2001 - Volume #25, Issue #3, Page #39

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Plastic Pieces Welded Back Together

Plastic Pieces Welded Back Together WELDERS/TORCHES Welders/Torches 25-3-39 "Last fall I accidentally rolled my Scotts garden tractor while mowing. I was left with a broken rib and a 6-month-old garden tractor with numerous cracks in it and pieces broken off the hood and grill. I couldn't find anyone who would sell me only the exact parts that I needed. "I tried using different kinds of glue but none of them worked. Then I decided to try welding the plastic pieces back together. I got out my little hand-held propane torch and a spoon. I heated the spoon until it was red hot and then simply rubbed it back and forth across the cracked areas where I wanted to weld. Even the parts that were completely broken welded back together extremely strong, and the welds were hardly noticeable. I was glad to find that the spoon handle didn't even get warm, much less hot. However, the cupped part of the spoon got red hot very fast. I simply let the spoon cool off and then heated it back up and started over again. "Since making the repairs I've used the mower on my 5-acre yard several times, and not one weld out of 12 has recracked or broken."