I picked up a MS260 as a rebuilding project for $100. The previous owner said the compression was low, but when I got it home the compression was fine and the piston and cylinder surfaces were perfect. The carburetor needed to be rebuilt and and the rear handle was broken. The carburetor fix was easy and after getting the saw running, I turned my sights to repairing the rear handle. I wish I would have taken some before pictures, but here are the after the repair pictures.
I roughed up the bonding area with a carbide burr and tacked the handle pieces into position, I then placed 4 layers 6.8 oz. 4k carbon fiber twill and aerospace epoxy into the backside of the handle.
I found that that that a packing peanut wrapped in thin polyethylene file taped in place did an excellent job of squeezing the excess epoxy from between the layers of carbon fiber while it cured.
With the carbon fiber on the backside I could fill the inside of the handle with aerospace grade epoxy and glass microfibers. After it cured, it was filed and sanded into shape. This is portion of the repair pretty much cosmetic, as the structural repair is on the backside.
I fully expect the repair stay solid and not fail. If on the off chance it does, I'll grind out the carbon fiber on the backside and apply a layer carbon fiber on the inside of the handle and around to the replacement carbon fiber on the backside.
I roughed up the bonding area with a carbide burr and tacked the handle pieces into position, I then placed 4 layers 6.8 oz. 4k carbon fiber twill and aerospace epoxy into the backside of the handle.
I found that that that a packing peanut wrapped in thin polyethylene file taped in place did an excellent job of squeezing the excess epoxy from between the layers of carbon fiber while it cured.
With the carbon fiber on the backside I could fill the inside of the handle with aerospace grade epoxy and glass microfibers. After it cured, it was filed and sanded into shape. This is portion of the repair pretty much cosmetic, as the structural repair is on the backside.
I fully expect the repair stay solid and not fail. If on the off chance it does, I'll grind out the carbon fiber on the backside and apply a layer carbon fiber on the inside of the handle and around to the replacement carbon fiber on the backside.
