Repairing Plastic With an Airless Welder
- 1). Manufacturers indicate which type of plastic resin is used to make the item with an engraved number or symbol that is usually found on the back or bottom of the object. For example, the number "1" indicates the item is made from polyethylene terephthalate resin, while the number "3" stands for polyvinyl chloride resin.
- 2). Set up your airless plastic welder using the welder's instruction manual. Locate the plastic type in the welder's manual to determine the the type of resin to use. The resin comes in rods that can be placed in the welder.
- 3). Adjust the temperature on the plastic welder to the temperature that matches to the specific welding rod you use. The welder's manual will specify this temperature. Let the welder warm up for about 10 minutes.
- 4). Align the broken plastic pieces together.
- 5). Slide the rod into the tip of the welder and place the welder tip on the break line. Feed the rod into the welder as you guide the welder along the break line on the plastic.
- 6). Continue welding in small sections. Spread excess plastic from the rod over the break with the welder to ensure that enough plastic is applied to the crack.