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Plastic Pointers - Issue 23

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Plastic Pointers newsletter is a printed newsletter that is sent to thousands of customers. Some things are "lost" in the translation to HTML web format. To see the Plastic Pointers as it was originally printed, you need to view the Adobe Acrobat version by clicking here.

Introducing Our Newest Money-Making Machine: The Mini-Weld Model 6 Airless Plastic Welder

Mini-Weld Model 6 Airless Plastic Welder The airless plastic welder built the foundation for Urethane Supply Company. Back in 1981, we pioneered the field of plastic repair with the original Mini-Weld Airless Plastic Welder. Our most recent edition, the Model 5, has been the industry’s best seller for close to a decade. There’s probably not a body shop in the USA that doesn’t have some version of our airless plastic welder. It’s been making money for bodymen for 25 years.

Because the plastic welder represents such a large part of our success, we have been very conservative about making changes to it. The Model 5 has been virtually unchanged since 1997 and has steadily increased in sales over the years.

So why mess with success? Because we’ve found there’s a need for the plastic welder all over the world, not just in North America! In order to attain the “CE” mark on the welder, we had to make some changes.

The main change you’ll notice is that the temperature control is now contained in a separate metal switch box which can be removed from the plastic toolbox. This not only keeps the internal wires out of reach but ,more importantly, increases the mobility of the kit.

With the temperature control separate, you’re no longer tethered to the plastic toolbox. We even put a belt clip on the back of the temperature control switch box so you can walk around with it. (Just don’t try putting the hot heating element in your pocket!)

The Model 6 comes with an 80 watt heating element, two welding tips, stainless steel reinforcing wire mesh, a cleaning brush, and eight different kinds of plastic welding rod, including our most popular FiberFlex universal rod.

Also included is an instructional DVD that not only shows how to use the welder, but is practically a complete course on plastic repairs and refinishing. In terms of pure money-making potential, the DVD alone is worth the price of the kit, but you’ll get it for free with the purchase of the Mini-Weld Model 6.

The Mini-Weld Model 6 is so versatile, it’s a must-have in every automotive repair and body shop. With the included FiberFlex universal welding rod, you can make fast and strong repairs to all of the PP and TPO bumpers that are so common today. The FiberFlex works faster than two-part adhesives because it’s thermoplastic—no cure time required. You can also repair the bumper for less than the cost of a mixer tip for a two-part repair system!
With the standard plastic welding rods that come with the Model 6, you can make repairs that would be impossible with two-part repair systems... for example radiator tanks and overflow bottles. Check out the Tech Tip in this issue for a step-by-step repair to a polyethylene radiator overflow bottle.

How strong are repairs made with the welder? By melting the included 2045W stainless steel reinforcing wire mesh directly into the thermoplastic base, you can actually create a repair that’s stronger than the original part! That’s because the wire mesh acts like rebar in concrete, tying the plastic molecules together through the metal matrix for greatly increased strength.

The new larger plastic carrying case offers plenty of room to store all the accessories and plastic welding rod. Once you’ve cooled the heating element down, you can keep all your plastic welding supplies neatly organized in this custom-molded plastic case.
The new Model 6 is priced just a few dollars more than the old Model 5 at a Suggested User Price of $249.95. Call today to get more information about the new Mini-Weld Model 6 Airless Plastic Welder.

New ATV Pro Welder Now Available

ATV Fender Welder Pro We are proud to announce the availability of our new ATV Pro welder, just the thing for making durable repairs to the polyethylene plastics used on most ATVs and dirt bikes.
The new ATV Pro comes with our industry-standard 6005HT 80 watt heating element, our 6029 Bigfoot welding tip, stainless steel reinforcing wire mesh, and a whopping 60 feet of polyethylene welding rod in a rainbow of colors: blue, green, orange, red, yellow, and natural.

Compared to the 40 watt heating element on the standard ATV welder, the Pro model has a higher duty cycle for faster welding. The larger surface area on the Bigfoot welding tip makes it easier to smooth out the weld for a better appearance.

Repairing Polyethylene Radiator Overflow Tank with Model 6 Plastic Welder

One of the great benefits of having the Mini-Weld Model 6 in your shop is that you can quickly repair cracked or broken polyethylene parts, like this radiator overflow bottle. This quick repair saved the cost of a new tank, and more importantly allowed the shop to deliver the car more quickly with no waiting for parts.

	Here’s everything you need to repair a PE tank: 1000-A Super Clean plastic cleaner, a Dremel tool with the 6121-T teardrop cutter bit, the Mini-Weld Model 6 airless plastic welder, and the 5003R4 polyethylene welding rod.
		Step 2: V-groove the crack almost all the way though with the 6121-T teardrop cutter bit.

Step 1: Shoot on a heavy, wet coat of 1000 Super Clean plastic cleaner, let it sit for a few seconds, then wipe dry with a clean paper towel.		Step 3: Melt the 5003R4 PE welding rod together with the base material. Use welding tip to melt base and mix together with welding rod.

New “Putty Flex” Polyester Glaze

Putty Flex When you’re repairing a bumper, aside from repairing the tear or hole, one of the most time consuming tasks is filling all the little rock chips and imperfections, especially on the front cover. Our time-honored 2000 Flex Filler and our 2020 SMC Hardset epoxy fillers do a great job on minor damage, but let’s face it, polyester fillers are easier to sand than epoxies. The challenge is finding a polyester filler that’s flexible enough for use on bumpers.

Now you’ve got it. Our new 1047 Putty Flex polyester glaze has the easy-sanding characteristics of the best finishing glazes on the market, but it’s much more flexible. Compared to our old Bumper Glaze product, the Putty Flex has a lower viscosity for excellent smoothness and flow.

Putty Flex is still not quite as flexible as our 2000 Flex Filler epoxy, so we’d still recommend the Flex Filler on the soft urethane bumper covers from days gone by. However, since most late model bumper covers today are made from PP and TPO blends, the Putty Flex will have more than enough flexibility to suit these bumpers.

To use Putty Flex, first clean the area well with 1020 Scuff Magic prep soap and then 1000 Super Clean plastic cleaner. After cleaning, sand the area with 180 grit paper to knock the gloss off the original clearcoat in areas you’ll be filling.

If you’ve exposed any raw plastic areas during the repair process, apply 1060FP Filler Prep adhesion promoter. Allow to dry for 5-10 minutes. This will ensure that you get a nice featheredge when you sand your filler back down.

Stir the Putty Flex in the can to make it smooth and creamy. Pull some out of the can onto a mixing board with a paint paddle or a scoop. Mix with the proper amount of cream hardener as you normally do with any polyester filler.

Apply the Putty Flex with a body spreader. You’ll notice how easily it spreads. It’s perfect for applying as a thin coat over the whole front of the bumper to fill in the rock chips. Allow Putty Flex to cure 15-20 minutes and sand with 180 and 320 grit paper. Putty Flex is not tacky and sands finely right off the bat.

Call your jobber today to order our brand-new Putty Flex, or call us today for more information.

When 80 Watts is Not Enough...

Big Momma Plastic Welding Element One of the most common complaints we get about our plastic welders is that the heating element is “too small” and it “doesn’t get hot enough.” We have always countered with the argument that our 6005HT 80 watt heating element can create tip temperatures of between 950°F and 1050°F, way more than enough to melt any thermoplastic.

Granted, if you keep working with the element, the heat will get sucked out of the tip and you’ll eventually have to stop and let the tip heat up again. This is called the element’s “duty cycle”. The greater the wattage of the heating element, the longer you can use it before it cools down too much.

With this in mind, we now have available the “Big Momma” 150 Watt heating element. This monster has 150 watts of heating power for the most demanding user. It is also very ruggedly built in the USA for the most abusive environments.

One of the best things about the Big Momma is that the heating core is replaceable without replacing the entire unit. So once you’ve made the investment in the Big Momma, replacement heating cores don’t cost a lot more than our regular 80 watt heating elements.
If you’re one of those guys that thinks “bigger is better,” then the Big Momma’s what you need to replace your current heating element. Call us today for more information.

Products featured in this issue