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Thread: Buying a Plastic Welder?

  1. #1
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    Buying a Plastic Welder?

    The plastic welders you guys have, can you tell me which type have been good and are there any brands I should steer away from.
    Also where did you buy them from and for how much?

  2. #2
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    Just buy a soldering iron from your local warehouse or dicksmith mate. It'll do the job just fine. It should be $10-15.



  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by カワサキキド
    The plastic welders you guys have, can you tell me which type have been good and are there any brands I should steer away from.
    Also where did you buy them from and for how much?

    Somebody uses a soldering iron and cable ties.....dunno if anyone's got the real deal though unless they're in the trade
    Kerry

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    Quote Originally Posted by kerryg
    Somebody uses a soldering iron and cable ties.....
    I picked that one up from Dodgyiti. My top fairing haven't fallen apart yet.

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    Soldering iron is too hot, and cable ties and fairings aren't the same plastic, as most fairings are ABS, and cable ties are (I think) LDPE.

    ABS doesn't respond super well to welding - better to use MEK (methylethyl ketone) based adhesive, or methylene chloride as a solvent, with shavings of ABS, from the back side of the broken fairing piece. I've also used the solvent cement for Marley's guttering pieces, but it's a bit low in solvents and has other crap in it, so it doesn't work quite as well because you need an adhesive that'll be drawn into the crack by capillary action.
    ... and that's what I think.

    Or summat.


    Or maybe not...

    Dunno really....


  6. #6
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    I have been using a soldering iron, but the plastic doesn't retain its strength.
    I think it's about time I invested in the correct tool.

  7. #7
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    I've used a solderng iron and its worked quite well. As with everything the prep makes all the difference. I got rid of the paint either side of the crackes, a few bits of duct tape holding it in place and melted together with a cheap (15W I think - not very hot) DSE iron. None of the welds I did have come apart, but some of the ones I got done by a shop are :disapint:

    Heres a pic:
    http://middleparkmanor.homeip.net/CKstuff/snowsmall.jpg
    Don't those welds look classy?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by vifferman
    Soldering iron is too hot, and cable ties and fairings aren't the same plastic, as most fairings are ABS, and cable ties are (I think) LDPE.
    Can you keep that quiet? I don't want my fairing finding out and falling apart.

  9. #9
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    you could always fibreglass the backside after plastic soldering it .makes it lots stronger and cheap too.
    hang on ill just find my caring face.....

  10. #10
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    someone sells a 2 tube type fairing repair stuff. Ive used it myself and its pretty darn good.
    You V the crack to get a good purchace area then push this stuff into the crack. It seems to be brilliant.
    To see a life newly created.To watch it grow and prosper. Isn't that the greatest gift a human being can be given?

  11. #11
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    Something like a two part epoxy frosty? I have plastic welded using cable ties and soldering iron(very old inefficient 15W), and the iron does get things a little hot at times, boiling the plastic rather than melting it. Still, what I have done is holding together fine. I have had much success using araldite and cloth to repair brackets here and there, putting it on in the same way as you would apply carbon fibre. If anyone chooses to try this way, make sure you use strong, open weave cloth for the epoxy to penetrate into. As with anything along these lines, preperation is everything. Make sure you have the surfaces very clean. Putting a light sand/grooves over the surface before you start helps too

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    best cheap way is soldering iron. After i was done it was bloody strong. But to add strength i welded it so that there was a bit of a groove, filled it with realy good apoxy and sanded it back. Worked really really well
    Lump lingered last in line for brains,
    And the ones she got were sort of rotten and insane...

  13. #13
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    I have done that too - weld the back as far through as I can go, then carve out the crack on the paintwork side and fill with epoxy, sellotape over the top - keeps the finish smooth, and makes sure you dont get runs or air bubbles - then sand back and repaint. Works a charm.

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    If u need i find outthought my bro what welder here users in the trade
    but i know they around 350 for good one which will fix it right

    use trademan to fix it bro is one and he show me diff plastics that welded and ones that need alot of time to weld and streighting more to it if u what to fix it for good
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by guzzi_nz
    If u need i find outthought my bro what welder here users in the trade
    but i know they around 350 for good one which will fix it right

    use trademan to fix it bro is one and he show me diff plastics that welded and ones that need alot of time to weld and streighting more to it if u what to fix it for good
    Huh? :confused2


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