Using SMD rework station in plastic welding?

[protek]

The center console in my hobby car has cracked in two when I accidentally stepped on it. oh: :double

The front side of the console has carpeting so the damage is not visual but I really needed to reinforce it from the back side. Plastic welding is usually done with hot air guns so I was wondering whether my SMD rework station would be adequate for the job?

 

[demolition]

Don't you think heat would damage the carpet?

Maybe some kind of glass fiber filler could be a solution together with a spare sheet of similar plastic, if there is room for it. Also motorcyclists sometimes use 'gutter glue' (for plastic gutters, not sure if it's the correct English term) to repair a fairing from the back side after a crash. It's supposedly quite strong, but it obviously does make it thicker on the back in case that's a problem.

 

[ShambleS1980]

you usually drill either end of the crack to stop it spreding, then drill some holes either side of the crack then put resin on the back pressing it throug the holes you drilled, then put some mesh stuff on to that, and then some more resin.
then add some filler/resin to the front, sand it down so its the same shape as it was, and re spray the whole thing...

i would not use a smd station to weld plastics your likely to cause the crack to spread out wider sideways. (plastic likes to shrivel up.)

 

[Ed.D]

We successfully welded a leaking water pipe in a filtration plant at work once. It was ABS plastic type stuff normally used for waste pipe etc. But rather than hot air we just used a flat wide blade to heat and spread plastic across the crack. It worked ok until we could drain the plant to replace the part.

Alternatively there used to be a glue in the UK called Bison glue which worked really well with ABS type plastics. There's also another type of glue used by plumbers and electricians which could work. It basically welds together two mating surfaces.