anyone weld plastic?

im thinking about buying one of these

could be usefull

or.. if you have a plastic welder (and are fairly close to LBC)and wanted to make a few bucks, I could have you do a few welds on my grille.
otherwise I might just check this plastic welding shop in santa ana.
I dont want to mix plastic and fiberglass, this is why..

thanx

 

I wouldn't buy anything from Harbor Freight. It'll be a waste of money and time.

 

true, but they are good for 1 or 2 uses, thats why they are so cheap...
and there was cheaper lol
but really its just a heating element and air.. bet I could get 4 uses before it breaks

 

Plastic Welding is pretty cool, I repaired my broken armrest : http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=314399

 

I disagree. I have quite a few things I've bought from Harbor Freight without reliability issues. While quite a bit of their stuff is crap, there's quite a lot of good stuff there that will last you awhile, too.

 

I've had a MIG welder that has served me well for many years. You just have to know what you are buying and its intended purpose will be. Would I buy a cordless drill from HF? No. Would I buy an air hose? You betcha.

 

Do you know if your grill is a thermoset or thermoplastic material? You can't get a good weld on thermoset plastics.

 

the chrome part is ASB , the black part is ASA
not sure what they are, generally thermoset are cheaper but built more for wear and strength. I would assume the black part is thermoplastic because it does melt pretty nice. I havent messed with the chrome part yet.

 

A buddy of mine patched up a kayak with a plastic welding kit. Turned out great, the boat is water tight.

 

X2!!

I am like a little kid in a candy store there!
I just bought a jig saw there. it works fine! I bet i'll get my $29 out of it!
Got my hitch mount, and ball there to tow my PUP. No problems.

 

This video is from a whitewater kayaking company, liquidlogic. After the weld, the boat is good to go for anything you need, from bashing down a class V boulder garden to dropping a fifty footer.

http://www.liquidlogickayaks.com/liquidTV/welding.swf

 

I disagree completely. If I was a full time car mechanic would I buy my tools from there, no, but they have a ton of usable stuff for good prices, if you are a shade tree mechanic like most of us. Air tools, oil change accessories, all kinds of good stuff. Open up your mind, and don't be such a grouch 12 poster!

Sorry to jack thread LB! Carry On!

 

Great link on the kayak weld vid Brandon. I have already done mine with a different kind of welder (more like a flat tip soldering iron) but that looked great. My current kayak is a Jackson that got run over by the previous owner. Got it for a song and fixed it for $30

 

You got your Jackson to weld? They are famous for being impossible to weld. They just told me not to bother and set me up with a pro-deal for a new boat.

I have welded a number of different kayaks as well as PVC and other plastics using a ton of different heating elements. The key is patience and practice. For 15$ get yourself a propane torch instead.