Plastic Welding?

I would like to build using delrin. Can it be plastic welded?
My understanding is that glues are crap on slick plastics.

I need the bonding to be as strong as the base material.

If not what about nylon?


Thanks

Lot of good info in this post!

[riskone]

Hi,
First off you must make sure that the two materials are the same. Meaning the welding rod and the plastic. If you are welding pvc plastic then the rod must be pvc also. There is also a heat range for the different types of plastic. HDPE requires for freehand welding 300-350 C and a air volume of 40-60 l/m or 1.4 - 2.1 cfm. also required lbs of pressure on the wleding rod is btwn 1.5 - 4.0 depending on the size of the welding rod you are using. I only use HDPE as a example for you did not state what type of plastic you are welding. We use a good welder from WEGENER. All of our welders have been certified as Thermoplastic welders. Yo have a heat issue with your welder. As in metel welding you know about heat the same hold true for plastic welding you must have the correct material, heat, rod, pressure, speed and psi. for it to work. I hope this helps.

Randy

[snydley]

I hope you can help me. I too, have thought about buying the Harbor Freight Tools plastic welder. I have a Crown CM 311A headset microphone that needs repair. The plastic "retaining ring" that holds the microphone element to the boom arm broke. Just one end of it broke. I tried gluing it back together with JB Weld with no luck. I thought about welding it, but I don't know what kind of plastic it is. The "pdf" microphone manual says it's made of "hi-impact plastic". What kind of plastic is it, and what kind of rod do I use to weld it back together? Is this something that can be easily welded? Is the Harbor Freight welder a good one to buy, or is there a better product out there for a novice that might only use it once in awhile? I appreciate any help you might offer me.

Thanks,
Snydley

[DallasLoanGuy]

great post and awesome replies everyone.
this-un is bookmarked.

that harbor freight welder is on sale.... gonna pick one up in the morning!!

thanks to everyone who contributes here

[ahgu]

Where do I purchase HDPE NPT fitting for welding to replace the bulkheads? And how do I weld the ciruclar fitting?

thanks
Andrew

[rmz250moto]

I am interested in purchasinga plastic welder for repairing motorcycle fairings, fenders and maybe even some car bumpers and ext. I have read through all the posts here and gone to many of the the links and i have found a ton of usefull info. There seems to be almost too much info in fact, i am looking to purchase a welder but i am having trouble choosing one since there is so many to choose from. I am looking to spend between $300 to $500 dollars (US). I have been given a ton of body work from a local motorcycle dealer so i have plenty to practice with now i just need to find the right welder for me. Could some of you give me recomendations and reviews of welders that you have used so can narrow my search? By the way it sounds there are a few moy people with similar problems to mind. Thanks alot for any info you can provide!

Myles

[smokez1]

I need some help finding the correct welding rod and heat settings for welding king starboard>

thanks for any help

[waynew]

having only performed plastic welding in the last few years; my experience is limited to repairing acid wet stations which are made mainly of polypropylene, pvc-c, and pvc.

i agree with other remarks: know your material. you must have the same stuff (with exceptions), or the weld will not stick. check a chart if unsure.

be patient, practice, and have fun. you can make and repair some amazing things.

some tricks:
- nitrogen is best (forget air) for getting a good weld; invest in a tank, regulator, and fittings. the inert gas flushes out moisture and prevents oxidation from forming during the weld.
- clean, clean, clean. the oxidation, oils, and dirt that are on plastic can ruin a weld (like tarnish when you solder). use isopropyl alchohol with low water content to wipe down the rod and weld area before you strike. it's also great for finding leaks, as it seems to seep through any failed weld.
- have all your tools handy. nothing more frustrating than laying a nice bead, then realizing your diagonal cutter is out of arms reach to finish the deal.
- invest in a good welder; Laramy Products offers a nice portable hand unit that accepts different tips for tacking, speed welding, and freehand welding. there are others out there too.
- your welder supplier should be able to get you welding tips, heating elements (yes, you'll burn one out sooner or later), tip cleaners, etc.. Laramy also offers a couple of booklets which are excellent welding info resources (no, i don't work for Laramy). i'll bet others do too.
- running at 3psi is good for thicker rod (3/16"), 6psi ok for thinner (1/8") rod.
- pvc and pvc-c are finnicky; use a variable transformer to drop the voltage so the temperature is cooler for the plastic. 90VAC is a good place to start; you can try lower wattage elements too.
- pvc handles weird when hot, like butter; one minute it's hard, next it's soft. polypro stays stiffer in the core, but is a challenge in the corners.
- make yourself a musher for the corners. use a big steel bolt and round the end. when the inside corner is layed, heat it and mush the bolt in. nice way to cauterize too.
- practice on scraps before doing the real thing, then no surprises!

good hunting!

[drionbh3]

Hi guys,

I'm planning on welding akro-mils kind of bins together since I cannot find any bins with the size of 40" depth x 8" wide. Instead of doing anything customed, I'm interested in getting plastic welding equipment for the guys in the manufacturing plant I work at.

The info I find here is good, I just like to have additional comments/precautions or even a nice procedure to make bins of such size that is sturdy to carry huge loads everyday. Thanks!

[oneofamill]

This is a very thin plastic cement used for plexiglass, styrene, name tags, etc.
http://www.delviesplastics.com/mm5/m...Acrylic_Cement

[ChrisJe]

Obviously it's important that you know the characteristics of the plastic that you are welding - if you get the temperature wrong, not only will you not be able to weld properly, you might burn or char the plastic. I guess the same goes for plastic welding as for metal welding, in that you need to be careful and keep the gas correct.

[rexter3]

has anyone had any experience welding plastic lawn mower gas tanks, Thank you in advance for your help.

[AllJobs]

Has anyone done any small scale thermoplastic molding, it seems one could easily machine some aluminum stock into male and female molds One could then heat the molds and the thermoplastic up to the proper temperature and after filling the female mold with the proper amount of thermoplastic one could then press the male mold into it with a shop press

[flingreasewood]

I'm having a problem with my elements burning out [Seelye welder]. I'm using clean shop air through two filters but the elements are still apparently oxidizing. Will nitrogen solve this problem? Do you run through a small bottle quickly at 3.5 psi?

[Speedwrench]

Dax i have a old vetter windjammer fairing that is developing a crack, I know that it is a PVC plastic have you any thoughts on repairs, i will take the time eventually to read all of the links but if you know of anything offhand i would apreaciate it.
Speedwrench
Life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies.

[sonoffar]

Hello,
Earlier in this thread there was a question about plastic rod for welding. I have had some success using weed eater string. It can be had in many different diameters and colors, and it's cheap. I have no idea what type of plastic it is but so far it has fused to all the plastics I have attempted to weld.
My first repair project was a plastic wheel barrow, I used a propane torch and then went to my oxy / acetylene torch with a small tip. Took a little trial and error to get the correct heat, flame type, and speed but the repair is still good 2 years later.
I used a hot putty knife to pretty up the weld as a finishing touch.
My current repair project is the plastic tube, (wand), on a Chicago Tools pressure washer. Does any one have any ideas about the potential for a good repair? There's a split about 1 inch long and parallel to the extrusion die line.
I have in mind to use a butane pencil torch and my usual weed eater string.
Any help would be appreciated.

[rkpatt]

Harborfreight Tools (aka HF ) recently added an improved plastic welder ( thermostatically controlled and built-in air motor ) similar to some of the more expensive models . Maybe it will make plastic welding easier and DIY plastic fabrication projects possible.-

See - http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96712


Also I ran across this site for plastic bumper repair -

Plastic Welding?

[rkpatt]

oops - I meant - www.urethanesupply.com


[Also I ran across this site for plastic bumper repair -

Plastic Welding?[/quote]

[Gorrt]

I have been reading this forum for a while and now I need some advice. I want to fabricate a prototype of a device that I have patent pending. It is a consumer device that consists of a plastic box similar to a food storage box with a snap on lid. I have made many prototypes out out of food storage boxes but now it is time for me to take it to the next step and achieve a design that is more cosmetically appealing. I think the Food boxes are made of PE or HDPE and that seems to work pretty well (but I need to change the shape a bit). The prototype must be a fluid tight and have a flexible lid that snaps on. I can't go to a manufacturer yet am hoping to get some of my ideas into real life models.

I am open to any ideas or suggestions. I thought plastic welding might be part of the answer for me.

[JDrue]

Does anyone have any expierence welding food grade plastic buckets such as those 5 gallon buckets used to package pickles or eggs at a restaraunt. I have a small home brewery and am always lusting after a conical fermenter. I thought maybe I could just make my own out of one of those buckets and a food grade funnel. Ive seen some affordable plastic welders but really dont know where to start. What type of plastic rods should you use for food grade welding and what type of plastic are those buckets generally made of? Any help would be Sweet!!!

[Lame duck]

Originally Posted by Daxman77

I have been welding and fabricating plastics for about 7 years. If you guys have any peticular questions, I would be happy to answer them for you.

Dax

=Lame duck) I need some help on what equepment I should buy for welding polymer tanks on boat lifts. Most of them are black about 1/4" thick. I tried the Harbor freight unit w/ heat control ( no good). These tanks have leaks at the fittings and in angles where they flex.
Thanks

[rkpatt]

I want to install some NPT threaded HDPE bung type fittings on some ( white/opaque) HDPE tanks . I have the basic one temp HF Plastic welder which is probably useless for this as mentioned by the previous poster . Where do I find the fittings and what tools and materials do I need ? Any help is greatly appreciated .

[rkpatt]

Another how to weld plastic link -

http://www.tempatron.co.uk/pdf_files/Principles.pdf

[Daytripper905]

Originally Posted by Daxman77

I have been welding and fabricating plastics for about 7 years. If you guys have any peticular questions, I would be happy to answer them for you.

Dax

Hi Dax,

I am seriously getting into plastic welding and I need to know what the best cheap structural plastic to use that is UV resistant, strong and welds well. Is it rigid polyethylene? Also what is the best midrange hand welder to use for corner welding 4 mm polyethylene together?

Bob

[Jim F]

Hello there. I am new to this web sight and was wondering if anyone has done any welding of plastic door panels . I am not sure what type of plastic is used in automotive interiors . Any help would be great.
Jim

[Franka1a]

Hi,
I had the exact same thing happen to the same microphone. Crown replaced the microphone but while I waited I tried glueing the plastic ring but could not find the right glue. Here is the trick I used. Put some good super glue on the ring and then wrap the ring with apholstery thread. The thread is very strong and the super glue will hold it tight to the plastic ring, Even under stress the ring will not break again. after a few turns of the thread glue it again until you are satisfied with the thickness. It held just fine until the new microphone arrived.

[P8235]

I have a plastic polyethelene 100 gallon water tank that is mounted in my boat which has a small approx 1/4" hairline crack located in one of the top corners. This tank cannot be removed without damaging the boat. This boat is located 2hours from the city that I live in (Oklahoma City). It has been almost impossible to locate people that perform mobile plastic welding. I have located (2) different guys that do it part time on a very small scale level. Both have quoted $200-225.00 to perform the questionable repair due to the drive time involved. My dilemma is whether to suck it up and pay the couple of hundred bucks or try buying one of the cheaper welders (like the one from Harbor Freight) and just trying it myself. I am fairly handy but know nothing about a repair such as this. I would not be opposed to spending up to a couple of hundred bucks on a welder if I was secure with my abilities that I could perform the task myself......this being the better option because then I would have a tool out of the deal........however it would probably be something that I would never use again. Any advice on which tool to buy and how to properly complete the repair would be helpful. I did purchase the PolyBonder that is manufactured by Tap Plastics out of California to repair the tank with........which was shown on Modern Marvels (glue).....but I am still not very convinced that that would work either. Thanks.

[P8235]

I have a plastic polyethelene 100 gallon water tank that is mounted in my boat which has a small approx 1/4" hairline crack located in one of the top corners. This tank cannot be removed without damaging the boat. This boat is located 2hours from the city that I live in (Oklahoma City). It has been almost impossible to locate people that perform mobile plastic welding. I have located (2) different guys that do it part time on a very small scale level. Both have quoted $200-225.00 to perform the questionable repair due to the drive time involved. My dilemma is whether to suck it up and pay the couple of hundred bucks or try buying one of the cheaper welders (like the one from Harbor Freight) and just trying it myself. I am fairly handy but know nothing about a repair such as this. I would not be opposed to spending up to a couple of hundred bucks on a welder if I was secure with my abilities that I could perform the task myself......this being the better option because then I would have a tool out of the deal........however it would probably be something that I would never use again. Any advice on which tool to buy and how to properly complete the repair would be helpful. I did purchase the PolyBonder that is manufactured by Tap Plastics out of California to repair the tank with........which was shown on Modern Marvels (glue).....but I am still not very convinced that that would work either. Thanks.

[bluejean]

I am looking to buy a plastic welder to repair atv fenders. I'm sure I will weld other plastic items as well. I've welded before, but never plastic welded. What should I buy? Any pointers will help.

[Master_of_None]

Am a newbie to this forum but have been browsing around for some time.

I too bought the Harbor Freight plastic welder. It was on sale for $29.99. I know how to MIG weld steel but plastic is entirely a different undertaking for me.

So I practiced and experimented. The first hurdle was determining what rod to use. I melted a rod and fuse it to a material and if it sticks, it is the rod I use.

The second hurdle was knowing the air pressure (the HF welder do not have a temperature controller). The best result for me was between 0 and 1 of the HF gauge. Not much damage to the material and rod is almost transparent and easy to push in the v-groove.

After some practice, I was ready for the first test,...a bumper for a 1994 Mercury. Initially, I was pretty happy with my progress. The bead was very precise, just about flushed with the v-groove and the weld held up. I welded about a 3 ft. crack parallel to the length of the bumper. After an hour, I sanded it and it looked pretty much like it was professionally done.

I however congratulated myself a little too soon........

I was going to prime and Bondo the bumper but before I could, hairline cracks started appearing perpendicular to the weld.

WTF??????? Did I do anything wrong???? Are these thermal cracks?? What caused them???

Thanks!

[cavemonky2002]

I would have to say I'm a novice compaired to some. but there are a few things I've learned over the years that might be helpful to a few novices. 1st, there is a cross linked polymer that isn't easily welded, some say impossible. I've seen it done and done it myself. But an extrussion welder is definately easiest here. 2nd, there are additives that are put into some plastics especially recycled that make it very difficult to weld. I've attempted to weld two of the same lids together and had the rod stick to one and not the other. I noted that the one that didn't seem to work got oily very quickly while welding. After this oil appears nothing seems to stick and it needs cleaned again. Some Polypro's are famous for this. But even when this happens if you cut strips from the same plastic it seems to work much better. Sometimes you have to play with the heat. 3rd on the cheap welders there is only a pressure adjustment not heat. So you adjust the flow up to cool it off. If you are welding thin plastic or parts this can cause problems as the wind blows things out of place. I prefer 5 lbs instead of 3 for most aplications. Distance from the work surface and rod is another way to change heat. 4th some people call a regular tip fan welding, or pendulam welding. As you get better at judging the heat, you will be able to point the nozzle more at the rod, or substrate as needed, or rotate it more towards one base material than another. 6th. There are some plastics that you need a shield gas for. I've used Argon because it was available and it worked well with HDPE. Do do this you need a three way valve so you aren't wasting the shield gas when heating up and cooling down the welder. 7th as the 6th reminded me, you don't want to unattach the air to quickly. Unplug the electrical first and wait till the metal of the welder is cool to the touch before disconnecting the air. You can burn out a good welder very quickly if you don't cool it properly. 8th. When you are welding with a regular round tip, like the harbor freight welder, pendulam back and fourth between the rod and the substrait till each is softened. Then press them together and watch for a brow wave at the front. If there is no build up of a little plastic role at the front you probably don't have enough heat on both surfaces. There should be a little rolling to the sides as well. Note that a propalene will be stiffer, and harder than other rods. PVC runs very smooth and is one of the easier rods to run. 9th PVC has a couple of different kinds of rod, and it works better to purchase the rod than to attempt to cut strips. I like the grey high impact plastic 1/8" rod the best. I've permanently welded water lines, exhaust lines etc. with this rod. 10 there are some plastics that have a foam core, like ABS pipe, This doesn't weld well at all. But the fittings don't have the foam core, so they weld very well without shield gas. 11 there is a point when you are a plastic welder, but you, In my oppinion, will never encounter every challenge, and will never feel totally capable with everything. But you will gain a good deal of confidence with some materials. I would be happy to hear any pointers from others I might have missed, or don't know. And I would be happy to share more with others who feel they need more help.

[PWC56]

Originally Posted by bluejean

I am looking to buy a plastic welder to repair atv fenders. I'm sure I will weld other plastic items as well. I've welded before, but never plastic welded. What should I buy? Any pointers will help.

I have the same problem, what plastic rod do I use for a Honda ATV fender? I am sorry if putting this on your questions is not proper procedure, I do not have a clue how to ask a question.
Thanks in advance to anyone that can answer my question.
PWC56

[BRUCE80]

I have both a airless plastic welder and a hot air plastic welder. I found that the airless plastic welder works GREAT and is alot more forgiving than the hot air plastic welder. If your not sure what type of plastic your working with. You may want to try UNI-FLEX welding rod it is supposed to stick to most plastics. As for a plastic welder-I use the mini-weld model 6 and it hasn't failed me yet. Go to kandjwarehouse.com they may have what your looking for and they also have how to's at their site.
I hope this will help
BRUCE

[BRUCE80]

I plastic welded the arm rest in my S10 truck. I believe it was abs. Look on the back side of the part it should tell you there.
I hope this helps

[rkpatt]

Harborfreight Tools now has several plastic welders for (Harbor Freight Tools ) . I want to weld on HDPE tanks and repair plastic bumpers (on Honda mainly) . Which one is the best low cost alternative to the Mini-Weld tool . Will UNI-FLEX rods be OK for both of those applications ? I guess I just use piece of HDPE scrap for the HDPE tank ? - Thanks

[gilkman]

Originally Posted by Lame duck

=Lame duck) I need some help on what equepment I should buy for welding polymer tanks on boat lifts. Most of them are black about 1/4" thick. I tried the Harbor freight unit w/ heat control ( no good). These tanks have leaks at the fittings and in angles where they flex.
Thanks

I have a boat lift with plastic tanks. thanks to the out drive on my boat, one of them has a nice cut in it. according to the manuf., the tanks are cross linked polyethylene. The tank is about 1/4 inch thick. with the Harbor Freight welder be enough for me? I hate to spend hundreds of dollars for this one fix (hopefully it will not happen again), however I also want to repair it correctly.
thanks for a great site!
Jim

[BRUCE80]

Harbor feight only has hot air plastic welders. You may want to look a airless plastic welder. I have found that it is easier to use than a hotair plastic welder. Try [url="http://www.kandjwarehouse.com"]kandjwarehouse.com they have one for around $70 and the deluxe model for $145. The also have welding rods too.
You want to get the base mat. hot so that the rod will stick to the base mat. Hot air will probly burn or deform the base mat. Where as a air less will heat up the base mat. only at the repair area. and you can't burn it iether with it. and the chances of deforming it are low.

[BRUCE80]

Try this use a screen mesh and melt it into both pieces than apply the rod to the top to cover the screen mesh.The mesh should hold the board together for you. What kind of welder are you using??

[Weldmeupdude]

I have a Boat made of High Density Polyethylene I need to weld a crack I was thinking of trying it my self with this harbor freight tool - Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
I download the instruction book It states You must use the correct welding rod White rod for ABS Gray rod for PVC Green rod for PP What is PP ? & what rod would I need to use for my application?
Or should I just take it to a pro Wonder what that would cost me?