By Flora Atieno
Published March 23, 2014
When we think about welding we usually think of it in terms of welding metal parts together. However you can also use the same technique to join pieces of plastic together, and indeed this technique is used every day.
Have you ever taken a closer look at anything made from plastic? Unless it is completely flat or made from a single piece of plastic the chances are that more complex items will have benefited from welding in one way or another.
The more you find out about plastic welding the easier it is to see why this method is used to create the best finish in items made from plastic. It is also a technique that can be used when you need to repair something made from plastic. A good example is a motorbike fairing. This is a shell made from lightweight plastic that appears on the front of some motorbikes. It is designed to protect the rider from weather and the effects of the wind, and to make the ride more comfortable. It can also minimise the hazards associated with an accident, especially if something hits the fairing instead of the rider.
The main thing to remember if you want to try a bit of plastic welding is to ensure you always have the right tools with you. There are specific welding tools that a plastic welder should use in this situation. If you don’t have the right tools for the job, make sure you invest in them before you start. Don’t be tempted to try it with anything else. This could lead to dangerous use of heat and injury at worst, and at best your attempts to weld plastic could fail and end up with a poorly finished job.
The good news is it can be relatively easy to weld plastic together if you do have the right tools to do it with. An experienced plastic welder will have a variety of tools to help them, including a hot air welding gun and the appropriate nozzles to use with it. This means the job can be done quickly, easily and with precision – all of which lead to the best possible result.
As you can see the ease with which you can weld plastic depends on how you approach the task. If you approach it properly and with care and attention, you can get a good finish that will be appreciated for a long time to come. However if you try and rush it you will end up with a result you won’t be proud of. If you have never used these tools before make sure you practice for a while with some spare plastic before attempting to complete the job you have in mind. This is the best way to get the result you really want.
Whatever you need you can get all the tools you need online from a variety of sources. This means you will always be prepared to get the job done.
