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I have some Bronco door panels w/ lot's of cracks and faults. Has anyone tried using the plastic "welders" that are available on ebay? I'm not looking to make them pretty. Just stop the the cracks and restore soundness.
My thought was to stop drill the crack ends, grind the cracks thin from the inside, weld the crack seams from inside, and grind flush any excess penetration.
The welders seem to work well but you have to prep the surface. Plastic "oxidizes" and you need to have a fresh surface. If you are going to thin them out, cut or grind a "v" groove into the crack from the back of the panel. You also should support the plastic to minimize deformity. plastic expands when heated. tack the crack together at intervals and work slowly. Drilling the ends as you suggest is also a good idea.
There's a huge range in cost of these welders. Is the basic tool per the attached link OK, or do you need one of the more pricey units to do good work.
dbc gave you some great advice they do work well. you have to know what kind of plastic you are welding. there are a lot of different kinds of filler wire. ebay sometimes have great deals and sometime they don't check out this sithttp://www.mcmaster.com/e and compare prices.
TxBronco check out the truck magazines, in the back ad sections. I have seen ads for new replacement door panels. Probably cheaper than the plastic welders alone, not to mention your time to do the repair.