Bumper Repair with Hot Air Plastic Welder
Repairing a torn TPO bumper using a hot air plastic welder and materials from Polyvance.
Look below for links to some of the products from the video.
View this video on our website for more information and product suggestions for this repair: www.polyvance.com/video/nitro...
- Nitrogen Welder: www.polyvance.com/Nitrogen-We...
- 1000-A Super Prep Plastic Cleaner: www.polyvance.com/Super-Prep-1/
- 1060-FP Filler Prep - www.polyvance.com/Filler-Prep...
- 2000-T Flex Filler 2 Tube Kit: www.polyvance.com/Flex-Filler...
- Plastic Magic Adhesion Promoter: www.polyvance.com/Plastic-Mag...
- 3043 All Seasons Black Jack Waterborne Primer Surfacer: www.polyvance.com/Waterborne-...
Chapters:
Intro: 0:00
Preparation: 0:11
Plastic identification: 2:00
Welding (front): 2:19
Welding (back): 3:46
Grinding & Sanding: 4:19
Applying 2000-T Flex Filler 2: 5:00
Sanding the filler: 5:52
Applying primer: 6:26
⚠️ Important ⚠️
- Always wear proper safety gear while working!
- The length of this video is in no way representative of the actual time required to perform a complete repair and therefore should not be used for estimating purposes.
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Check out Polyvance's plastic welders and welding rod:
- Nitrogen welders: www.polyvance.com/Nitrogen-We...
- Hot air welders: www.polyvance.com/Hot-Air-Wel...
- Airless welders: www.polyvance.com/Airless-Wel...
-Plastic welding rod: www.polyvance.com/Welding-Rod...
Check out our other videos to see tutorials on many of our plastic repair and refinishing products. Did you know we also make nitrogen plastic welders? We introduced nitrogen plastic welding to the automotive collision repair industry in 2006. In 2016, we introduced our fifth-generation line of nitrogen plastic welders with a full range of product features that make them the most versatile and easy-to-use on the market. See them in action in this nitrogen welding playlist: kzhead.info/sun/ZaproK-XfqJ_pac/bejne.html
I'm a welder/fabricator and thinking of opening a small shop. I could see plastic welding being a profitable addition. Great video!
Thanks for watching! Keep us in mind if you have any questions about plastic repair; we are happy to help!
I agree. This requires skills to get a nice finish with minimum filling & sanding which keeps away heaps of competitors.
Perfect video, not all cars have Bumper replacement, there are cars with parts discontinued and the only way is fixing the broken plastic part, so this video is perfect for those that have cars with discontinued parts...
Exactly! Or cars with very expensive OEM replacement bumpers. You can just have the OEM bumper fixed.
I think the most valuable use I've found for plastic welding is fixing discontinued parts. It's a priceless repair technique. Also have a Steinel - great guns. Wish it had a pinpoint reducer nozzle included for finer repairs.
I use a fine steel mesh and use a soldering iron to melt the mesh into the plastic. This works very well for me and thr bond is very strong. I use plastic coffee stirring rods to fill-in gaps
That works for some things but is by no means a universal fix all technique, especially since you want to have the filler rod be the same kind of plastic as what you are intending on repairing. If you don't use the right type of plastic for your filler it can lead to problems with the weld's strength as well as delamination (I think that is the correct term but could be wrong) or the filler peeling/raising off of/separating from the work piece and putting you right back to square one.
You are absolutely right; the filler rod needs to match the base material!
@@polyvance Exactly, although the mesh is OK, provided it doesn't get over heated and only gently pressed in on the backside. I may be interested in getting your rod. Been doing this for 2 or 3 decades, never knew of urethane rod. What diameter is the rod? 832 degrees? Really?
@@ckstaff The urethane rod is 1/8th of an inch in diameter. Here's our full list of welding rod if you want to have a look: www.polyvance.com/Welding-Rod-List/
@@polyvance I guess I may have missed you saying the bumper was polypro. Never seen a bumper in polypro, that I recall anyway. I remember some were ABS. Still surprised with the 832 degrees, especially if it is polypro. Also interested in that filler and bonding to either the polyurethane or polypro as neither can be chemically bonded.
This looks a solution to my 2002 trans am door panel! Notorious for cracking along the top
from all methods to repair plastic, i think this is the best and the most professional. two thumbs up for this video.
I can show you a way easier way to do this.
@@valentinheredia5558 show me
I have been fixing plastic professionally, ever since these videos by Polyvance have come out.
As a pipe welder, this video was very interesting. You did a jam up job.
Thank you!
Great job with attention to detail in the making of this video!
Thank you so much!
By far one of the best instructional HAPW videos I've come across, it really helped me out. Thanks and now I know what channel to go to when trying to figure things out
Thanks for watching!
Aah-mazing! Had no idea it was this complicated, or that fixing a piece of plastic had so many steps.
yeah anymore than 1 step and most people cant handle it. their brains explode and their internal organs get carpet bombed. they start sweating bullets and ask for help screaming like a physco. its not complicated at all you're over thinking it.
Oh Man, I can do this next time I need to do a bumper repair!
Great video brother! It's really incredible what you are able to do with plastic welders and a DA! It came out looking amazing! We just did a super similar video on a fiberglass bumper this week! Thanks for sharing your experience and keep em coming!
Thanks for watching!
@@polyvance Looking forward to more! Have a great day!
@@NewmanTractor You too!
I am not a Pro, but I have to tell you, this plastic welder is the best tool I have used. I bought the kit, and actually came with everything that you need. I made a bumper repair, and stress tested it, all bonded great! Then I moved to a washer fluid reservoir, I was able to bend it back to shape, and weld to better than I would have ever imagined. I actually felt like I knew what I was doing.:) This Company is awesome! The tech support is Excellent as well. I will continue to buy their product because of their quality and ease of use!
+pontgta1 Thank you for your kind words! We're glad to hear you enjoyed using our product! Please never hesitate to contact us for any further assistance you may need.
@donovan roesstorff Go to www.polyvance.com to see all of our plastic welders and kits. We have our popular nitrogen plastic welders (mostly for body shops), we have the hot air welder featured in this video, and we have several airless plastic welder kits (like our popular 5700HT Mini-Weld Model 7). You are sure to find a welder that best suits your needs!
great video to show how to repair bumpers that are very hard to find or any plastic parts on most cars since about 85.
Thanks! We also have tutorials on repairing thermoset polyurethane (PUR), which was very common on cars in the 70s and 80s. After that, polypropylene blends became more and more common.
Hot air welder is by far the best. Sand paint off, use a belt sander which is way quicker to put a channel in it to fill then stich weld it first to stop the plastic warping. Personally i would use 8mm tape rather than the rod as it leaves a stronger weld and also at the edges should be braced across for extra strength. Once completely cool just use a grinder with a soft disc and sand. No epoxy or filler needed. This is one of the better repairs i've seen though.
Nitrogen welding is even better than hot air welding because the nitrogen acts as a shielding gas to prevent oxidation of the plastic. Tape is not going to be better than welding rod. We do usually "T" off the weld at the edge, but they didn't do that in this video. Here's our nitrogen plastic welding playlist: kzhead.info/sun/oN5pkaaqe5V3lHA/bejne.html
what is the stuff called you mixed to spread on is it the same as bondo body filler
I couldn't help but notice, but when he said, "wipe in one direction to avoid contaminating the surface" he starts wiping it back and forth. Within 30 seconds
Kyle Kelly...and then sands it down to bare plastic.
@Kyle Kelly There is a reason we clean first. If you have contaminants on the plastic and you sand or grind it, its very likely you will embed some of the contaminants into the sanding scratches (which will impact the quality of the repair). You should always clean the plastic first! You can clean it again after if you wish, but you should always clean it first!
And then he grinds the surface off, i would just grid it first.
@@jerryjamify If you have contaminants on the plastic and you sand or grind it, it's very likely you will embed some of the contaminants into the sanding scratches (which will impact the quality of the repair). You should always clean the plastic first! You can clean it again after if you wish, but you should always clean it first!
Polyvance. Excellent point . Glad you pointed that out.
Been looking for a video like this for a while, going to mold two bumpers together to make something great
Awesome! Just make sure you identify the plastics of the bumpers beforehand and make sure you have appropriate welding rod. Call us if you have any questions or need help!
Only 3 seconds in and I love the intro music. And the dude is wearing a lab coat, epic!!!!!
such an informative video that, it makes me crack by front bumper and repair it on Sunday.
helpful information, thank you for sharing !!!
Thank you for watching!
Wow. Beautiful clean work.
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the tips from your video. I'm currently trying to repair my motorcycle fairing. Both rearside plugs that plug into rubber grommets are broken and missing. I've got the gun and bits. I'm reshaping and building a couple of cheap toothbrushes to hopefully weld onto the fairing at the right depth and angle. Whether that works or not time will tell.
Bet I ain't the first one to say it, but this video literally rocks.
Thank you!
Wow, plastic welding clinic! That was an AWESOME video, thank you I loved it, excellent technique. I'm gonna steal. :) Thanks for posting.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks to.your vidéo is very intersting for each one who wants to learn how to repair a plastic
Thanks for watching!
Gracias. Muy buen video.
Thank you!
I bought one of these and could not for the life of me, figure out how to use it. Returned it the same day. This video explains alot. Lol.
Why is this satisfying?
We are glad you enjoyed the video!
Fixing things is always satisfying. Even though it takes effort, it still feels like you're getting something for nothing.
I think it's important to note that while advertised as a tool for body work, this has plenty of other applications, considering how much stuff is made out of plastic.
thank you a very informative video, I'll order a new bumper now.
Our hot air and nitrogen welders are more for body shop use. We do, however, have a hot air welder kit, our 5700HT Mini-Weld Model 7, and a few other airless welder kits that can be used for DIY and are cheaper. Having a bumper repaired by a body shop with professional equipment may save you money instead of having the bumper replaced. It just depends on the amount of damage to know if it is worth repairing or not. Many times, it is cheaper to repair (or have repaired) those small cracks and torn tabs rather than replacing the whole bumper.
beautifully done.
Thank you!
Came for the video. Stayed for the metal \m/
Thanks!
I got taught some slightly different techniques, but the key takeaway should be to prepare properly, use the correct filler rod and use the correct temperature for your materials. Shame that car bumpers often use so much talc in their formulation.
You're right! And to make sure both materials are melted when they join together for a proper fusion weld.
You just made me interested in plastic welding...wonderful explaining....
Thanks for watching! We're glad the video made you interested in plastic welder. Feel free to check out our other videos (we have a lot!)
@@polyvance I've already subscribed
@@timelesskoontah Awesome! Have a great day!
You make it seem so easy. Good video
Thanks for watching!
Learned a lot from this very informative video! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
After applying aluminium tape there no need to repair z😂😂🤣
You're not wrong
Alien tape
... thanks for that great tip!
Phew! I was just about to order all the welding kit, but I'll skip that now. Thanks!
Ha ha ha..🤣🤣
Awesome video and thanks for making it . For anyone who is saying they will just buy a new bumper off eBay than do it. Guys in Alaska and Hawaii are limited and have high shipping prices .
Thanks for watching!
excellent video.
That was so cool
Thanks for watching!
hi sir my name is Sridhar I am from India were did I get this product how much is it going to cost
Hello, Sridhar! You can purchase the item at the link below. www.polyvance.com/Hot-Air-Welders-1/6055/ Thank you!
Esta espectacular esa máquina que hace derritir el plástico para el parachoques
sooo the amount of time it took to do all that, I could have just bought a new or used bumper, but I guess it would be handy for other projects
Subbed!!!
And another thing, that background music, what exactly is its' purpose?
Some people like it, some people don't. However, it has been changed on our newer videos.
The music in this bumper repair video made it unwatchable. I would never watch a music video featuring bumpers.
Most automotive educational videos have this kind of music in it.
@@thecollisiontechnician9212 Dude, if you want to limit the views on your channel, that music is a great way to do it.
It took me lot of trying to learn to do it correctly . I need this for a DIY custom bumper i made . I used for melting rods pieces from the old bumper after i cleaned them because they matched the same plastic . Great video helped me a lot
Thank you! Yes, using the material that matches the plastic you are repairing is key! It's nice when you can use scrap pieces from a donor part.
Very nice and saving money for sure
Thank you!
Put on a heavy wet coat? I'll freeze to death here before I can start!
Apply tape along the entire crack.
Great educational video. thanks
Thanks for watching!
Excellent demo thanks
Thanks for watching!
I sell all the materials in the body shop I work at. We supplys for automotive painting and body work and we mix costume paint and match up paint colors for card. It’s cool to see this stuff in use
The most thoughral plastic weld, I've seen
Thank you!
thorough?????
@@isaacsarsona4418 grammar Nazi
Awesome informational educational video experience Y'alls
Would you recommend this unit for welding Nylon 66?
Sure! This product can be used as can our 5700HT airless welder. The airless welder is a little better in terms of controlling the flow of the plastic.
gza06955 dude he's just using a heat gun ROFL " this unit " 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Or just, you know, drift stitch it 😂
OK for quick and dirty fix but won't last.
Or just go to eBay and order a new bumper cover for under $50.
Possibly for a honda aftermarket bumper, but shipping will set you back at least that as well, and chances are it will get damaged in shipping, so youre still going to be stuck with a repair...not to mention the time spent fitting a new bumper, rather than just reusing the one you have...
$40 @ my local salvage yard
@@scottb7600 New is better. That thing will split open like Ike split Tina's lip.
Not all cars , My bumper with shipping is $850
Mine was 350$, and the OEM 780$, so repair or buy a new one
我去，还可以这样，厉害了👍
Thanks, may try this in the near future
Give us a call if you have any questions!
Great repair, but your soundtrack’s got me rocking out!
Ill stick to my trusty flathead screwdriver and a cheep 10 dollar heat gun😁
Ive done that trick too. Or use plastic from a bad bumper and a heat gun and weld it from the back side. Then use the repair filler in the front.
Using a cheap ziptie works too melt it on and pres from the inside
@Mykel Hardin Yeah! polypropylene that is, and that plastic is shit compared to nylon or polycarbonate. I rather fix broken PP with glue, baking soda and wire mesh.
@@sephangelo4603 Adhesives don't stick well to polypropylene, at all. Also, in general, the baking soda and super glue trick makes an extremely brittle repair.
Cut strip's out of and old bumper and heat gun work to haha dodgy plastic welding rods
Hi! Thank you for sharing such a valuable method! I wonder if I can use a heat gun to do the job instead of a hot air welder?
Unfortunately no, you cannot focus the airflow down to a small enough point to have control of the weld and not melt down your heat gun. Hot air welders are designed with low flow with a narrow tip in mind, a heat gun does not and if you try to restrict the flow to the point where you can weld with it, the heat gun will overheat and either burn up or shut down.
Do not use a heat gun to weld. You will either fry your heat gun by restricting the airflow too much, or the heat source will be too broad and you will warp your whole bumper and not end up with a weld. There are hot air welders that look like heat guns, but they have digital temperature controls and reduction nozzles. The temperature control allows the reduction of flow without melting down the gun. An example is our Steinel LCD Hot Air Welder Kit: www.polyvance.com/Hot-Air-Welders-1/6055/ Alternatively, you can look at one of our airless plastic welders. We have some that are pretty inexpensive and will do a good job.
But for a crack you have all the material there and need not add any if you use tip welding to separate and the join the plastic again instead of removing material and melting i new similar material with hot air?
It seems too costy to repair the bumper with so many different tools. I even need a wedding ring to make it work properly.
View this video on our website for more information about the products used for this repair and for some helpful tips! www.polyvance.com/video/nitrogen-hot-air-fusion-welding/bumper-repair-with-hot-air-plastic-welder
@MATT ZAWAR Fiberglass repair is out there in abundance, so we don't focus on it.
Awesome
'v' '' vvv:"
@@scottb7600 Fiberglass not a very good option on repairing polyurethane, which these bumpers are made of.
@@ckstaff You are correct. But the bumper in this video is polypropylene not polyurethane. Glass is not a good repair method for either, but a PP bumper can be welded as shown, whereas a PUR bumper cannot be welded in a conventional sense.
Looks an interesting system
Thank you! Feel free to check out our other products and tutorials. If you are interested in our hot air welder (shown here), or our popular nitrogen plastic welders, you can visit our website or call us at 800-633-3047 and we can give you some more information.
This looks quite similar (but more involved) to welding vinyl flooring.
Why am i watching this i don't even own a car😂
Thanks for watching!
You own something made of plastic. Someday it will break. Car parts are not the only things that can be repaired by plastic welding.
clean with plastic cleaner then sand it down wow
You would be very surprised how many people skip those steps then complain that plastic welding produces poor results....Just like metal welding, prep is very important.
soulless one - lol, I guess, not everyone gets your sarcasm )))
soulless one i commented same ...Lol
There is a reason we clean first. If you have contaminants on the plastic and you sand or grind it, its very likely you will embed some of the contaminants into the sanding scratches (which will impact the quality of the repair). You should always clean the plastic first! You can clean it again after if you wish, but you should always clean it first!
Excelente video 🌮🍗🍔🍟🌭🍕🍪🍗🍔🍟🌭🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺
it was amazing thanks for your video
Thanks for watching!
I just came here for the music.
Lol nope....too much work! It's 2019 now. ...just use JB WELD on both sides and sand it down...Done!
Uggghhhhh......Just to reiterate common knowledge....JB weld does not stick to polypropylene or polyethylene plastic with any sort of reliability. Adhesives may work reasonably well on other plastics (still not as good as welding) but on PP and PE welding is really the only option for producing a permanent repair.
jb weld is terrible. Plastic welding done right is far quicker.
Daniel Jessop it’s pretty strong too.
Nice one 🖒
Thank you!
U apply great technique
Thanks for watching!
Or I can just drill holes and insert zip ties
And then glue them together.
@@sephangelo4603 use bubblegum for better adhesion, preferably strawberry flavour
@@opinionsvary Lol these know-it-all DIY assholes really are amazing... just one question, why are you here??
When your girl says she only dates guy that know how to weld 💪🏻👍🏻👌🏻
This is AMAZING!
Beautiful
Thank you!
i love usa......
this probably will cost more than you buy a used bumper and have them paint it....
Ofcourse this is not made for DIYers, it's made for big body shops, where it would save shit ton of money
TheNoobComment if both bumpers would need paint, you’re literally saying 1hr labour for a guy to do this would cost the same as a new bumper?? Your completely nuts.
If it’s a new model you definitely save money
If the new bumper costs $1000 and used costs $600 you will do anything to save money
Plastic welder from harbor freight 50 bucks or so. New aftermarket bumper unpainted $200 plus paint supplies plus removal and installation. If you’re lucky you can probably fix the crack without even removing it from the car.
Do you have a plastic welding rod for pmma or plexiglass?
This is great!
Seems like it's gonna take a month to finish 😂 just go and buy a new bumper instead 🙌🏻 Lol
Nah! Hot air (particularly hot nitrogen) can provide the quickest and strongest repair and can save a body shop thousands of dollars a year. Replacing a bumper that can be repaired is a waste of time and resources.
People don't want to and pay me to fix it instead 😂🤣😃
lol I would have that bumper ready for primer in 30 minutes. I bet you buy generic bumpers.
Who buys 200$ plastic bumpers for vehicles that are only 10 years old.
I just worked on a 2009 Mercedes c66 AMG, and the OEM bumper for it cost $1250 not including the trim pieces and Styrofoam pieces. Just the bumper 1250. If you do insurance work you always want to buy OEM because if it doesn't fit properly when your putting a car together on a deadline day it makes you and the insurance companies look bad.
You call this welding ? 😂😂😂 its more like glueing
This is true welding.
How so? This is absolutely welding! From dictionary.com "Weld: to unite or fuse (as pieces of metal) by hammering, compressing, or the like, especially after rendering soft or pasty by heat, and sometimes with the addition of fusible material like or unlike the pieces to be united." Here, we are using a TPO welding rod to repair a TPO bumper. We heat both the bumper and the welding rod and melt the welding rod into the base material. The welding rod is not an adhesive like glue; it has absolutely no adhesive property when dry or wet. The welding rod is melting into the base material here and bonding with the bumper.
Lol yea this dude who posted this is obviously an uneducated dumbass 😂
awesome job
Thanks for watching!
great job thank you
Thanks for watching!
I told a friend 28yrs ago this would be commonplace in the automotive body repair shop, he thought I was crazy. We both were correct 😎
Not only is hot air/nitrogen welding commonplace, but SkillsUSA just added nitrogen plastic welding to their competition. Tech school students are now being trained on nitrogen plastic welders.
Your comment cracked me up!
awsome vid
Very interesting!
Thanks for watching!
Excellent man
Thank you!
Good job ... 👍
Thank you!
thankyou ❤
Thanks for watching!
Good job my friend ❤️ merry Christmas and happy new year! Keep safe!!
Thank you! Same to you!
God job... 👍
Thank you!
Good job 👍🤓
Wow! very cool, I gotta try this :)
Good luck! :)
so cool, you found way to fix $50-100 worth bumper using only $300+ worth of tools and supplies, and it only takes about a day of my time, worth mere $100. so cool
Many bumpers are not $50-100. Some older cars might have OEM bumpers that are hard to find (and therefore more expensive). You may find an aftermarket part cheaper to put on yourself, but you run the risk of it not fitting properly, and you also have to wait for the part to come in. Having it repaired means you can keep the OEM part on the car and not worry about fitment issues or wait for it to come in. Of course, all cases are different, and the amount of damage will need to be evaluated to see if it is worth having a part repaired. Many times it is cheaper to repair small cracks, tears, tabs, etc. than to replace the whole part. Our hot air and nitrogen plastic welders are mostly for body shop use. They are not for DIY use, and are more expensive. Body shops would most likely have all of the other tools (sander, aluminum tape, sandpaper, etc). As far as repairing vs buying a new bumper: You can find a win-win scenario for both the repair shops and the bill payer. Check out this article and interview with Kurt Lammon, president of Polyvance (under the Plastic Repair section): autobodynews.com/index.php/component/k2/item/15517-the-best-body-shops-tips-repair-vs-replace-what-a-body-shop-should-consider.html?showall=1 There is a good example of a win-win scenario in the article: If a replacement part costs $400, and the shop makes 25% gross profit on parts, the shop receives $100 of gross profit and the bill payer pays $400. However, if the part is repaired and the shop is paid for 6 hours of work at $50 per hour with a 50% gross margin on labor, the shop makes $150 gross profit and the bill-payer only pays $300. So if the part is repaired, both the shop and the bill-payer come out better than if it had been replaced.
You might be missing the point. This is not a DIY repair, its more for a body shop, so investing in the tools and equipment to keep labor dollars in house is well worth it. Take a metal welder for example, many of them cost $15K - $20K and for you to weld with it once is a ridiculous idea. It takes a long time for a metal welder to pay for itself, so 5 to 6K for a high end plastic welder makes sense as they tend to get used in a body shop much more often than a metal welder and pays for itself much faster too!
I need this