Got burned using a heat gun on a 2018 Honda Civic bumper

I was at my shop in Austin last Tuesday trying to fix a crack on a Civic bumper. I figured I'd speed things up with a heat gun on high to soften the plastic before welding. Big mistake, the heat caused the paint to bubble and the plastic to warp in like 20 seconds flat. Had to step back, let it cool, and use a plastic welder at a lower temp instead. Took me an extra hour to smooth everything out and repatch it. Anybody else have a heat gun disaster on modern bumpers?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice_harris3517d ago

Nah, modern bumper plastics are way too sensitive for high heat, you gotta start low and slow.

spencer66412d ago

I had a buddy who tried that low and slow thing on his Civic and it was a nightmare. He was standing there with the heat gun for like 10 minutes on one spot, and by the time he thought it was ready, the plastic just kind of sagged and ended up looking like a melted mess. He said next time he's doing it @the_jana's way, hot and fast from the back, because half popping a dent is way worse than just starting over. I think Alice is right that you gotta be careful, but my friend's experience made me a believer in just going for it once the plastic gets soft.

the_jana17d ago

i hear you but i gotta disagree on "way too sensitive." modern bumpers are actually way more forgiving than the old rigid ones. i've been heat pulling dents for years and i honestly start hot with almost every single bumper now. the trick is you need to work the heat in from the backside and keep it moving. if you go low and slow you risk the plastic cooling before you actually get the flex you need. that's where you end up with those half popped craters that never really look right. just gotta be quick and confident once the plastic gets pliable.