Hinged Bumper Tab Repair Using a Nitrogen Plastic Welder

Hinged tabs on bumper covers often break at the hinge line, leaving no choice but to discard the bumper…until now. In this video, we demonstrate how to create a hinged tab and weld it to the bumper with one of our nitrogen plastic welders.

Always wear proper safety gear while working!

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Products Used:

Note: This is a list of the Polyvance products that can be used to make this repair. This list does not include sanders, grinders, or other common tools you will need. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call technical support at 800-633-3047.

• Polypropylene sheets (three options available)
• Aluminum Body Tape (several options available)
• Polypropylene welding rods
  Note: We used polypropylene here because of the identification symbol. Choose the rod that matches the plastic you need for your repair.
• Nitrogen Plastic Welder (several options available)
• 6122 Heavy Duty Round Cutting Burr

Video Notes:

• English Closed Captions have been provided for this video. Click on the CC button to turn them on or off.
• The length of this video is in no way representative of the actual time required to perform a complete repair and therefore should not be used for estimating purposes.

English Transcript:

Hinged tabs on bumper covers often break at the hinge line, leaving no choice but to discard the bumper…until now.

With a marker, trace the broken tab onto a polypropylene sheet. Also, extend the length of the tab about an inch longer than the broken tab. Cut the shape of the polypropylene sheet with a jigsaw. Place the tab into a vise, and align the hinge line along the top of the clamping area and then fold the plastic back and forth along the hinge line. When the plastic begins folding without much force, fold the plastic and reinsert it into the vise and clamp it down tightly. Fold the plastic the opposite way, then clamp it down again. What we are doing is thinning the plastic along the hinge line by stretching the plastic.

The bumper cover will need to be trimmed to accept the new tab. Align the hinge line of the new tab on the bumper and mark where to cut. Use a jigsaw along the line that you just marked. Temporarily hold the new tab in place with some aluminum body tape. Aluminum body tape is stiff and can withstand the heat of the welding process. Sand with 80 grit sandpaper along the line where the new material will be added.

Aim the flow of air at the intersection of the rod and the plastic where you are welding. Be sure to melt both the rod and the existing plastic. After laying down some plastic, melt away the excess rod with the side of the welding tip. Use the airless welder to smooth out any curled edges that often occur while welding. Allow the weld to cool and prepare the weld for the opposite side. Remove the aluminum tape and, using a die grinder, remove some of the existing plastic. This will prevent the plastic from being too thick when the new material is added. Sand with 80 grit sandpaper along the line where the new material will be added. Aim the flow of air at the intersection of the rod and the plastic you are welding. Be sure to melt both the rod and the existing plastic. After laying down some plastic, melt away the excess rod with the side of the welding tip. Use the airless welder to smooth out any curled edges.

As you can see, this is a quality repair that saves you from having to buy a new bumper cover.