How to repair a bumper with the polyvance plastic welder

We had some GREAT times at the Eastwood Summer Classic last weekend. So many great vendors came out to show off their unique products. This demo by Polyvance demonstrates exactly how to use they Mini-Weld 7 plastic welder to repair a bumper.

[@eastwoodco]

Find this tool at Eastwood:www.eastwood.com?+home

[@843SouthernPride]

I haven't seen a welding rod in this video yet

[@RC-zb8tl]

I bought a plastic welding kit from Harbor Freight for like $10… You’re website selling these for nearly $100 😂

[@theonetazman]

​@RC-zb8tl Sounds about right. I use a soldering gun or pencil. Sometimes I'll use a heat gun with a focused tip. I love telling people that I can weld their piece of plastic. 😂

[@robsrxx]

Its a legit kit. I used fiber flex welding rod to repair plastic parts for cotton pickers. I made a good living cutting and welding broken panels like metal.

[@chrisv6008]

I've fix a 4 wheelers plastic fuel tank with a soldering gun and a few zip ties melted into the crack of the tank Still holds fuel 8 years later

[@lindboknifeandtool]

Have you ever made a crackhead welder from a couple batteries while out on the trail? That’s the most satisfying welding possible.

[@Frank-mv1jg]

I've recently seen someone use black zip ties to fill in holes on bathroom partitions where they drilled a hole in the wrong place.

[@MikeRthe1]

@@lindboknifeandtool you made a bomb

[@melody3741]

I think you got lucky with your plastic source. Many types of plastic don’t melt well or mix well

[@BuckeyeBud]

​@@lindboknifeandtool i need to know how to do this please tell me or give me a link to an instructional video when you have time

[@CatDad01]

That's a damn soldering iron and we all know

[@christianhudspeth3338]

You can buy a regular soldering iron then flatten the tip with a hammer while the soldering iron is hot preferably dark red hot but make sure not to hammer to much but it will be the same thing as in this video.

[@blitzcourt5021]

They are made differently

[@emilchandran546]

No. Welding and soldering are two different processes. Welding is seamlessly joining materials together it can be metal or it can be thermoplastics. But welding involves melting the material to create the join. Soldering is when you heat two parts and use solder which has a lower melting point to join them or create an electrical connection. This can also describe brazing. Brazing is hotter and not suitable for all metals and it also always involves capillary action, which may or may not be employed in soldering. Yes this may look like a soldering iron, but it is being used to weld plastic. That’s what it was made for.

[@Doomed462]

@@emilchandran546 He's not saying that the process is soldering. He is saying that the tool is a soldering iron. Which it is. The tip is simply wider. It is still a soldering iron, with a ceramic heater. I assure you, you're being pedantic, but you misread the material.

[@avacadomangobanana2588]

@@emilchandran546 he’s not welding. He said he’s not welding in the video you deaf potato

[@quinnmoore5985]

When i was a body guy i used to take broken bumpers, cut like rods from them, and store them in a labled bag, in the future i could always repair with the same plastic

[@PsiParanormal]

I do exactly the same but I weld them in correctly 👍

[@hdrjunkie]

Great idea!

[@MaximilianonMars]

Nice nice nice great idea yes.

[@Lovenlife139]

Insurance now days wont pay shit. No more than about 4-6 hours on covers that are smoked. With all the other money to be had in an estimate i just tell them to get one coming. I aint got time to fuck with it

[@moriscoley5328]

Sounds like a excellent idea 💡 👍

[@foxwood67]

Like it. Better than my 2 part epoxy with fiberglass tape

[@rez372]

Got distracted by your bike now im watching power washing videos

[@contytub]

I think your way is better and longer lasting if applied properly... his creates a bit of a weak spot in some situations

[@motosk8er2]

Glass + epoxy is the way to go. Far stronger.

[@foxwood67]

@@motosk8er2 I’ve had good success with glass/ epoxy

[@Squirrel-zq6oe]

​@@rez372 glad to know I'm not the only one who does that!

[@donaldjrchappell6800]

Use to do snowmobile fuel tanks years ago, soldiering iron and milk jugs. Friend and I put a V8 in an '86 Ford Ranger, took the heater housing and cut the corner that interfered with the valve cover, flipped the curve to dish in. Smoothed it all out welding it with a soldiering iron and a sacrificial 2nd heater box. Took the truck to car shows and there was always somebody that would ask where we bought that heater housing. Ha ha, good times.

[@FC0BCA7E7A]

Literally nobody cares

[@hanzgrueber145]

@@FC0BCA7E7A about you. You would’ve been sterilized had anyone known what you’d be like

[@EpicManaphyDude]

@@FC0BCA7E7A I care. it’s a neat story

[@danrandom9005]

nice

[@carlbrooks90]

​@@FC0BCA7E7A apparently you do based on you replying, who hurt you sweetheart?

[@pnwrider4818]

My dad has been doing this with a soldering gun and windows screen for years. It's shocking how well it holds

[@shenghan9385]

😓

[@HoloScope]

Perfect use of useless window screens

[@Jackdman25]

Newbie here to this kind of repair, what is the purpose of soldering the metal screen? Is it to support the adhesive that comes after

[@HoloScope]

@@Jackdman25 The plastic meshes into it so I guess it would give it better structural rigidity

[@Jackdman25]

@@HoloScope good to know thanks

[@thebeldam5823]

Use mine all the time at work. You can save so many parts with this tool. Customers love it!

[@nv400adventurer13]

Soldering iron and cable ties 😉

[@lifeimitatingdeath3608]

Universal knowledge right there brother.. I got in a fight once and chipped my front tooth. A little melted zip tie and she's good to go!

[@theantagonist631]

​@@lifeimitatingdeath3608 better universal tip : don't get hit in the mouth.

[@jrsmith3344]

Everyone has a plan, till they get hit in face! ~Mike Tyson

[@C-130-Hercules]

Every Waffle House Has Its Host. Its over. 😮

[@nomad3641]

@@theantagonist631😂🤣 Goddem

[@echts]

Eventualy figured out the mesh settings but awesome tip on preheating the bonding piece prior to placement. 👍

[@DH-rt3fk]

Chicken wire and Bondo have entered the chat

[@SoulTouchMusic93]

I use 2 part epoxxy but ok.

[@SoulTouchMusic93]

Epoxy with chicken wire ofc.

[@jamesgravel7755]

I’ve been doing this for 30 years. Glad someone finally caught up and offer a product that works.

[@RS-yj3gn]

Now this for a change is a useful informative video. No bull, just useful! Thank you.

[@fryreartechnology7611]

Love it and had to do it... my 2002 BMW Z3M roadster has a low front end and let's say I didn't see bump😢 so just one of the plastic parts I needed was over $1800. I had over $9k in broken plastic so I learned how to do this. My paint wasn't damaged only plastic under my front end. Worked great and been 5 years now. 🥰

[@formulafpv1949]

Similar story here... dog ran in front of me one day and ripped my bumper in half. Used a similar plastic welder to get to back to looking factory. Took some time but well worth it to save the $1500+ for a new bumper

[@babatunde8812]

@@formulafpv1949 how was the dog?

[@joefischetti2383]

@@babatunde8812 He fiber flexed the back legs with the welding rod. Let’s just say he won’t be running into the street anymore.

[@HoloScope]

@@formulafpv1949 uhh dog????

[@burnerloco4138]

Heavy duty staples work well also, and I drill a small hole at the end of the crack to keep it from cracking more.

[@l0wr4n]

Drilling the ends of cracks is the same in aerospace

[@enslavedmoisture9844]

I used to work for a kayak rental company and I had to repair plastic kayaks with these a couple times a year. Holds incredibly well, never had a single repair fail even after years of abuse

[@angeloFiveo]

I needed this video 3 years ago

[@rickylee2477]

I’m gonna try one of those welding rods. Ext time I run out of 7018 at q work. ….🤷🏽‍♂️

[@MatanicFabrications]

🤣🤣🤣😭

[@jacogomez1093]

Underated AF! 🤣🤣🤣

[@davidscott5903]

🤣🤣🤣

[@christianhudspeth3338]

You can also buy a 20 dollar soldering iron and hammer the solder iron tip flat while its hot then you have the same exact effect. Also just use some screen door material you can buy that stuff in rolls of 8 yrds or more for around $10 just cut it to the size you need and youll never have to buy another.

[@zacharyellis1316]

You can use wood burning tips as well.

[@ghost4realbitch]

Harbor freight has one for $18

[@platinumsky845]

He's mainly selling the plastic filler, hence why he describes its properties the most.

[@randallsmerna384]

Who is saying it's not?

[@SharonRivasLaurel1998]

Gotta love a working man with tools 😊💕

[@bobbybrown475]

Please, a ten year old child can use this. It's a glorified soldering iron.

[@mikeschilling9706]

That's how I did my canoe. I went to Walmart and bought a plastic watering jug for plants. I cut it up in little strips . No more water in the boat

[@aishashaw5885]

This is going to change my whole life.

[@goodtimes2595]

Keep featherin’ it, brother.

[@dyllangreen5688]

Underrated comment...Iykyk

[@roadspectre7655]

Since I've learned that you could easily weld a plastic part, i have saved many things from being thrown away and even impressed a few friends who thought i used some type of super glue to fix those plastic things. Now i am experimenting a few combination methods for welding plastics together for added strength. Thanks youtube for telling me you can weld plastic.

[@nomadicgodking]

I just bought a plastic welder from Harbor Freight! This video explains how to use! Very helpful!

[@swanginfleet]

I built a whole custom bumper with this method. A torch works a whole lot faster but it's also a whole lot more dangerous lmao.

[@Operation3Sixty]

If only bumpers had perfectly straight and even lines cut into them when they are damaged

[@cinnamoncigarettes]

Well it wouldn't really make that much of a difference you still just spread into the cracks

[@markginikos3939]

Been doing this exact repair since the late 90s. Old technology but good technology.

[@muffinjones001]

When I started auto body. This was the 1st thing that I bought. A plastic welder. I love this tool.

[@DoorKicker]

Like a cross between welding and masonry

[@trytellingthetruth.2068]

If you don't have any stainless steel wire mesh, wire wool works just as well.

[@vegasheat71]

I used to repair skateboard rails back in the 80s like this. I was 13 years old all my friends brought me their boards to fix them . Who would've thought they would adapt this to bumper repair.

[@MACandanedo1]

Used this product and technique to fix a fender on my fourwheeler that had completely broken off. Works great and is pretty easy to do!

[@melody3741]

Holy shit someone who actually understands what welding means

[@fettieteam2333]

I melted butter a couple times in a hot skillet over a stove. Still smells like butter 3 years later.

[@benzracer]

Panel beating is such a lost art. Great to see some actual repair.

[@1World4Trance]

I used that stuff 20 yrs ago on golfcarts . WORKS GREAT !!!!

[@brianpowers6327]

I use a nitrogen-plastic welder so that the repair is bonded. Holds up better than glue or your melt glue!

[@MikeMikeSmith]

“You didn’t pay your Deductible?… There is your $500!”

[@Lovenlife139]

Im a bodyman and this comment is the best

[@kerry5353]

So I did this 10 years ago with a plastic cup and a soldering iron that I had for electronics. Glad someone made a real product! Where are my royalties though?

[@erickamekonapeper4007]

I’ve been fixing plastic bumper and other things like plastic wheel wells with a Bic Lighter and spare plastic melted like welded beads. You got this done before I did. I was going to make a kit like that with a selection of different plastics and the parts all have a number in the mold representing the materials used. Right on man!😏❤️🖖🏼🇺🇸

[@shortbusmj]

Ah yes. Welding.

[@santiagoavila1221]

Yes plastic welding used a lot in collision shops

[@trippinbawls88]

You can weld things other than metal there Evan...

[@richardmillhousenixon]

As a welder, yeah that's _technically_ welding, which is the melting of two materials to fuse them together, but it's also _technically_ just a goddamn soldering iron

[@Bouldergoat]

​@@richardmillhousenixon it's not welding though. He said don't melt the bumper because they don't combine. It's glueing with extra steps.

[@evanogburn]

@@Bouldergoat the second part, yes. But the first one definitely was welding

[@klondike69none85]

i love these trade show guys they are top level

[@fazoolie321]

Remember real bumpers, the metal ones....ahhhh good times!

[@ShinkuGouki]

That's pretty cool. I always wondered. Very similar to a repair we perform in the petroleum industry.

[@pinecone1811]

Super satisfying to watch 👍 great product!!!

[@bulldogtonyyt1116]

I've always got some kinda plastic that's broken or cracked and experiment a lot with my old soldering iron to fix things! This looks like a great process as well!

[@PS2u2]

Still the GOAT… consistently a FORCE after all these years…

[@kidjam43]

Excellent communication with the customer.

[@tdatitan]

Hit a Deer on the way to my old work one morning. I had to use a map torch and some random plastic packaging garbage found in my truck to plastic weld my radiator reservoir in the parking lot of work during my lunch break. Made it home just fine.

[@michaelkunze5721]

this would have been so perfect for so many projects I had in the past and even the present

[@JoeKing67.]

My dad and I have done this 25 years ago when we use to fix things in his shop.

[@robertclymer6948]

Very cool to know about this! If I ever get a car with plastic bumpers, I am all set.

[@TrunkyDunks]

For those who don't know. "Welding" is just the term for attachment into a material. It can be done also with plastic and glass. I am a CWI, and non metal welding is becoming MUCH more common because of plastic materials development. To the point that we are currently developing different techniques to adapt testing methods. But plastic testing is extremely complex, to the point that some welds are nearly invisible.

[@michelerjgross7339]

Eastwood always has some pretty cool products and always very useful quick easy to use and get used to

[@cncdan1364]

Works good. My first job was to repair and paint bumpers on car lots. Used this every single day.

[@baj3bus]

This is cool. It does seem like something only someone with high attention to detail could make successful.

[@bumboy5348]

I don’t entirely understand what I’m watching but I think it’s neat

[@RAT.ROD.HEAVEN1313]

I love this guy I love the scientific words that he’s using to fix the bumper Soldering Iron and some rubber plastic that’s all that is i’ve done it 100 times nothing special and some chicken wire

[@joeydover]

You can buy an aftermarket bumper cover from Rock Auto for less than the tool. Bumper cover for my daughter's 2011 Elantra was $29.24...

[@HackMasterBlaster]

Aftermarket parts are junk and fit like junk

[@joeydover]

@@HackMasterBlaster People complain about aftermarket fit fail to make the realization that the accident that made the repair necessary to begin with could cause misalignment. If the structure man is good, the part will fit near perfect. If he sucks, even the OEM part will look like Fido's ass when it is put back on. The fitment issue is usually from a lazy tech just trying to turn more hours and not taking the time to get the structure back to where it belongs. It's like painting directly over e-coat. Yeah it will get the car out the shop quickly but won't last. Plus the stitching repair is changing the molecular structure of the OEM panel, possibly warping it or making it brittle.

[@pavkey88]

Thanks for showing. Cool stuff

[@Dad2ADaughter_Cpt_Blakesbeard]

High school was awesome. I remember seeing 2 part apoxy stronger than steel in auto body. Learned to use this stuff on a bumper in auto body back in like 02

[@StephenStylesGoesVanCamp]

I actually love doing this

[@GroundedNotLimited]

😍😍Been doing this since 2010 put 2004 evo bumpers on 95 mirage. Still intact to this day.💯🙏🏾💯🤟🏿

[@jclip3759]

Thanks for showing me how to use my new toy. I don’t have this same one but it’s very similar in style

[@shubbz87]

Oh man, I wish I met a man like you years ago 🤣

[@michaelfarrell6448]

I have not encountered a bad fiber fix product yet 👍👍

[@alib18a1ls]

I'll tell you what, I'm the best JB welder in town and this looks like a great investment

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I fixed my radiator with a propane torch, an old screwdriver, and some black zip-ties. I haven't needed to repair a bumper cover yet. But when I do, I'll try it

[@kennethgumm6870]

Harbor freight has these same plastic welder kits. 5+ years and the $5 welder works like a champ

[@bleach_drink_me]

Done the reinforcement on the back before but I never tried it on the front. I used flexible epoxy to fill in the front and sanded it down, hit with high build primer sanded and sealed before painting. Never thought I could get a good looking repair if I melted it right to the front.

[@waynehutchisonjr3453]

It’s awesome as a tech when I was young I would use black zip ties and a torch lighter to make repairs on broken dashboards 😂

[@connerruss6012]

So the wire mesh works but you have to make sure to use an argon heater on it afterwards and the plastic rod will 100% crack and flake off only use an argon heater to melt plastic using just heat drys out the plastic and makes it brittle

[@brianowens889]

This is some guy being like “the zip tie trick is the best but it can be made idiot proof”. Good idea man, I’ll be picking some of this up.

[@ironmover322]

The trusted ol Zip tie magic!

[@gamingbluemoon]

Always wanted to learn how to do this it looks fun

[@CKILBY-zu7fq]

Cool. I do some of this work. Nice job.

[@mikeoxlong1167]

Looks alot better than my soldering iron & ziptie jobs

[@one8s7n]

That's incredible!

[@markgrice166]

Did this years ago loved building cars and finding ways to mend myself but a good tool

[@LifestyleHolsters]

Worked for a bumper repair shop a few years ago. This works and looks good until you hit the bumper with your knee or drive down a bumpy road.

[@stubyjones1]

That first close up looked like a trendy LVP flooring plank!

[@henmich]

Well done... looks strong

[@Frank-mv1jg]

So that's how I messed up. I bought a plastic welder( soldering gun) with the black plastic pieces but it wouldn't hold. So now I know to melt a mesh in it too. Thank you for the video.

[@josephcreek3479]

It’s kinda like tig welding in a much scaled down way! Really cool too and useful

[@Fanofthesky]

You had me at peanut butter.

[@Drozey710]

Man must be a savage with the peanut butter on that toast.

[@codymcclain9911]

I use yall stuff alot love the product

[@melody3741]

Holy shit a plastic welder that actually welds

[@stevestokes4206]

Works really good, I have repairs that are still good. And that's 2-3 yrs old

[@napieraustin]

I normally melt in the wire mesh, then use semi rigid bumper repair on the backside and flexible bumper repair on the outside

[@KolbenfresserTV]

Ok, the peanutbutter got me, now im hungr, thanks

[@2jzk]

Man I love this type of stuff

[@udntevenknow]

Done this with a propylene torch before, hot rod definitely the way to go

[@derrickcummings368]

Keep feathering it brother

[@obsidian7644]

Love the eastwood 2k can paint line would love to see more color options.

[@shaggy1632]

Had a shop fix my bumper this way, then charged me for a whole new one 😃 I paid them in change for it

[@PyroDREW.]

Ahh something I’ll use everyday nice 👍

[@Nancy-xg9nc]

Wow! That looks great!

[@terrymarsh8094]

Thanks for sharing! This is some tool I’ll definitely get for myself! Thank you