Plastic welding is the way to fix things with a small tool that is easy to use. Following its name, it is suitable for fixing things that are made from plastic. And the tool that is used for this is called a plastic welder, and it works almost the same as the metal welders. Thus plastic welding itself is the process of melting two thermoplastic details into one using a heat source — a plastic welder or a heat gun.
Obviously, welding plastic is possible to almost anyone and you’ll find having a heat gun at hand very useful so can repair almost everything that’s made of plastic using it. For example, if you have a plastic welder, you won’t throw out your child’s favourite toy if it has a small crack somewhere. You’ll just take your heat gun out and fix it, saving your money instead of spending it on a new one.
So, keeping in mind all that was already mentioned, in our article we’ll tell you some vital info on plastic welders so you’ll be able to wisely choose yourself one. Because having such a useful tool at hand is a great idea.
How plastic welding actually works?
As already mentioned, a plastic welder is a tool that is intended for welding plastic products. The process proceeds, which is obviously using a high-temperature heat source. The most common non-industrial models are divided into two types – hot air welding and liquid or airless welding. We won’t speak about very expensive professional and industrial models which may cost you a lot — you surely won’t need it at home if you’re not a pro. Yet you can get some actual information on those ones while looking for a more compact and less expensive models to use at home.
Heat guns
Hot air welding tools, commonly known as “heat guns,” work similarly to their larger counterparts used as heaters. Those are primarily used at welding parts that are made of the same plastic types. In fact, they are forcing a high-temperature airflow through a nozzle to melt the plastic. Heat guns could be of various sizes – from compact and portable to massive industrial ones. Nevertheless, all of those welders are best at heavy-duty work, as they have a lack of accuracy and precision, thus requiring a high skill for creating the best welds.
Airless welders
Liquid plastic welders or plastic rod welders are also named “airless welders” and are utilizing the same working process as the glue guns. Those welders are literally melting plastic rods so you’ll be applying the resulting filament, also called “spline”, thus creating a weld. This kind of the working process, also known as injection welding, makes those welders very accurate and perfect for creating small welds even capable of welding different plastics.
To get the most out of plastic welding rods, you need to know some about the porosity of the material. High porosity will lead to air bubbles, also known as voids, in the rods, which will lead to a decrease of welding quality. Therefore, the highest quality plastic welding rods are those that have zero porosity, thus named “voidless”.
Which plastic welder to choose for a beginner?
Of course, if you’re not a pro at welding plastic and never worked with heat guns before, it’s better to get some good airless welder, especially if you want to do some precise jobs using it. Polyvance Mini-Weld devices will fit, no matter which generation you get for yourself. This one is a great 200W airless plastic welder with a complete kit that’s suitable for beginners. Its standard toolset includes seven different plastic rods that are suitable for various types of plastic (including FiberFlex universal rod), a pair of main extruder nozzles, a drop-shaped nozzle and a wire brush for after work processing. This welder works with high precision, so it will help you to fix even the tiniest cracks on small items.
How to keep yourself safe during welding?
To protect yourself when welding plastic, you need to prepare in advance, observing all safety measures without exception. Even if you are a professional, do not forget to wear protective glasses and gloves right before you start and after preparing the workplace and getting pets and children out of the room. Working with a plastic welder means working with a heat source, so if you are inaccurate and reckless, you can even literally set everything around you on fire. Keep this in mind and be prepared before working with a plastic welder. And don’t forget to turn it off when you’re finished.
