I just got 1 sheet of 1/8" black ABS plastic from Cardomain.com.

1. What is the best way to cut ABS Plastic? What do I use?

2. Is there a way to heat it and shape it?

3. What is the best adhesive for this type of material... something that won't melt?

Thanks.

 

whatcha using it for?

 

I am doing some custom stuff in my ashtray area.

 

score it with a razor blade, then put it in a vice and it will snap on the line you scored, straight and smooth every time. you can heat and shape it with a heat gun but you just have to becareful not to melt it. heat it evenly on both sides. as far as adhesive you can use double sided tape, but it just depends on what you are doing

 

It also cuts well on a table saw, or with a jigsaw. If you didn't get the grooved ABS plastic it may be hard to score it straightly, especially if its a big piece, which I am assuming isn't if its for your ashtray.

Heat guns work great, especially with small pieces. Be careful with the textured side though, as heat will gloss most ABS over and you'll have bright spots where you heated it.

ABS also grinds really well, making it easy to get a great fit with just a little bit of work.

 

Cool thanks.

The work is in progress... I cut two pieces a little bigger than needed then I sanded away with 100 grit and 160 grit sandpaper. It is coming along nicely.

 

Hey, dont mean to drag up an old thread, but I'm thinking of doing something similar (a custom ashtray mod). Just curious as to how this project worked out for you and if you had any pictures.

I saw a thread on mp3car.com with someone using bondo and thought about doing the same but I think i like this idea a little more.

 

It came out nicely. I just finished vodkarocket's car recently.

I'll post pics this weekend.

 

Can this stuff be used in the engine bay? Say like building a custom air box or is that too much heat?

 

I think it's for interior only.

Why don't you make one out of carbon fiber if you are going thru the trouble anyways?

 

Cool thanks Disco_Monkey. I'm currently planning on mounting a 7" touchscreen in the area where the astray is now. I'm either going to cut out a hole, mount the screen, bondo, sand and repaint. Or I'm going to try to create a custom mount. I'm interested to see how well you were able to cut and shape this.

 

You mean like this guy? https://g35driver.com/forums/forced-induction/111958-project-built-tt-g35-speed-force-racing.html

I'll take some pics and post mine later on today. Mine is inside the ashtray so it closes.

 

WOW!

I would like mine to look that nice, but I highly doubt it'll look anything remotely like that. That's some nice custom work there. I was just going to buy a new plastic trim piece and modify it, it looks like he custom cut all that out of aluminum.

But for the most part that's what I'm shooting for, thanks for the link.

 

Here's mine...

I made a frame for my V1 Concealed Display so it can't be seen from outside but still visible to me. The main unit stays dark so it can barely be seen in the day but at night it's completely invisible. I also made a swtich board. The left toggle switch is chrome w/ a yellow LED on the tip that lights up when the switch is flipped up. It controls my True Daytime Running Lights which are the yellow city lights that I wired up so I can turn them on without turning anything else on. The switch on the right is an identical switch but w/ a blue LED tip which also lights up when the switch is flipped up. It controls my rearview camera so it works when I reverse but I can also power it so I can use the split screen on my AVIC-D1 to have it on while going forward. =) I cut out the cigarette lighter completely because I don't smoke in my car. I used the cig lighter acc lead to power the two switches so even when the switches are on, they will turn off when the ign is on the off position. I grounded both switches to what used to be the cig lighter ground. When I park I close it up like nothing is there. I also used flat black hobby paint to replicate the finish of stock black plastic interior trim.

 

Very nice..... I'm starting to realise the 03's have crappy plastic trim. I think I'll need to upgrade when I decide to install this screen.