staff@slashgear.com (Daniel Trock)
2024-04-27 12:45:41
www.slashgear.com
Before we get into the tools themselves, how exactly can you use a tool to weld chunks of plastic together? Plastic welding works more or less the same as metal welding: you use a tool to produce a high level of heat, place a couple of pieces of plastic together, then use the tool’s heat to coax them into merging together. The only real difference is that, since plastic isn’t as naturally tough as metal, you may need to apply a bit of extra pressure during the welding process to get the pieces to properly combine. Even if you didn’t know plastic welding was a thing, there are probably a few instances of welded plastic around your home, such as plastic containers, pool toys, and flexible medical equipment.
Interestingly, there are actually a few different subsets of plastic welding. Since you don’t need to reach temperatures as high as you would for metal, you can get a little more creative with how you deliver the heat. Plastic welding tools can apply heat through methods including simple hot air, focused lasers, and even powerful vibrations. As long as it makes things hot, just about anything goes.
There are two Chicago Electric plastic welders available at Harbor Freight, both designed to deliver different levels of heat for smaller or larger jobs, respectively.