Biteplate Repair W/O Replacement ????

[Sigmund451]

Ive got Berg on the way that has some biting on the plate. Im not too fond of patches. Can I smooth the biteplate first with very fine grit sandpaper...1500 and then fill the remaining gaps with epoxy or jb weld, cure it and then sand again lightly to even it out (ok Im an old plaster worker)and have an effective fix that both lasts and does not poision me? Its not all chewed up but does have a few groves I dont care to wrestle with since Im accustomed to smooth surfaces as Im not a biter.

[MojoBari]

Yes, but dont sand before you fill with epoxy. It sticks better to a slightly roughen surface, though I've never had any come off smooth ones.

As for the poison, that is a personal decision. There is not enough evidence one way or another on the safety of epoxies in the mouth.

[Sigmund451]

Guess I will try that, Im of the opinion that very little will be needed, cant be much worse than the toxins in McDonalds :wink:

Im thinking the toxicity would be drastically reduced once many of the chemicals have cured out...at least I hope. Additionally, the liklihood that my teeth fall in the same spot consisistent with another player is at least minimal.

Thanks for the non presanding tip. Makes sense.

[Paul Coats]

I fill with epoxy (Devcon 5 minute) sand to shape, then polish. I top it off with a clear mylar patch to seal the area.

[MojoBari]

Paul, even though its 5-min epoxy, do you find it a little gummy to file/sand until it hardens for a couple of hours? I have found this with some brands.

[Paul Coats]

Yes... 5 minutes is WORKING time, it takes a while to fully harden. But I set it aside and find other things to do. I like the 5 minute as I don't worry, as I would with slower setting epoxies, about coming back to it in an hour and finding that the epoxy has run all over the place and hardened.

[MojoBari]

I have found that 5 minute epoxy putties do set faster. Some of them can be filed and sanded after 15-20 minutes. But they are better for baffle work, not biteplates.

On runny slow set epoxies, I've had sucess using tape to make a form around the biteplate. I do this for bigger fill jobs or complete replacements. I usually use a black 2-Part Acrylic (from McMaster-Carr) or Jet Black from Ferree's. These take 3 days to harden!

[mark_m]

If you use an epoxy made as a surface covering (finish) rather than glue, you can get a harder, shinier surface. But they don't make them in 5-minute setting times. I think mostly 30 or more minutes.

[Paul Coats]

The surface of the epoxy has to conforme to the curve of the beak. You cannot get this shape by puddling epoxy in the teeth grooves. It much be globbed on, allowed to harden, then filed to contour. This is why a "casting resin" type of epoxy, to obtain a shiny surface, is not useful here.

[MojoBari]

You can use slower setting epoxies, but they take timing. You need to mix some up and wait until it gets thicker before applying it. So for each different brand you need to get a feel for a the time needed to get a good working viscosity. You can also make "forms" out of tape around the area. Over fill the grooves some and file/sand to final shape after the epooxy hardens.

JVW used to use JB Weld to make baffles. He would make a form inside the piece for a step or bullet, then he would angle the piece and pour in the epoxy. About 20-30 minutes later (I think, or was it 2 hours?) it would be stiff enough that he could push it around to get a final shape. This just illustrates what is possible. It is much easier to use epoxy putty for baffles. Putty is not good for bite plates.

[mark_m]

Paul, I see what you mean. So you build up, then file/sand/polish or whatever to the surface you want.

You'll probably have no use for it then, but there are some epoxies that are designed as coatings (different from casting epoxies), that develop nice hard, glossy surfaces. I'm not too familiar with casting epoxies, but I would expect differences, between these two, to be in regards to temperatures developed in a thin coating vs. a thick volume - which would get warmer, all of which pertains to curing times and also to stresses that develop as hot resin hardens and cools.

I know that some finishing resins, maybe just polyester, have a wax that surfaces, allowing a shiny, non-sticky surface to form.