Plastic Welding?
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From: Arlington TX
Plastic Welding? I'm looking for a plastic welding kit to do some work on a project I have but there are several different kits out there and I'm not sure which is the best way to go.
There are kits that have a heat gun with attachements then there are some that are airless and they have what looks similar to soldering irons.
Anyone have any experiance with this and have a suggestions?
There are kits that have a heat gun with attachements then there are some that are airless and they have what looks similar to soldering irons.
Anyone have any experiance with this and have a suggestions?
Harbor Freight sells a plastic welder that looks like a soldering iron. I tried it and never got good welds. The problem I had was trying to melt the filler rod without softening the repair surface too much. The filler rod doesn't melt and drip into the repair area like wax but rather it softens and you "push" the material where you want it to go and hope it sticks. Eventually I gave up and went back to 2-part epoxy.
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Why do you think I'm asking about this stuff? I have a very very small crack on my passanger door and I'd like to fix it before it gets bigger. I have a door panel to practice on too
I bought the Urethane Supply's plastic welder off ebay years ago for around $100. As stated previously, it's just a soldering iron, with different shaped heads.
But it has came in handy quite a few times.
I really like their line of flex fillers too.
Their website has a good bit of instructional info about repairing plastics
http://www.urethanesupply.com/
But it has came in handy quite a few times.
I really like their line of flex fillers too.
Their website has a good bit of instructional info about repairing plastics
http://www.urethanesupply.com/
Ive used airless welders in the past. They work very well (if you use the right rod) The problem with plastic welding is it leaves "stress raisers", which leads it to cracking, if not done correctly. In your case, I would use 2 part.
Bevel the crack and sand the area with 80 grit. Sand the back of the reair with 80 grit. Than I like to drill 1/8 holes in the bevel area. (this lets the 2 part go threw to the back side) Apply 2 part to the front and back. Let it set up. Sand front and finish off with filler of your choice.
Hope this helps - Ron
Bevel the crack and sand the area with 80 grit. Sand the back of the reair with 80 grit. Than I like to drill 1/8 holes in the bevel area. (this lets the 2 part go threw to the back side) Apply 2 part to the front and back. Let it set up. Sand front and finish off with filler of your choice.
Hope this helps - Ron
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From: Arlington TX
I have done some more research and I've decided to try something different before buying a plastic welding kit. I found some stuff called Plastifix. From what I've read it's really good and will be a stronger repair than the plastic welding. It's a lot cheaper so I'll try it first.
