Came accross this last week in our shop:
Utile Plast
(The website is, er, horrible, but the information is there)

I immediately thought about the usefulness of having this stashed around in the usual kits. It's basically a putty at boiling temperatures, and hardens to a very hard plastic when cooled. We used it to make a hand nut to repair a kayak.

So, has anyone had much experience with it? Seems very functional but I wonder about longer term use, multiple melting/hardening cycles, and how brittle it may get when very cold. I'll try to acquire some also, and we might carry it in the shop.

Thanks,
Jason

It does look interesting. How do you mold it without burning yourself? Does it stay plyable at less than boiling temperature?

I dont' remember the exact temperatures, but it was definately pliable with bare skin. It gets a little tougher to push around, but is possible. It started out very hot and very soft, and became easier to hold but harder to mold as it cooled.

Jason

the web site mentions it's reusable : I guess that means if you heat it again, it will be soft and pliable again ...

That's what makes it great for temp repairs in the field. I can definately see packing some of this along for any need that comes up, but only relying on it until getting back to 'civilization' and making a permanent repair.

We reused it several times in our test.
Jason

We use it at work to cast replacement plastic parts like knobs etc.

How is the long term stability? As temperatures continue to drop does it become brittle?

Looks like interesting stuff. Thanks for the info.