Repairing styrofoam on a LG?

[MTtroutwithwings]

Ok gang, need some input...
A friend loaned me her LG still air to use for the "hatching only" period when my first set of guinea eggs reach their 25 day mark to be moved over from my Hova w/turner. It's got some serious problems! The lid has been cracked completely through in two areas... one of the corners and the center divider between the windows. Not to mention two bolt that hold the heating element in place are missing (an easy replacement) but I was wondering if I could use a glue gun to make repairs to the lid? I need to use something that won't be effected my the heat & humidity(if it even works

) and w/o vapors?

 

[MissPrissy]

I would use duct tape. Styrofoam melts very easily with glue guns and other glue just won't hold.

 

[MTtroutwithwings]

Quote:
Thanks Angie!

 

[redneck]

I have repaired Styrofoam using toothpicks and elmers glue.
You would use the toothpicks as you would use rebar in concrete. Example, if the lid is broken in half, push the toothpick into one side of the container then slide the two halves together. Then separate just a bit and add the elmers glue. All the toothpick does is to add strength to the break.

If you look close I repaired this corner.
I then sealed the underside of the crack with silicone.

 

[MTtroutwithwings]

Quote:
Whoa! Very cool, redneck!
This method would give it a nice, clean appearance too! Any particular type of silicone? It's amazes me, with the cost of these bators, that someone would want to be so careless with them. Here I took some quick pics of it

TOP PIECE...upper left corner and center divider between windows just above voltage box, cracked completely through and 2 of 3 heat element screws missing...

BOTTOM PIECE side broke off

 

[redneck]

I used just regular clear silicone. Those repairs would be pretty easy. Almost like the ones I did. Just take your time, it will work out ok. You could use some 10-24 or 10-32 screws and washers to hand the element. Get them at any hardware store. Just measure, or guess the thickness of the material plus the thickness of what you are hanging and add about 1/4 inch for the washer an nut. Don't forget to put a washer on top and bottom of Styrofoam so the screw won't pull through.

 

[MTtroutwithwings]

Thanks again Redneck,
fortunately I won't need it until the end of this month so I will be able to take my time to do it right. Hopefully the Gal who loaned it to me will appreciate it!

 

[helios]

Just what I was looking for! I finally stole my duck's neglected clutch of ten eggs last night after I found a few eggs on the shore of the pond. I have them in a cool, enclosed space in a corner of the basement and need to get an incubator going. I picked up a friend's Little Giant, but found that the crack on the top he told me about was really one corner broken off all the way through. I'm handy, but just needed a few tips on what glue to use that wouldn't melt the styrofoam and would cure very quickly so I can get this bator regulated. He cracked it when he was putting in a fan, so I hope that works, too!

 

[darkmatter]

I have used Duct Tape to shore up Styrofoam, but to repair breaks and holes I use that expandable foam in a can that is used for household winter use. Use the expandable foam and clamp the Styrofoam together until it sets hard (24 hours) then trim with a sharp knife. Makes a permanent repair. I framed my incubator Styrofoam edges with that Aluminum duct seal metal tape used for furnace ducting to make a stronger dent resistant box.

 

[helios]

Worked like a charm! I rubbed Elmer's Glue All on the broken surfaces of the foam pieces, pressed it together and stabilized it with strategic toothpicks, waited about an hour for that to dry, then coated the seams of the crack inside and out with 100% silicone caulk. I even filled a few larger holes with the silicone. I have read about "painting" the bottom of foam incubators to make clean-up after hatching much easier. I would've done that, but the post I read on that recommended at least a week cure time and I worried about the fumes since I'm planning on putting eggs in this by the end of the week.
The silicone I used had a 3 hour water/rain-ready dry time and a 24-hour full cure time, during which time it gasses off noxious chemicals (they were listed on the warning label, but I don't remember what they were...something-ammonium was one...I just know I don't want my eggs breathing it). With the small amount exposed inside, I'm not worried about the gases, since it will probably take a couple days to regulate the temps.