[billbo]

Found a plastic welder at Harbor Freight for around forty bucks.Any body tried it? Looks kinda like a soldering iron but with an air hose hooked to it. I assume that it works by heating the air that shoots out of the nozzle.On another thread,someone said that you use a plastic rod just like you use a rod welding metal.Harbor Freight's product description doesn't say anything about the rods,wonder where to get them?No,I have'nt dropped the purple ninja,got another project in mind.

 

[dwengi]

Haven't used one. Harbor Freight sells the world's cheapest Chinese items (crap) so the price is always right.

 

[omninate]

Harbor Freight's product description doesn't say anything about the rods,wonder where to get them?

If you look at the Harbor Freight item listing for the plastic welder, it lists "Related Items." In this case, it is the plastic welding rods for $5.99. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=41592

 

[billbo]

Thanx,omninate,I didn't scroll down far enough.

 

[Shopshirt Mofo]

I read an article somewhere...can't remember where now... that you could just use a soldering iron and weld the plastic back together. No rods used at all. When I get home tonight I'll try to find the link again.

 

[omninate]

I read an article somewhere...can't remember where now... that you could just use a soldering iron and weld the plastic back together. No rods used at all. When I get home tonight I'll try to find the link again.

Please do! I'd be interested in what they have to say because typically when I have seen ABS break, there are flecks of plastic missing from the immediate breakage area. If you were to just melt the existing plastic back together, I would have assumed that you're not getting as firm of a "weld" as if you inserted new, filler plastic to bridge the breakage gaps.

 

[fog]

I have used one and can say there is a goodly amount of skill involved. It is the very best method of repair though and it's instant, that is no drying time. You definatlly do need the rod too. You get the plastic hot enought to melt in order to weld and at that point is can just fall off too, unless your very good at controling the heat. the rod melts at a slightly lower temp so as to make a joint possable without completly melting the parent material.

Rots O Ruck

And Harbor freight is way over priced. There are several places around here that sell the same Chinese junk for a lot less than HF. and no shipping to boot.

FOG

 

[billbo]

Thanks for the info FOG. Yeah, Harbor Freight is junk,but cheap.My rule of thumb is ; if a tool is in my hand a lot (like every day) I buy the best there is.For occasional use I buy cheapo and make it work.

 

[exer]

They work fine, but I just use an old pencil soldering iron and plastic scraps to melt to fill voids.

Being a geezer, I have purchased soldering irons a couple of times, when I couldn't find my old one, or forgot that I lent it out!

 

[Shopshirt Mofo]

Some Links

http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7219

http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0204_body/

Here's the one that I mentioned previously.

 

[mhess19]

soldering iron method

http://forums.sportbikes.net/forums/showthread.php?t=338068