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Watched a guy at the I-CAR class in Dallas use a heat gun on a bumper cover and it changed how I do plastic repair
I was at an I-CAR training session in Dallas about 4 years ago, mostly to get my recert hours in, and this older tech from a Ford dealer was sitting next to me. During the hands-on part he pulled out a cheap heat gun, the kind you get at Harbor Freight for like $25, and started warming up a scuffed bumper cover before he even touched it with sandpaper. I always just sanded cold and dealt with the fuzz and the wavy edges. He kept the gun moving about 6 inches away, said you want the plastic just warm enough that it feels like a football left in the sun, maybe 15 seconds per spot, nothing more. I tried it on the next three covers back at my bay and the filler stuck way better and I stopped chasing pinholes. Been doing it that way since, and I still think about that guy every time I grab the gun. Anybody else pick up a trick like that from a class or a random tech that stuck with you?
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sage_perry3d ago
Did he ever mention what temp he was aiming for, or was it all by feel? I ask because the "football left in the sun" thing is smart but it changes depending on the plastic. A TPO cover and an ABS cover take heat way different, and what feels warm on one can get you in trouble on the other. I started using an infrared thermometer after I warped a cover once, just to see where I actually was, and it turned out I was running hotter than I thought. The feel method works if you have done it a thousand times, but for guys just starting the temp check saves you a comeback.
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