Park Repair Stand: Removing Plastic Dip?

[Don49]

Having a really frustrating time with my old (40 yrs?) Park PCS-3 repair stand. I need to replace the clamp jaw covers, but mine are encased in this very stiff blue plastic which needs to be removed. I've tried cutting with a utility knife, heating first and then cutting. Nothing works except a hammer and chisel and even then it won't come off cleanly, like it's bonded to the metal. I spent two hours and only removed a few square inches. I'm about to give up and take it to a machine shop or just upgrade to a new clamp.

Any ideas at all?

[Bob Loblaw]

You may not want to go this route, but if it were my stand I would leave whT is there and just wrap the jaws in some nice thick gel bar tape and call it good.

BL

[khatfull]

How much heat have you tried? How about 400 degrees in the oven, maybe that would soften it...it certainly shouldn't affect the metal right?

[AngryScientist]

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/smapics/smapics0910/smapics091000024/5733989-this-a-mapp-gas-torch-shot-in-the-dark-to-capture-blue-flame.jpg

[CaptStash]

Keep it simple. Get some of that liquid plastic goop that you dip screwdriver handles and such into. Paint on a few layers and you are good to go. comes in all kinds of nifty colors too and with the leftovers you can use it on cable ends! :beer:

[Jaq]

Peel off the remaining latex.

Find a pipe/tube/dowel the same approximate diameter of your seat tube.

Clamp it in the clamp between two squares of 8/9 oz leather. Maybe soak the leather first.

Let the leather dry completely. Unclamp it. Pull out the leather.

Apply contact cement to the inside of the jaws and the backside of the leather. Let the cement dry to tacky. Stick the leather back in, clamp it around the pipe/dowel.

While that's curing, apply some glue to the excess leather & the outside of the clamp and fold the excess over the outside of the clamp.

Either that, or find some thick latex-in-a-can, clean the clamp with alcohol, and then start painting the stuff on.

Or get a good fondue kettle and go for cheese or chocolate.

[khatfull]

Keep it simple. Get some of that liquid plastic goop that you dip screwdriver handles and such into. Paint on a few layers and you are good to go. comes in all kinds of nifty colors too and with the leftovers you can use it on cable ends! :beer:

If you do choose to brush on Plasti-Dip you'll want one of the approved thinners, I used naphtha, to thin it before brushing. Out of the can it's too thick to brush effectively as it's made for dipping long thin handles.

Otherwise brushing it works pretty well, get some cheap chip brushes though, they'll be throw aways every coat...and you'll need several.

[Steve in SLO]

Maybe call Park?

[Don49]

Thanks guys, good information all.

I called Park Tool as Steve suggested, and Mark knew immediately what I was doing and said "hammer & chisel" as the best way to get the plastic dip off. He also suggested an angle grinder. I did try the blow torch approach but the stuff just burns, doesn't soften. I'll try the oven idea too, but Mark said it likely won't work. Park should really market this stuff to the military for body armor.

Kind of talking myself into upgrading to the newer micro-adjust clamp for $120, or going with the excellent idea of the handlebar tape jaw wrap.

[dancingbear]

You are trying to remove a high durometer heat cured vinyl. The clamp when manufactured had a primer applied to the metal which created that tenacious bond to the vinyl as it was cured. Without that primer vinyls will peel right off of metal parts. As the park tool folks told you there is no easy way to get it off, if it was properly applied and cured in the first place, which it obviously was.

[Not the Slowest]

A) Parks suggestion is not that hard to do. Remove it from the stand, and work on it while you watch the NCAA Tourney. You can get some inexpensive chisels but I would say a 1/2 & 1/4" tip would do it.

Better option:
B) Take it to a body shop, give them a $20 (less based on where you live) and have them sandblast or grind it off

You can do it

[benb]

If you can get in there an oscillating tool will do the job...

[rice rocket]

I did try the blow torch approach but the stuff just burns, doesn't soften.

What's wrong with burning it? Just wear a mask. Finish it off with a wire wheel.

[martinrjensen]

I think a sharp narrow wood chisel would work. Looks lake you got a good start on it. If you are going to re-coat it I don't think you need to get every last bit off it either.