PSA: An old timer at the shop last week changed how I look at plastic welding

He told me I was rushing the pre-heat step and that's why my repairs kept cracking after a few months. Anyone else been doing it wrong and just never thought to slow down?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_henry2d ago

Man, I totally used to think pre-heating was just something you did quick to get it over with. I was always in a rush to get to the welding part, figured a fast pass with the heat gun was good enough. Then a buddy of mine who restores old boat dashboards showed me his setup and it clicked - he spends like five minutes just warming the area slowly from a distance. That extra time makes the plastic actually take the weld instead of fighting it. Now I set a timer and force myself to wait, haven't had a crack come back since.

gibson.elizabeth2d agoMost Upvoted

Set a timer, that's the part I never had the patience for. I always figured close enough was good enough until my bumper repair looked like a roadmap of cracks six months later. Now I just stand there staring at the plastic for five minutes like some kind of zen master.