≡× MENU

• Interior
• Window
• Walls
• Projects
• The buildings

A hole in the plastic bumper of a car. Do-it-yourself repair of cracks in plastic bumpers - methods and technology. Preparatory work: processing the bumper and finding the necessary materials

Not everyone is lucky enough to have their own garage. Even fewer are those who have electricity supplied to it and are equipped with a machine park. Therefore, advice found on the Internet on how, for example, to repair a bumper with your own hands using a soldering iron or construction hair dryer, are absolutely useless. In fact, the repair of this car part can be carried out under any unequipped canopy or even without it, achieving an excellent result.

If you check your toolkit, many of the things listed below will be available.

1. Screwdriver.
2. Polishing attachment with felt wheel.
3. Mechanical riveter and rivet set.
4. Polyurethane foam, better for the gun, and the gun itself.
5. Glue for mice.
6. Acetone, solvent 647, cleaner polyurethane foam.
7. Empty disposable lighter.
8. Acrylic two-component putty.
9. Narrow spatula.
10. Tool knife.
11. Sandpaper.
12. Nitro paint of a suitable color. Better in aerosol cans.
13. Cold two-component welding.

Repairing the front bumper is essentially no different from the technology for restoring the part at the back. However, on some models it is more difficult to remove. And in some cases you will have to do this. Before starting work, you must wash the bumper and wait until it is completely dry.

Scratches - small and large

A scratch becomes noticeable due to the fact that it changes the refraction of light rays. If you look at it at high magnification, you will notice loose fibers, chaotically located irregular bulges and depressions. To make a scratch invisible, this entire relief must be smoothed out.

Minor scratches on the bumper

A small scratch is damage whose depth is less than the thickness of the paintwork. Usually it is no more than 70 microns - 0.07 mm. If the main substrate is not visible under the scratch, then it is enough to polish it using a screwdriver with a felt wheel attachment.

A deep scratch not only violates paintwork, but also the main material. Polishing alone is not enough. The damage is treated with a solvent. It is very convenient to use a foam cleaner in an aerosol can for this. After this, break the disposable lighter and fill the pieces of plastic with solvent 647. It will be great if you find a lighter of a similar color.

As a result, you should get a fairly thick mass. It is called enamel, and is used by aircraft modellers for sealing, filling seams and impregnating the skin. You fill the crack with enamel, using a grease-free spatula to smooth it out. After half an hour you can start polishing.

Cracks with and without chips

They can be only internal or continue to the outer edge. To stop the crack from growing, you need to drill a hole in the place where it ends.

If the damaged surface is relatively flat, without stiffeners or other relief, and its duration is no more than 10 cm, then gluing can be done. To do this, cut out several plates of plastic of the same thickness and elasticity as the main material of the bumper. They stick with inside, so without dismantling works not enough.

Soldering cracks with a soldering iron

Glue for mice – the best option for such work. It has great holding power. It does not require special surface treatment and adheres to any material. It is practically not subject to drying out, its film always remains elastic and withstands vibration loads well.

If the crack is long-lasting, its edges “walk” or it ends at the outer edge, it is additionally fixed with rivets. A mechanical riveter will allow you to do this with good quality and will greatly simplify the work. The rivet itself has a certain mechanical aesthetics, so using it in reasonable quantities will not spoil the appearance at all.

It is better to cut the plates that will fasten the edges of the crack from aluminum or sheet metal 0.5 mm thick. The fact is that the head on the back of the rivet will not turn out very well large diameter. The plastic may not be strong enough to hold the rivet in place.

The holes for the rivet should be slightly wider than the rivet itself, so that when deformed it does not damage the base material. They are countersunk on the outside; the depth of the countersink should be no more than a third of the thickness of the bumper material.

It is better if the length of the rivet is one third greater than the total thickness of the materials being fastened. A long one will create a connection that is too loose. Short - not strong enough due to the small diameter of the cap.

A riveter will also come in handy if you need to restore broken bumper mounts. They are cut from a metal plate and mounted on one or two rivets.

Once the edges are secured, the crack turns into a deep scratch. It may have chips that increase its width. They will not be sealed with enamel. Use a two-component cold welding kit that has good adhesion to any material. While it is in an elastic state, it can be pressed through large through chips. Flatten the excess from the inside, ensuring a secure two-way grip on the edges of the crack. After hardening cold welding sanded, then the surface is polished and painted.

Holes and large-scale destruction

Don’t rush to throw away the bumper if it has holes through it or even some elements are missing. Of course, repairs become more complicated. In addition to repairing scratches and cracks, restoration of the shape will also be required. Polyurethane foam will help you with this.

The bumper is removed. Large fragments, if possible, are secured with a riveter. The cracks are fixed so that they are not burst by the pressure of the expanding polyurethane foam mass. In particularly difficult cases, you can create a kind of frame from metal plates that will remain inside and follow the main contours of the bumper.

Soldering holes on the bumper

We must try to hook the mass of foam onto the internal ebbs, stiffeners and other technological elements. Use a gun - less consumption, more ability to control the process. Choose foam with low expansion so as not to break the bumper.

Polyurethane foam is poured into internal cavity bumpers in layers 2-3 centimeters thick with stops for hardening. Your task is to form a volume slightly larger than that of the element being restored.

Start trimming the excess mass of frozen foam a day after pouring. Try to copy the contours of the area being restored as accurately as possible. Feel like a sculptor.

Original small fragments are glued to polyurethane foam without much difficulty. The rest of the surface is covered with two-component acrylic putty in several stages, with each layer thoroughly drying. The surface is finally formed with scrapers and sandpaper of varying degrees of coarseness, after which it is processed clean and painted.

A bumper repaired using this technology may not differ in appearance from the original one.

Features of finishing

If the bumper has a faint relief or noble roughness, then sanding and polishing will completely ruin it. Such parts can only be painted.

Painted areas may look alien, even if the color is matched tone to tone. The reason for this is the microrelief of the repaired area, which has a different refractive index of light. In this case, only multi-layer continuous painting of the entire part will help.

If differences in tone are caused only by burnout of the main element, you can try to refresh it by wiping it with a cloth soaked in acetone.

The bumper does not particularly affect the driving performance of the car. Its condition largely reflects the personality of the owner and his life philosophy. However, deteriorating aerodynamics increases fuel consumption, and pieces of plastic flying off while driving can damage surrounding cars. Therefore, even inveterate “don’t care” people should think about repairing this body element.

Having broken plastic bumper on a VAZ car, the owner can relatively inexpensively purchase and install a new one, painted in suitable color. Owners of foreign cars are not so lucky; plastic body kits for their cars are much more expensive. The solution is to repair the damaged part by repairing the crack with your own hands in order to save money. It is also useful for owners of Russian cars to know about methods for restoring broken plastic, so as not to buy a new element due to small cracks.

Methods for sealing cracks

Depending on the amount of damage and the type of plastic, the following methods for cracked bumpers are practiced:

• cosmetic bonding using acetone and donor plastic;
• sealing with modern chemical compounds;
• fastening with epoxy resin using fiberglass reinforcing mesh;
• sealing the crack with a soldering iron reinforced with metal mesh;
• welding using a hot air gun and a plastic rod.

Reference. There is one simple method used by car enthusiasts who are not too concerned about appearance cars. This is connecting the edges of a crack with wire or staples. This is a simple matter, which means there is no point in considering this technology, everything is already clear.

The use of acetone, which can dissolve many types of plastics, for gluing is a temporary measure used for small cracks that appear in the middle of the body kit. Its essence is this:

1. Pieces of plastic similar in composition to the bumper material are selected and dissolved in acetone to a thick consistency.
2. On the back side of the bumper, the crack is degreased and also treated with acetone to soften the surface.
3. Liquefied plastic is applied to the damage with reverse side, after which it hardens for several hours. The outside of the defect can be touched up with a corrector tube.

Using thick two-component compounds, sold in two tubes, any single cracks in most types of plastic are sealed. The exception is fiberglass body kits, they are glued together epoxy resin, and in case of serious damage, reinforcement with fiberglass mesh is used.

With numerous large cracks, breaks and holes in the bumper, gluing methods become ineffective. In such cases, soldering or welding with a hot air gun using donor material is practiced. polymer material. After such repairs, the defect area is thoroughly cleaned and painted in the color of the car. At the end, it is necessary to completely polish the bumper so that the painted area does not stand out against the background of the old coating.

Advice. If you get into an accident or collide with a stationary obstacle and break the body kit, try to collect all the flying pieces, except for the smallest ones. This will allow you to use “original” plastic for repairs and not look for something similar.

The preparatory process is little different for in various ways gluing and welding of polymer parts, so it is worth considering separately. The first question is whether it is necessary to remove the bumper to make repairs. In most cases, dismantling is not possible, since the plastic must be sealed on both sides. The exception is broken body kits, cracked in many places. They must first be fastened together and then removed. Otherwise, after repair, the part may lose its shape, causing the attachment points to not meet, and the gaps with adjacent elements will increase.

Reference. Often the bumper body comes off at the attachment points and small pieces of plastic remain on the screws. Before dismantling, such a part is securely welded to the torn fastener and only then removed.

To prepare a damaged body kit for repair, you need the following tools and materials:

• a set of keys and screwdrivers for removing the element;
• electric grinder;
• sandpaper of different grain sizes - from P180 to P320;
• degreasing liquid - organic solvent or white spirit;
• rags.

Note. By using grinding machine You can perform cleaning better and much faster than manually. This and other power tools that will be needed for painting and polishing can be rented for 2-3 days.

Regardless of whether the work is carried out directly on the car or with the bumper removed, it must be thoroughly washed and dried. Then, using coarse sandpaper, you need to peel off the paint at a distance of 3-5 cm from the crack in each direction and sand the area with fine sandpaper. Whatever repair method you choose, the paint must be removed to the base, otherwise it will interfere with the adhesion of the glue or the fusion of polymers during welding. Finally, the area should be degreased.

Advice. The quality of body kit repair depends on the conditions in which it is performed. It is more convenient to repair damage in a garage equipped with an inspection ditch for easy removal of the part and soldering of the fallen fasteners in place.

Two-component bonding

For implementation this method You need to purchase the following bumper repair kit from the 3M brand:

• 2 FPRM components for preparing liquid polymer in 150 ml tubes (price - about 2500 rubles);
• special hard tape;
• self-adhesive reinforcing mesh made of fiberglass (otherwise known as fiberglass) 48 mm wide;
• adhesion initiator in an aerosol can;
• 2 spatulas - wide and narrow;
• stationery knife;
• gloves, safety glasses.

Reference. Similar sets are offered by other manufacturers, but the 3M brand is the most well-known and proven in practice.

Bonding with liquid polymer is suitable for most plastics and can be performed both with the body kit removed and on the car. True, the second option is quite inconvenient, plus you will need good lighting V inspection hole. To cut a crack, you will need an electric drill (not a grinder!) with a mandrel for abrasive wheels. Repair consists of the following technological operations:

1. Using a drill operating at low speed and abrasive wheel chamfer at an angle of about 30° along the edges of the crack on both sides. In cross section it looks something like this: “><».
2. Degrease the area and allow time for the solvent to evaporate completely. On the front side of the bumper, where the paint has already been cleaned off at the preparatory stage, stick tape along the entire crack. It will serve as a kind of formwork when pouring a two-component solution.
3. Treat the damaged area on the back side of the body kit with an adhesion initiator from a bottle, then apply a self-adhesive glass canvas over the split.
4. Mix the components from the tubes in a 1:1 ratio using a spatula. Apply the liquid polymer to the mesh in several thin layers to prevent air pockets from forming. Apply the mixture until it completely covers the glass fiber.
5. After laying the compound, give it 30 minutes to cure, then remove the tape from the front side and repeat the sealing operation (but without the mesh).
6. After hardening, sand the area using alternately P180, P240 and P400 sandpaper. At this point, the plastic repair is complete and you can start painting.

Important! After mixing the components, the composition must be used within 6 minutes, which is enough to apply to the damage on one side. The curing time of 30 minutes is correct for a room temperature of 21-23°C, so when working in a cold room, it is necessary to organize local heating of the bumper (for example, with an infrared heater).

If unevenness is noticeable on the front side of the element, then before painting, apply a little putty intended for plastic to the differences. After drying, sand it with P1500 sandpaper, degrease it and spray paint it, after applying a layer of primer. After 1 day, polish the surface of the body kit.

Sealing with liquid polymer - photo

After cutting, manual cleaning of the crack is required. The inside of the body kit must also be sanded. Cutting the edges of the crack at an angle. Adhesive tape is glued to the front side. Glass canvas is glued to the inside. From the end you can see how the tape limits the flow of the composition outward when applying 2 components are squeezed out onto a spatula in the same amount. Mixing the components with a spatula. The composition is rubbed into the crack and the mesh with a spatula. After hardening and removing the tape, the sealed joint is cleaned. This is what a sealed crack in plastic looks like

Video instructions for using 3M composition

Repair with fiberglass

The technology is used to eliminate damage to body kits made of fiberglass, since the previous method will not work in this case. What you will need for work:

• fiberglass for bumper repairs;
• polyester (epoxy) resin complete with hardener;
• soft brush;
• stationery knife or scissors;
• latex gloves.

Advice. If a bulge or depression has formed at the site of the impact, then immediately after cleaning, level it using a hair dryer to heat it.

Since fiberglass patches will have to be applied on both sides of the damaged area, it is better to remove the bumper from the car. After completing all the preparatory work, including stripping paint and degreasing, proceed in the following sequence:

1. Using a grinder with coarse sandpaper (P80-P120), make a recess in the body of the bumper from the front side, covering a radius of 3-5 cm from the crack. This is necessary so that the fiberglass overlay does not ultimately protrude beyond the plane of the part.
2. On the back side, sand with coarse sandpaper, but without deepening. Degrease the area and let it dry.
3. Cut out patches from fiberglass. On the front part you need to make a neat patch that follows the shape of the recess, and on the back you can glue a rectangular overlay.
4. Mix the resin and hardener in the proportions indicated on the package. Apply the composition with a brush to the surface, apply a patch (several layers are possible) and saturate it with resin.
5. Carefully observe the time specified for curing the epoxy composition (written on the resin container), and then thoroughly clean the repair area with fine sandpaper. The task is to level the surface by removing protrusions.

Note. Initially, coarse sandpaper is used to create a roughness on the surface of the plastic that promotes better adhesion of the polyester adhesive.

At this point, the work on repairing the plastic itself is completed; then cleaning, priming and painting are carried out using standard technology. The last operation is polishing the bumper; it is necessary to give the element a uniform shine.

Photo of fiberglass body kit repair

Video about sealing defects with fiberglass

Soldering large bumper damage

Numerous cracks, breaks and torn elements of the bumper are repaired using thermal methods, in particular soldering. To complete this painstaking work, a small set of tools and materials is required:

• soldering iron with a power of at least 100 W with a wide tip and a wooden handle;
• thin metal mesh, specially designed for thermal bonding of plastic parts;
• knife, wire cutters for processing broken segments;
• screw clamp;
• sandpaper with fine and coarse grains for cleaning seams.

Note. The process of soldering serious defects can take hours. During this time, the plastic handle of the soldering iron will warm up so much that it will become difficult to hold the tool with your hand.

In preparation for soldering, paint must be removed to the base not only from cracks, but also from torn pieces of the bumper. Moreover, in this case, the body kit is not removed from the car until all the breaks are fastened and fixed by soldering, otherwise the element will lose its exact shape.

The soldering technology is implemented in the following sequence:

1. After stripping, wipe the area with degreaser and let it evaporate.
2. Align the edges of the cracks and, if necessary, secure them in this position with clamps.
3. Using a heated soldering iron, make tacks along the length of all cracks. For high-quality heating, the tip must be immersed in the plastic to a depth equal to half the thickness of the material, and then level the surface of the molten plastic. The distance between the tacks is 1.5-2 cm.
4. When tacks have been made on all the cracks, you need to put the broken piece back in place. Fit it to the hole and trim it if necessary so that it fits flush with the surface into the hole.
5. Solder the torn segment using tacks, then repeat the operation from the inside. After which the bumper can be carefully removed from the car and work can continue in more comfortable conditions, although this is not necessary, depending on your convenience.
6. Perform continuous soldering of all joints on both sides of the body kit. To prevent adjacent tacks from moving apart due to heating, the seam must be soldered with gaps. That is, first the first section between the tacks is welded, then the third, fifth, seventh, and so on. When finished, go back and solder all remaining sections.
7. Cut the mesh into pieces 2-4 cm in length. They need to be soldered across the seam in the most intense places - along the edges of cracks, in the middle, at the junction and near the stiffeners. The technology is simple: a steel mesh is placed on the seam and, heated by a soldering iron, immersed in the polymer base of the bumper. At the end, the softened plastic over the mesh needs to be smoothed out.

Important! When soldering the edges of the plastic, you need to hold it motionless and give it time to harden. If you release the part ahead of time, the seam will come apart.

At the end of the soldering procedure, sand the surface of the element, then degrease and paint it in the required color. During further operation, be more careful, since a strong impact may cause the bumper to shatter into pieces, tearing in the same places. To fasten it more firmly, you should use another method - welding with donor plastic.

Photo instructions for soldering the bumper

All joints are carefully cleaned of paint. Fixing the crack with tacks. The crack is now held on by tacks. The broken piece is clearly adjusted to the opening. The fragment is also secured with tacks. All seams are fixed at several points. Fully soldered joints. All soldering operations are repeated from the inside of the bumper.

How to solder the front body kit correctly - video

Welding with a hot air gun

This is a more effective way of joining polymer parts, used not only for repairing bumpers, but also for restoring a variety of plastic products. It allows you to more reliably fasten elements, spending much less time on work than with soldering. To use this technology, you need to prepare the same tools with materials as for soldering, excluding the metal mesh. In addition, it will be needed for repairs.

Often, when driving off-road or accidentally driving onto a curb, you can damage your car's bumper. Pieces may break off from it or there may be some dent; in any case, this nuisance must be removed somehow. And the less money you spend on it, the better. To avoid going to a car dealership, it is better to carry out the repairs yourself at home.

You can see how to do this in the video:

In order to solder a hole you need to prepare:
- gloves;
- Bulgarian;
- knife;
- scotch;
- mesh;
- putty;
- putty knife.

If you are a lucky person, then you will probably be able to find a similar old bumper that will have the required piece intact. It can be cut out and fitted to a hole on a car bumper. You need to cut with a trimming machine, remembering to wear gloves and long sleeves, because hot plastic can burn your skin.

Apply the cut piece to the hole. If everything fits very well, then it’s time to completely cut out a hole on the car’s bumper so that the edges of the cut are as smooth as possible.

To do this, first of all, you should mark the future cut at the highest points of the break. After the markings are made, we cut with a grinder along the drawn lines. Remove the cut pieces. If something is not cut, we cut it with a knife, and also cut off the melted parts.

Now we apply the cut piece that will serve as a patch and begin marking it. To make it more convenient to work, we attach it to the body with tape. We draw on it exactly the same piece that was cut out so that it coincides millimeter by millimeter with the hole after cutting.

If the new piece protrudes slightly or does not quite fit the desired shape, it should be filed down.

Using sandpaper, we clean 2-3 cm of the edges of the bumper hole, this is necessary so that it is convenient to seal. The rest of the bumper should be protected with construction tape to avoid damage during stripping.

Heat up the soldering iron.

We put the part in place and begin to grab it with a soldering iron. It is better to hold the part until the gripping area has cooled down, otherwise it may move. To ensure a strong grip, the plastic should be melted deeper, but not all the way through.

After this, we begin to melt and bond the part with the plastic, securing them together as much as possible. Level the surface. Then we melt the seam, apply the mesh and embed it inside the plastic.

We clean it with a machine for evenness.

Degrease the surface. After this, we apply fiberglass putty to the areas that will be painted.

Why repair the bumper if it doesn't interfere with your driving? If you decide to sell the car, an unkempt appearance will lower the price. We will give advice on how to repair a car bumper (we repair cracks, chips, abrasions) + a video on how to do it yourself.

The vast majority of cars are equipped with plastic bumpers. This was done to lighten the weight and quickly replace the damaged part with a new one. Some bumpers damaged by plastic can be repaired. The latest developments in special materials make it possible to repair even small chips or cracks.

Small scratches, dents, and holes can be repaired yourself by first purchasing a special repair kit. More serious damage is best done at a car service center. Bumpers with numerous cracks, large holes and severely distorted shapes should be replaced with a new one.

How to fix scratches

• Sand out any scratches on the bumper with coarse sandpaper. Just don't overdo it. If you sand hard, a small depression may form at the sanding site. Sanding must be done carefully until the surface becomes smooth.
• Spray the sanded area with plastic primer. Apply two thin coats. Give each layer 30 minutes to dry.
• Sand the painted area with fine-grit sandpaper (1000 grit). Then wipe with a damp cloth to remove dust.
• Next, apply 3-4 thin layers of automotive paint of a suitable color. Each layer must dry for at least 30 minutes. Keep the can of paint at a distance of 15-20 cm from the surface.
• Finally, apply 2 coats of varnish. Let the paint dry for 24-48 hours.

How to repair chips, dents and cracks

• Clean the damaged surface with plastic care product or white spirit (degreaser).
• Rub the damaged area with sandpaper. It is necessary to completely remove the old paint at the damaged area.
• Apply fiberglass tape to the inside of the bumper. Mix the putty and thickener. Apply the resulting mixture onto the tape.
• Next, clean and sand the surface. Liquid plastic is applied to this place.
• After the plastic has hardened, you need to sand the surface.
• The final stage is painting the car bumper.

Personal experience

My front bumper was all cracked and chipped. Set aside a whole day for work. I removed the bumper from the car and started repairing the large cracks. On the back side I strengthened the damaged areas. For this I used fiberglass (it is the strongest). Where there were large cracks, I soldered metal wire using a soldering iron. It's like cross stitching, the wire needs to connect the two pieces. All this is needed to give rigidity to the damaged bumper and prevent the formation of new cracks in the future.

From the front side, using a glue gun with plastic tubes, I applied plastic glue into large cracks. Do it carefully so that there are no lumps left. Next, take a sanding machine and sand the entire bumper. At this stage, skins with a large grain size are suitable - from 40. Then we look at where the unevenness and dents remain. We seal it using automotive putty. First coarse, then fine-grained. Then we sand it (take smoother skins) and so on until the bumper is perfectly smooth.

The last stage is wet sanding. You need sandpaper from P1000 to P2000. We do it manually. We soak the skin in water and sand it. We constantly wet the bumper and the skin with water to prevent sand from getting in. When everything is dry you can start painting. In addition to paint, you will need a special primer for plastic. Without it, the paint will peel off over time. I painted from an aerosol can, but it’s better to have it painted by specialists if you want a good result.

Video - everything from soldering to painting

If this repair technology is difficult, it is better to contact the service. The cost of painting will be approximately 5 - 7 thousand rubles, excluding the bumper itself or its restoration. It is better to trust a proven service, where they provide a guarantee for the work performed.

There is no need to talk about the unreliability of the plastic bumper - drivers know how susceptible this part of the car is to damage. A careless movement, a slight blow - and it cracked, not to mention scratches, chips and other small things. Therefore, many drivers have a question about how to repair a bumper with their own hands. Properly done DIY plastic bumper repair is much more profitable than car service services, primarily in terms of financial costs. Repairing at home also allows you to do everything conscientiously and the way you see fit.

Bumper restoration

Restoring a bumper is not a very difficult job. Here it is important to know some of the subtleties that allow you to repair plastic yourself, and to have the skills to handle the tool. Before repairing a plastic bumper, it must be properly prepared. require preliminary procedures.

Preparatory procedures

Let's figure it out what operations are needed before repairing a plastic bumper:

• restoration or begins with dismantling - it is more convenient to do repairs yourself if the product is removed from the car;
• Carefully remove dirt and thoroughly wash the surface - it should be clean and dry. Do-it-yourself plastic repair requires this operation;
• determine what it is made of. Do-it-yourself plastic repair may vary depending on what material you have to work with;
• in those areas where the bumper will be restored, the paintwork must be removed. Before you repair the damage yourself, you will have to thoroughly clean and degrease the area around it;
• Before repairing a crack, drill through holes at the ends to prevent further spreading;
• the crack has joining edges - before sealing it, a groove is made along the joints for filling with composite.

DIY bumper repair

After all of the above has been completed, you can begin repairing the plastic bumper yourself.

Basic patterns

When restoring, you need to adhere to some nuances. They repair based on whether it is thermoactive or thermosetting - before you repair the product yourself, it is important to find out.

Thermoset plastics

You can repair a body kit made of thermoactive plastic using a hair dryer or welding. Welding helps to make high-quality repairs to plastic with your own hands, removing all cracks and breaks. Do-it-yourself repairs at home are quite easy to do if we are dealing with thermoactive material.

Restoring a plastic bumper with your own hands is more difficult if the work is done with a thermosetting material. In this case, welding will not help - the thermosetting structure prevents the product from melting. Do-it-yourself plastic repairs are then carried out using reinforcement and gluing.

Soldering the bumper

Welding a crack using an electric soldering iron

Do-it-yourself restoration of plastic is done using a conventional electric soldering iron, if we are talking about a thermoactive structure. After the part has been prepared as described above, you need to work according to the following algorithm:

• connect the edges of the crack as tightly as possible and start soldering from the inside - act carefully, checking how the plastic reacts to temperature;
• use staples from a furniture stapler as reinforcing elements - implant them on the reverse side at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other;
• Using a soldering iron, immerse the staples into the part and make sure that the tips do not show on the front part. The staples are susceptible to corrosion, so they need to be hidden in plastic;
• make a neat seam on the front part;
• Using a machine with an abrasive wheel, sand the seam, gradually changing the abrasive to reduce the grain size;
• use putty for plastic if sanding does not give a smooth surface;
• Cover the part with a primer and paint it after drying.

Do-it-yourself restoration at home is carried out using a hair dryer and plastic electrodes. Before you repair the part yourself in this way, make sure that the electrodes are made of the same material.

Gluing refractory body kits

Do-it-yourself repairs to products made of fiberglass or thermosetting plastics are carried out using the gluing method.