plastic welding

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Sep 18, 2007 | 02:51 PM

scott_fx

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Le Mans Master

Joined: Jun 2004

Posts: 5,572

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From: Los Angeles Ca

plastic welding

was looking through the harbor freight catalog and came across this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=41592

this seems like a pretty good alternative to my soldering iron technique. anyone have experience with plastic welding?

Sep 18, 2007 | 05:04 PM

0TheRadioFlyer97

Former Vendor

Joined: Nov 2005

Posts: 8,995

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From: Spring Texas

St. Jude Donor '08

Looks like it would work and the price is very reasonble....

what plastic are you welding?

Sep 18, 2007 | 05:25 PM

scott_fx

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Le Mans Master

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From: Los Angeles Ca

it would be for the dash (abs) but it wouldnt really be for me since i'm petty much done. it would be for future modders :-)

Sep 19, 2007 | 11:57 AM

C4Cvette

Melting Slicks

Joined: Aug 2001

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From: Port Saint Lucie, FL

I have one of those as well. I still have not got use to it. I will stick with my soldering iron for now.
If you get one, just practice with it on something other than your dash.

Sep 19, 2007 | 12:57 PM

dacantra

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From: Laurel Maryland

I messed around with one of these for a couple of days a few years ago and unless they have changed the type of plastic that it uses to "solder" with it is very umm messy. about the time you get the right plasticity of the material you have to move quick or it is just too hot. my problem was balancing keeping the peice I was fixing hot and the filler plastic hot. I didn't care for it at all. I perfer solder myself.

Sep 19, 2007 | 01:01 PM

scott_fx

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Le Mans Master

Joined: Jun 2004

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From: Los Angeles Ca

i was reading that people have been using a router speed control to regulate heat on that thing in order to make it a useful tool

Sep 19, 2007 | 01:10 PM

dacantra

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From: Laurel Maryland

that would be cool. thats always been my problem with the thing it is either on or off which is ok with something like a solder gun but for larger objects that you are fixing (something that would require plastic welding) the heat source should be more like a high heat heat gun. Think more like using brazing instead of soldering. This would probably work for small cracks but if it's anything substantial I would find another way of fixing what's broke.

Sep 24, 2007 | 07:41 PM

mathia

Burning Brakes

Joined: Feb 2001

Posts: 793

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From: Milwaukee & Long Beach WI & CA

I was just looking at that in a Harbor Freight ad. I found some useful info on plastic welding here: http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=164855

As mentioned above, the ability to control the heat of the welder seems very important for making clean welds. There are some links to other recommended welders in that thread.