plastic welder?

[volaredon]

No not the material the machine is made from; but the material it is meant to weld...
Anyone have exp welding plastic? I recently bought a Seelye Model #63
as I have some ABS dashboard panels I want to try and fix (namely for my plymouth Volare restomod) along with making custom gauge pods.
I also recently came into an Apache popup camper that has fold up ABS sides instead of typical canvas in most popups.


Also need a good source for "scrap" ABS in about 1/16-3/32 (0.090") thickness as "repair material" I am looking to cut this into strips (1 to 1-1/2" wide)m to use as a "backup bar" would be used in conventional welding of steel.... where would I find "scrap" ABS plastic?

 

[1steve]

Will this help?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACK-ABS-PLASTIC-SHEET-12x12x3-32-RADIO-GAUGES-REPAIR-/250397940500

 

[ZRX61]

Also need a good source for "scrap" ABS in about 1/16-3/32 (0.090") thickness as "repair material" I am looking to cut this into strips (1 to 1-1/2" wide)m to use as a "backup bar" would be used in conventional welding of steel.... where would I find "scrap" ABS plastic?

Lego.

 

[volaredon]

$7 to ship a $3 item.... grrrr
I was hoping someone would ask me if there was anyplace that does ______ in my area that may have some laying around, or a response along those lines.... but thanks for responding none the less....

on the 1st part of the post anyone have experience with welding thermoplastic? anyone here ever done it?
I found some ancient reprints from the Apache manual that says to mix MEK solvent with ABS "pellets" to dissolve into a paste and basically spread it like you would "Bondo" but (am I wrong?) in thinking that to melt some like plastic in, by way of heat and bridging the crack from the back side, would be stronger, right? I have some of the pellets, found from Ebay and a little bit of MEK here but these days all I can find if I need more is "MEK substitute" not the real stuff. My thoughts were to reinforce from behind then use the MEK/ABS solution just to fill the crack from the side that everyone sees.

 

[volaredon]

Lego.

yeah I thought about that, but I am looking some small scraps of "sheet stock" if you get what I'm talking about... yeah I could grind up the Legos and make the "paste" from that... if I can find "real" MEK to dissolve them in. .

 

[1steve]

Any of the ABS that i have fixed i used ABS cement.

 

[zuk123]

These guys have a lot of info on plastic repair, including guides and video.

www.urethanesupply.com/identify.php

I tried solvent welding, but my modern plastic trim didn't melt.

Good luck,

zuk

 

[volaredon]

Any of the ABS that i have fixed i used ABS cement.

that may work where there are just cracks but there are a couple of pcs missing... (nothing to cement to")

 

[PECVD2]

I have welded polypropylene and PVC many times.
once the temp is set and your comfortable with the speed it goes fast and your bond will be strong.
Most plastic pipe houses will have material and may have some scrap material laying around.
The stuff is cheap so they may have rolls in the warehouse that you can get a cut sheet from.
If your looking for small pieces maybe you could cut up some ABS pipe into strips for your application or just practice.
I typically use plastic rod in the 4 to 6mm diameter region.
I recently saw a bundle of PVC rod at the re-store here locally so it is out there.
Using a CL search engine give your region a lookover.

 

[volaredon]

I have welded polypropylene and PVC many times.
once the temp is set and your comfortable with the speed it goes fast and your bond will be strong.
Most plastic pipe houses will have material and may have some scrap material laying around.
The stuff is cheap so they may have rolls in the warehouse that you can get a cut sheet from.
If your looking for small pieces maybe you could cut up some ABS pipe into strips for your application or just practice.
I typically use plastic rod in the 4 to 6mm diameter region.
I recently saw a bundle of PVC rod at the re-store here locally so it is out there.
Using a CL search engine give your region a lookover.

Thanks. I have a "hot air" (as opposed to the "airless") style of plastic welder and I bought a spool of 1/8" dia ABS weld rod, I think like 180 or 200 feet from feebay; though between the time I hit "BUY" and the time it arrived I stumbled onto the same sized roll of filler rod for 1/2 of the $36 that I paid via the online auction; and though I hunted and hunted on Feebay (and himm hawwed, stumbled and bumbled a lot too) on there for the welder I would say that I got a little better than average deal as compared to prices I'd see selelrs ask'what they sold for... like I said I stumbled a bit debating whether I wanted to pull the trigger and missed a couple of better deals than I got, as well as a couple of self contained ones with its own compressor that went cheaper than dirt after I bought mine... I know both my 5HP/80 gallon 2 stage upright and my 5 HP gas powered portable are both overkill for sich a task... (fortunately my welder has a regulator built into the hose)

Any tips or tricks in welding plastic? I have yet to try it out.

 

[volaredon]

anyone else ever done this type of welding?? any pitfalls, tips, etc?

 

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I have welded a lot of ABS, but only solvent welded it. If the plastic will melt with MEK, it will be solvent weldable. Twenty years ago, I made some small toolboxes that are just **** jointed and solvent welded, they are still complete to this day. I also have some outdoor fixtures that are going on 15 years. ABS is a great plastic to work with. You can also use spot putty and Bondo on it and an achieve a very nice paint job.

My day job is designing and fabricating clean room fixtures and devices. A lot of the enclosures are fabbed out of Polypropylene and PVC sheets. So I have welded several tons of both. I use a Seelye hot air welder, coiled or straights of 5/32" rod, and a speed tip.

The best advice I can give you is to practice running beads for a while. You want to have a slight amount of squeeze out on either side of the weld. If you don't have a variable transformer on your gun, use the air to control the temp. If you don't have gauge on your air, get one, something in the 15 psi range. When I'm welding at full power, I usually run the air from 4 to 5 psi.

Again, I've never hot air welded ABS, so I'm guessing on how it will respond. If the plastic looks like it's burning, you are too hot, or moving too slow. The welded filler rod should look smooth, and not distorted, just nicely melted into the base on the sides of it.

 

[PECVD2]

I could try to give a quick tutorial here but if you youtube plastic welding there are several really good videos there.

I repaired a bumper on my daughters car recently and figured I would just see what others had done and was amazed at some of the bumper fixing videos that are available.

I have done large diameter vent/exhaust system, double containment vessels, chemical hoods and sinks all with a Leister Triac S hot air welder.

A dremel tool will come in handy for grinding bevels on **** welds.
Some clamps and jigs will help you hold things in place while welding.
I use a "lazy susan" type table and verticle jig for welding pipe to fittings and other circular components.
Fire the welder up.
If your practice welds don't hold up, grind them off and try again.

 

[RBailey]

An article I wrote for our team website on plastic welding.

http://svdp-racing.co.uk/wp/?p=480

 

[Mickey O]

Do you have fine Corinthian leather in the Volare?

 

[volaredon]

Do you have fine Corinthian leather in the Volare?

no but I did in my 75 Cordoba I had about 25 years ago....
my other car is a 78 Fury Sport 2 door hardtop. I am 2nd owner and just cracked 50K miles on it. "pleather" interior in the Fury...
our dailys are a Cherokee XJ (wife's) a TJ Wrangler (owned since 2000 bought it 3 yo, closest to a new vehicle I have ever had) a 93 Dakota and my son's 89 Ramcharger. and he just bought a 90 Dodge 4WD "heavy" 3/4 ton. the Ramcharger I drove home from Vegas 2-1/2 years ago when he was on Spring break during his Jr year in HS.... and he followed me all the way home to chicago in that Wrangler the Ramcharger gets parked for the winter to prevent a bath of salt... as do the 2 cars

 

[volaredon]

An article I wrote for our team website on plastic welding.

http://svdp-racing.co.uk/wp/?p=480

cool and thanks lotsa good info there; you use airless or hot air equip?
I know "bumpers" (real ones are steel LOL) plastic is not ABS. How much difefrent is bumper plastic to weld vs ABS?

 

[ZRX61]

yeah I thought about that, but I am looking some small scraps of "sheet stock" if you get what I'm talking about... yeah I could grind up the Legos and make the "paste" from that... if I can find "real" MEK to dissolve them in. .

Use the bases, not the bricks for sheet stock

Motorcycle fairings etc are also ABS, but they have paint on them.

 

[volaredon]

Use the bases, not the bricks for sheet stock

Motorcycle fairings etc are also ABS, but they have paint on them.

wasnt thinking about the "bases"

 

[volaredon]

b u m p

 

[PECVD2]

Just did a google search for ABS plastic samples. Several came up. One had half pound of about 3" x 5" sheets for 6 bucks and shipping didn't look to much more but its out there

 

[volaredon]

just did a google search for abs plastic samples. Several came up. One had half pound of about 3" x 5" sheets for 6 bucks and shipping didn't look to much more but its out there

thanks!!!!!

 

[thightower]

I've only used one plastic welder one time. Just takes a little practice to get use to it.

 

[volaredon]

I've only used one plastic welder one time. Just takes a little practice to get use to it.

I have lots of metal welding exp of all types except I have never done TIG...
stick MIG oxyfuel and even some submerged arc I was hoping that plastic welding was at least somewhat similar

 

[thightower]

I don't remember the exact one I used. All I remember it was kinda like a soldering iron, it heated the piece being welded and the fill material. Basically melting it together. Worked decent that I can remember, it was several years ago. Sorry I don't have anymore info.

 

[volaredon]

I don't remember the exact one I used. All I remember it was kinda like a soldering iron, it heated the piece being welded and the fill material. Basically melting it together. Worked decent that I can remember, it was several years ago. Sorry I don't have anymore info.

every little bit of info helps. thanks. I have a bit of "cold feet" as my 1st project using this process is something I can't afford to "screw up"

 

[thightower]

I would definatly practice before you get to the expensive parts.

 

[Danglerb]

One of the car guys I know just welded a cracked fuel tank, LDPE, using the HF rig and rods from some net location I don't know. Here used a dremel to grind a V along the crack, cleaned with Windex, welded in the rod to fill and then some. Seems to be holding up.

+1 on the find some junk parts to practice on first.

 

[RCStocker]

40 years ago I wanted to repair plastic.
You need a fan to blow the fumes away or ware a gas mask. LOL
I used a soldering iron.
I knew nothing about welding plastic and all I know that they do it and that they make special equipment and you can buy the plastic.

I would take plastic form milk bottle caps, all the scraps that model parts came off of and any thing that was not good that had plastic to match. I just melted it an layed in the plastic. It is harder than welding with a torch but it can be done.
If you want to use abs then take a pice of ABS pipe and start melting it in. Just don't breath the fumes.

No one is going to pay good money for repair plastic. No one just has it sitting around. It cost them money and shipping the same as it would you. Shippin might be more to send you a piece than it would if you purschased the whole thing.

Like the person buying dry wall. It is only $6 or so a sheet. It will cost you more in gas driving around. Home Depot sells 2x4 sheet. They are almost as much as the entire sheet. It takes time to cut them up.

You guys are so danm cheap.
After reading your post I would say stop buying old junk campers and thngs.

They make a peal off contact dash material. I have seen it used. I have seen it to re-cover front pannels on dashes to match the old when they rebuild cars after accidents.

It works great. It is very thin but it works.

If your camper is pvc or abs it is old and brittle and it all needs to be replace. It will continue to snap. repairing it will drive you crazy.

 

[volaredon]

Hey I would stop buying old things if I could afford new; but aren't most people here on GJ here because they want a place to work on things as well as store them???

no I am not being cheap necessarily, I dont need a whole sheet of material, 90% will sit and collect dust if I bought a whole sheet...
the end walls of thsi camper slide out and the roof cranks up like about any popup but the side walls are ABS instead of canvas. check out apachepopups.com, you will find these actually have quite a following. There is also a Yahoo group and a facebook group the latter is based on preserving these old campers though "I do not do Facebook"
I got my 1st one given to me. I sold it and bought another with the money from #1

I dont need a glorified mobile hotel tents serve me just fine so a "tent on wheels" is plenty... I tend to camp at campgrounds that have shower houses anyway...
if it were not for my wife who also likes camping and such but can't sleep on the ground as well as I can.... I'd be content with my old school canvas tent.

we're a lil older than when we camped all the time.

 

[volaredon]

found a guy on Feebay that may have what I am needing.

I also have an old car in the garage and, while I have a couple of good dashes in the attic for it, I also have the original that is a lil rough (the front part not talking about the dash pad) that I wanna experiment with not only repairing its crack but also wanna try to make it custom and try to add gauge pods that "look" like the cra could have come that way from the factory all theyse years after it left the factory; the dash panels I have, too, are ABS as are the sides of this camper

 

[Danglerb]

They make a peal off contact dash material. I have seen it used. I have seen it to re-cover front pannels on dashes to match the old when they rebuild cars after accidents.

It works great. It is very thin but it works.

Until the first hot sunny day, then it warps to junk. Fixing a dash is not easy or cheap for good results that last more than weeks or months.

 

[volaredon]

If you want to use abs then take a pice of ABS pipe and start melting it in. Just don't breath the fumes.

You guys are so danm cheap.
After reading your post I would say stop buying old junk campers and thngs.

They make a peal off contact dash material. I have seen it used. I have seen it to re-cover front pannels on dashes to match the old when they rebuild cars after accidents.

It works great. It is very thin but it works.

If your camper is pvc or abs it is old and brittle and it all needs to be replace. It will continue to snap. repairing it will drive you crazy.

1) I did not buy the camper, I had it given to me.
2) I'm glad you're rich and all and can afford new everything. Me? I am recently back working off of SS Disability and dont have the luxury. fix old stuff or have nothing.
3) I have a spare end wall panel that I am working on more as an experiment than anything, it's a lil worse than the one on my unit. Plans are to fix this wall and swap it out then fix the one in service.
4) on the car project (long too dormant due to plenty of time/no money-- I started that project when I was still working before my accident) I have an extra dash too, so again if I screw up no biggie. I am not trying to fix the vinyl dash pad, but the ABS "face"
5) I have some ABS rod about 1/8" diameter and 180' long that I bought for the purpose, but there is some missing material that I need to replace that's why I am looking for scrap ABS for filler; but, ABS pipe wont work because it is round

I have found and bid on some material like I have been asking for, just gotta wait out the Ebay auction; alot of plastic signs, plastic windows, computer cases and such are made of ABS, I was really looking for somethin like that someone may have layin around that I could get for this.
The plan on where it is "only" cracked is to cut a strip and bridge it from behind and "plastic weld" the reinforcement in. then mix up some ABS pellets and MEK (the camper manufacturer's suggested and approved way) to use on the front (showey) side to cover the crack and hide it. It gets applied much like Bondo with a scraper sort of tool...