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I have a rowing machine (a WaterRower) with a water tank (picture). The tank has a few cracks on the top. I'm thinking of gluing a piece of plexiglass on it as a patch but was wondering if anyone had a better idea.

Add'l info: the tank is 23" in diameter and 9" tall. The plastic is ~3.5mm thick. The cracks are roughly 2" long. I'm not sure what caused them. The tank is normally sealed except for a bung hole in the top (visible in the 2nd photo) but it's currently in 2 pieces so I can work on it. I can't tell what the plastic is made of (no markings) but the tank has a little give when pressed. Here are 2 photos taken from the inside: Crack1 Crack2

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    For a repair to be long-lasting it would help to know what caused the cracks. If it is basically old-age, that's different from stress cracks, which are different from someone having hit it with something. Do you know what kind of plastic it is (may have a little triangle somewhere with a recycling code)? How old is it? How flexible is it? Is it permanently sealed or does it open so you can add more water? Can you estimate the thickness of the plastic? Can you post a picture of the cracks in your own tank so we get an idea of size and stress? What are the tank dimensions?
    – fixer1234
    Commented Feb 8, 2018 at 4:12

2 Answers 2

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Try using a windshield repair kit like the one shown here: https://www.thoughtco.com/repair-your-chipped-windshield-281417

The basic steps are:

  1. Clean the crack and area around it
  2. Drill a small hole in front of each crack and chip at the hole to create a 'bulls eye', this helps stop the cracks from spreading
  3. Align a resin applicator tool with the crack
  4. Load a windshield resin applicator with resin and begin spreading the resin into the crack
  5. Apply a finishing film to smooth the resin.
  6. Let dry
  7. Scrape away excess resin with a razor.
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Drill holes on either side of the crack.

Glue the crack with appropriate glue. (crazy glue may work)

There may be a recycling symbol on the device that may indicate the type of plastic.

Use cable ties to stitch it up. (cable ties pictured below)

Seal the drilled holes with silicone

I have used this method to repair cracked refrigerator crisper drawer. (i did not use glue for that)

enter image description here enter image description here

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  • You might elaborate on your first statement. I know what you mean, having seen such repairs on aircraft skins, but those who aren't familiar won't understand.
    – isherwood
    Commented Oct 19, 2018 at 14:11
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    @isherwood, do you mean the first line about drilling holes?
    – jsotola
    Commented Oct 19, 2018 at 16:05

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