Tractor Mike's video: Easy D-I-Y Epoxy Tractor Side Panel Repair That Saved

I've had a problem on my tractor ever since I bought it that we're going to repair today with a product called Propoxy 20. One end of one of the side panels has had an accident and is not attached to the tractor. Eventually, vibration is going to take it's toll on the other end that is attached to the opposite side panel and it's going to break. Replacing the side panels would be really expensive ($365 a side) and if you left them off the tractor there are multiple electrical components underneath that shouldn't be exposed to rain or dust. There is another alternative. Epoxies used to be very difficult to use. You'd have a can of resin and a can of hardener that had to be mixed perfectly in order to make a repair. Someone came up with the idea of forming the resin around the hardener in a roll, kinda like sushi, and giving a do-it-yourselfer the ability to cut off just what was needed for the job, knead it together and apply it. Today I'm taking the side panel that was not connected and epoxying new bolt inserts into the damaged end. I found an issue on the other side and I'm going to repair it as well. When the project is done, the side panels will be firmly attached to the tractor like they were from the factory. I used Propoxy 20, (available here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/tractormike) for this project, and I purchased the 4 ounce tube, which was the right amount. Other items needed for the project include a knife to cut it, rubber gloves, some water to keep your fingers wet when kneading the epoxy, a brush, and WD-40 Specialist Industrial-Strength Cleaner & Degreaser to thoroughly clean the area before application for good adhesion (available here: https://www.amazon.com/WD-40-Specialist-Industrial-Strength-Degreaser-Non-Aerosol/dp/B06ZY6JZJK). After a healthy spray of the WD-40 and brushing it into the hard-to-reach areas, I rinsed the application area off and let it dry. Then I cut off about 2 inches of the Propoxy 20, wetted my fingers, and started working it around, mixing the resin, which is black, and the hardener, which is white. As the two components merge together, you can feel the epoxy getting softer until, it has the feel of Silly Putty if you're old enough to remember that. It also changes color and becomes sort of a light battleship grey when ready to apply. It has an aroma that's a little hard to describe, sorta like Indian food in a burning diaper, so you don't want to use it inside. When it's thoroughly mixed, apply it to the area that needs repaired and let it set for twenty minutes. It dries rock hard and firmly attached to the panel. It's really a miracle fix and it's a product that I'll keep around to use it other applications, it's even works on pipes and where there's moisture present. My thanks to Craig, my viewer, who repaired his tractor this same way, for giving me the idea. This quick fix may have saved me a bunch of money on down the road and it sure improves the looks of the tractor! LINKS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT... The Tractor Fun Store: https://asktractormike.com/products-for-sale/ Support the Tractor Mike Channel: https://www.patreon.com/TractorMike Visit the Tractor Mike website: http://asktractormike.com/ Visit Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Ask-Tractor-Mike-312112962245304/ Copyright 2020 Tractor Mike LLC