the correct shape can be done an a oven. If you separate the 2 parts, then you can actually use the metal as a mold to correct the foam+vinyl. No need to make your own mold this way.
The metal dictates the angle that the foam has to make. Place the metal on the outside of the vinyl part (with a cloth in between perhaps). Then clamp the vinyl with some clamps on it, with some means to prevent the pinch marks, and lay it in the oven. Vinyl is a PVC, and it changes from it's 'hard' state into a 'thick paste' at 105 Celsius (= called the Glass transition temperature; Tg). At about 200 Celsius it goes into it's liquid state. Best temp setting is between, so 140-160 Celsius. If you want to take it slow, just heat it up in steps, and pinch a corner with some gloves. Your 'pinch-test- feeling is probably a good indicator for the required softness, and if you need to go warmer. Do give the material some time to heat up through and through, otherwise it may split.

I would only glue it after the Vinyl has accepted it new shape and both parts are cool again.
 
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Not to spend more money but I already have a tool similar to this. Mines metal and this is plastic.
You can push this up against the metal base and get the shape but I think Erik has the better idea. Warm it up and slowly press against metal base and it will conform.
I would not doubt that was the way it was done originally.
Good luck.
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You've had plenty of suggestions now get to it and report back. ;)
 
Bavbob successfully redid his glove box using his oven and paying attention to getting above the TG but staying below the melting point (Erik’s post).. I tried this on a small piece from an Italian dashboard in an abandoned toaster oven from my wife, and it looks like the right heat allows you to get the vinyl and foam back to the original shape. This greatly relieves the constant separation stress the glue has to resist. Make sure your clamps can handle the temps (use cheap metal c-clamps instead of those pretty Stabil fast clamps.

I need to buy a $25 “letitgo” kitchen oven to try a bigger piece (my E9 glove box).

For a small area you might. E able to use a heat gun (be very careful as the outlet temp is typically >500 degrees). Alternatively, you could heat it up in an oven, remove it and clamp before the PVC cools. Haven’t tried either of these approaches yet.

John
 
OK guys - wow, all great suggestions and, yes I have enough ideas (and some) to get started.

I'll report back and try to chronicle this as I go along!

Thanks for all the input from everyone!
 
Tyson, we walk in the same path:

I heated the oven to 150F then placed the glove box inside for about 2 min. Place it on a flat pan if you have one so the lattice from the oven rack does not make marks. Remove and then start to appose the 2 parts, only a little with each heating session. If you use clamps, buffer them with a wood block or similar to ensure no dents in the vinyl/foam. I actually put it on a table, put a large piece of thin plywood over the whole thing and then a weight, 5 lbs. Let it sit for a day. Repeat and each time you will only get a little distance, but eventually it will appose. I used JB weld epoxy, not the short setting but the overnight stuff. Any gaps along the edges can be handled with a bit of crazy glue, gel type gives better control. No cracks. Mine started out as bad as yours.


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Yup! That's the direction I'm taking. Heading to sandblast the base right now. I'll post a write up after it's all done. Assuming it comes out good!

bavbob said:
Tyson, we walk in the same path:

I heated the oven to 150F then placed the glove box inside for about 2 min. Place it on a flat pan if you have one so the lattice from the oven rack does not make marks. Remove and then start to appose the 2 parts, only a little with each heating session. If you use clamps, buffer them with a wood block or similar to ensure no dents in the vinyl/foam. I actually put it on a table, put a large piece of thin plywood over the whole thing and then a weight, 5 lbs. Let it sit for a day. Repeat and each time you will only get a little distance, but eventually it will appose. I used JB weld epoxy, not the short setting but the overnight stuff. Any gaps along the edges can be handled with a bit of crazy glue, gel type gives better control. No cracks. Mine started out as bad as yours.


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check a thread that i did recently on a glove box and fan
i always use industrial impact glue
not recomend domestic use impact glue
use wood to spread the forces over the material
let the glue dry enough time so it is dry to finger touch
 
Well after several slow rounds of heating to about 170ish degrees, the panel will be easy to get back down to the base now. Really amazed at how it responded.

BEFORE :
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AFTER:
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Now we have an N=2......... Congrads. I would not use any form of glue till you have re-mounted on to the flocked part so you can get the original contour. Do some dry fitting runs in the car.

In one sense, glue does not have to be super strong since it is not doing the work but on the other hand, we don't know if/when it may try to separate again so the glue needs to be strong.
 
I did the speaker pods from my e24 with contact cement on the large surfaces and Gorilla glue around the edges. Weighted the surfaces with 5# shot bags and held the edges with spring clamps with paint sticks under them so the vinyl wouldn't get marred. When using gorilla glue, both surfaces should be dampened for it to to cure best and quickest

I also made a firewall blanket, that laminated up fine, using contact cement . Just whatever the local upholstery shop sold in bulk
 
While my car is at the upholstery shop I was planning to tackle the glove box door. I actually have two, the original looks much like the one @tferrer shows in his post above, with the bottom having partially delaminated from the metal.

My question is how did you @bavbob & @tferrer break the adhesion of the top part of the glove box? On both of mine the top is holding fast. I worked at it just a bit with a hacksaw blade (no handle) and suspect that could work, but I am concerned about damaging the under-side of the padded portion.

Did you use heat, chemical or mechanical to fully loosen the padded portion to condition the metal prior to warming in the oven?

Thanks in advance

Lance
 
I left what ever was originally attached, alone. I put the entire thing in the over with metal backing, foam and flocking. AT 150-170 degrees for a few minutes, nothing happened to any of those parts. I did mine in stages, stretching a little with each heating. I did one heating a day, applied weight and let it sit, repeat till they appose. Tyson looks like he removed all the backing. My metal plate was in decent shape so I left it be.
 
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bavbob said:
I left what ever was originally attached, alone. I put the entire thing in the over with metal backing, foam and flocking. AT 150-170 degrees for a few minutes, nothing happened to any of those parts. I did mine in stages, stretching a little with each heating. I did one heating a day, applied weight and let it sit, repeat till they appose. Tyson looks like he removed all the backing. My metal plate was in decent shape so I left it be.
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Thanks for sharing your process. I have one with the metal in good shape (that one was original to the car, the other is a mess, rusty and loose And removal will be required.
 
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