We repair damaged plastics
Instead of throwing a broken bumper or mirror away, consider repairing them. As a rule, it will be cheaper than replacing it with a new item, and the durability should not be worse.
All it takes is a moment of inattention while parking and trails - a beautiful bumper spliced into two parts. One false move when leaving the garage and despite a light abrasion, the lamp can be replaced because the hooks have broken... However, before you run to the computer and start looking for new elements, consider another option, namely - repair. Although welding of plastics is still considered to be a half-measure or a way of commercially covering up damage, we will try to prove it wrong.
In simple terms, welding consists of combining broken parts made of plastic, resin, ABS, etc. with each other. Can any type of damage be repaired? Theoretically, yes, but common sense suggests that a heavily broken bumper will be cheaper to replace with a new or used one.
On the other hand, experienced professionals can even make up the missing parts, so the decision whether to weld or replace depends on how much you are willing to pay. Important: If there is a breakage, it will not hurt to pick up larger pieces of plastic - you will pay less afterwards and the expert will have an easier task.
There are two types of repair: hot welding and gluing. The decision on the method of repair is made by the expert, because not every damage can be welded, while some materials are only suitable for gluing. The first stage of the repair is to check which type of material is being used. This is necessary, because in this way it will be known what kind of binder should be used in a given case in order to best connect broken elements with each other.
Most manufacturers place markings (stampings, stickers) on plastic parts, so there is usually no problem with this. If the markings are missing or missing, an experienced professional will have to save himself... with his own nose. Every type of plastic gives off a characteristic smell when exposed to high temperatures and everything becomes clear.
The next step is to prepare the elements for welding (e.g. metal reinforcement rods are melted in if necessary). The welding itself (bonding) is quite difficult and requires a skilful hand, but an experienced professional will take care of it in a few dozen minutes. The repair takes a few dozen minutes and then only the preparation for painting (of course, this applies only to car body parts) and ready.
How much does all this cost? Repairing a minor damage means an expense of about 100 PLN, but you have to add painting to it. As a rule, however, it is enough to "shade" the joint, rarely the whole element requires painting. Good workshops dealing with repairing plastic parts offer a service consisting of: disassembly of the damaged element, repair, preparation for painting (the owner of the car goes to the tinsmith himself) and reassembly of the repaired part. The whole costs 200-250 PLN and lasts 3-4 hours.
Which elements are worth repairing? Certainly untypical, custom-made sheet metal parts and broken headlamp hooks - new lampshades are usually expensive!
All it takes is a moment of inattention while parking and trails - a beautiful bumper spliced into two parts. One false move when leaving the garage and despite a light abrasion, the lamp can be replaced because the hooks have broken... However, before you run to the computer and start looking for new elements, consider another option, namely - repair. Although welding of plastics is still considered to be a half-measure or a way of commercially covering up damage, we will try to prove it wrong.
In simple terms, welding consists of combining broken parts made of plastic, resin, ABS, etc. with each other. Can any type of damage be repaired? Theoretically, yes, but common sense suggests that a heavily broken bumper will be cheaper to replace with a new or used one.
On the other hand, experienced professionals can even make up the missing parts, so the decision whether to weld or replace depends on how much you are willing to pay. Important: If there is a breakage, it will not hurt to pick up larger pieces of plastic - you will pay less afterwards and the expert will have an easier task.
There are two types of repair: hot welding and gluing. The decision on the method of repair is made by the expert, because not every damage can be welded, while some materials are only suitable for gluing. The first stage of the repair is to check which type of material is being used. This is necessary, because in this way it will be known what kind of binder should be used in a given case in order to best connect broken elements with each other.
Most manufacturers place markings (stampings, stickers) on plastic parts, so there is usually no problem with this. If the markings are missing or missing, an experienced professional will have to save himself... with his own nose. Every type of plastic gives off a characteristic smell when exposed to high temperatures and everything becomes clear.
The next step is to prepare the elements for welding (e.g. metal reinforcement rods are melted in if necessary). The welding itself (bonding) is quite difficult and requires a skilful hand, but an experienced professional will take care of it in a few dozen minutes. The repair takes a few dozen minutes and then only the preparation for painting (of course, this applies only to car body parts) and ready.
How much does all this cost? Repairing a minor damage means an expense of about 100 PLN, but you have to add painting to it. As a rule, however, it is enough to "shade" the joint, rarely the whole element requires painting. Good workshops dealing with repairing plastic parts offer a service consisting of: disassembly of the damaged element, repair, preparation for painting (the owner of the car goes to the tinsmith himself) and reassembly of the repaired part. The whole costs 200-250 PLN and lasts 3-4 hours.
Which elements are worth repairing? Certainly untypical, custom-made sheet metal parts and broken headlamp hooks - new lampshades are usually expensive!
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