Anyone weld plastic?

super99 · May 7, 2019

Plastic fans on the hydro?s on my old Simplicity ZTR mower are missing a couple of blades.1 new one and 1 nla. I want to try to cut good blades off of one and weld onto the other nla fan. I got a plastic welder at Harbor Freight and am practicing with it. Any thoughts? Chris

rrlund · May 7, 2019

Sounds like you might have the same plastic welder I have. I use the paint sprayer regulator and turn it down to about 4-5 psi. I never could get any of that plastic welding rod to work. I found it's best to just melt the plastic and take a small screwdriver and kneed the two halves together.

Mike(NEOhio) · May 7, 2019

I've used this but I'm not sure it would hold up on a fan blade. Worth a try, though.

DoubleO7 · May 7, 2019

If they were new plastic, maybe. But I suspect those are old enough to be brittle.
Maybe you can stack the two together and install?

Stephen Newell · May 7, 2019

The plastic weld does alright to put something together but it doesn't have very much strength. What I have had to do is plastic weld first and then roughen the surface and put a patch over the top with fiberglass cloth and epoxy for plastic. Of course with your project you would have a balancing problem to work out. You may have to put similar patches on all of the blades broken or not.

grizz02 · May 7, 2019

just my 2 cents I would never try fixing a broken plastic blade that spins just vibration over time will break them

SVcummins · May 7, 2019

I think I?d try jb weld

jm. · May 7, 2019

Forget it, go to the nearest lawnmower junk yard. Hundreds of plastic fans and that thing does not turn that fast. Just get something close and re-bore the hub. My bet is you can find one that will bolt on, most use that four bolt pattern.

Steve@Advance · May 7, 2019

Those are beyond repair. They are heat cooked and will continue to crumble.

There are plenty of replacement fans out there. They might need the hole pattern modified, but should be an easy fix.
Fan Blades

retired farmer · May 7, 2019

Look up -repairclinic.com- type in Simplicity mower fan blade, they have them for $16.00.

Janicholson · May 7, 2019

As noted below, the material next to the fractured material is as bad as that which fractured. I teach plastic welding and applaud your desire to try it. Just find a new fan that will adapt. Jim

gab · May 7, 2019

My thoughts are you are wasting your time.

T.R.K. · May 7, 2019

What transaxles does that mower have? I know if they are made by Eaton, you are in trouble, but If they are Hydrogear there should be something available that would work. But they would have to be ordered by the transmission model, not the mower model.

Jeff NWOH · May 7, 2019

Grasshopper uses fans similar to that. May have to drill new mounting holes. I think the last one I bought was 5 or 6 bucks.

INCase · May 8, 2019

i've had pretty good luck with a soldering iron doing that. you can use it to weld the joints by moving back and forth and kinda "kneeding" it and you can also stab the soldering iron in to sorta spot weld.

these fans are beyond hope and will not work to weld fix.

some cars may have a cooling fan that small you might be able to modify and mount.

Mike M · May 8, 2019

I am with the find another fan fan club.

Dune Country · May 8, 2019

I did a lot of plastic welding when I had a ATV rental business.
One trick is to embed some steel mesh into the parts when welding.

BUT
As others have said those fans are old and brittle, get a replacement.

Anyone weld plastic?

super99

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rrlund

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Mike(NEOhio)

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DoubleO7

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Stephen Newell

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grizz02

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SVcummins

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jm.

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Steve@Advance

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retired farmer

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Janicholson

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gab

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T.R.K.

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Jeff NWOH

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INCase

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Mike M

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Dune Country

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