After an incredibly harsh Wisconsin winter, spring clean-up around the farm revealed a few projects that needed to be addressed. The first project on the list was a water trough that had two hairline cracks, causing slow leaks. Pictured below is the 100 gallon Rubbermaid trough in need of repair. The trough is made of structural foam and repairing it would cost only a fraction of purchasing a new one.
Waiting for the trough to be repaired and filled
The first step was locating the leaks. That was as simple as filling the trough and observing where the water was leaking out. Once the outside cracks were located, the trough was emptied and the cracks on the inside surface were located. To prepare for the repair, the area was cleaned and thoroughly dried. To ensure the repair material would bond properly, the cracks were widened to approximately 1/8 inch using a router.
Locating the leaks
The prepared surface
With the surface prepared, a small amount of Aboweld™ 55-22 was mixed to fill the cracks. Aboweld 55-22 is a thixotropic, structural adhesive that is ideal for bonding, filling and patching virtually all rigid surfaces. It hardens quickly, resists sagging, and is solvent-free and food grade, which makes it completely safe for the horses. The product has a Vaseline like consistency and spreads easily with a trowel.
Aboweld™ 55-22
Application photos
Only one fluid ounce of product was used to make the repair. The remainder of the Aboweld 55-22 tube was re-sealed and saved for future projects. The repair, from start to finish, took approximately one hour. The next day the water trough was filled and the horses were happy.
No more leaking
The wait is over.
