That trick with the heat gun and the plastic trim actually worked

I had a 2018 Ford Explorer come in with a warped rear bumper cover after a minor tap, and the customer really didn't want to replace the whole part. I remembered an old timer at a shop in Dayton telling me to use a heat gun on low, around 200 degrees, and slowly work the plastic back into shape with a gloved hand and a rubber mallet. I was sure it would just melt or discolor, but after 15 minutes of careful work, it popped right back to the original contour. Has anyone else had luck with this method on newer plastics, or is it a gamble every time?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinson.holly2mo ago

Nice! I fixed a cracked garden trim piece that way once.

mason_knight2mo ago

Used to think that too, until it held my shed door for a year.

evanr792mo ago

Oh, so we're just fixing everything with glue now? Next you'll tell me you used it to hold your car bumper on. It's a slippery slope from garden trim to just having a house made entirely of epoxy.