Found a $12 trick that fixed my cracked plastic bumper covers for good

Last month a customer's 2018 Civic came in with a split lower bumper, and I was about to order a $300 replacement until I tried heat staking with an old soldering iron and stainless steel mesh from a kitchen strainer. I melted the mesh into the backside of the crack, then filled the front with plastic weld, and that thing held up when I test drove it over some rough railroad tracks by the shop. Has anyone else used mesh reinforcement on flexible bumper plastic, or do you stick to epoxy and call it a day?

2 comments

2 Comments

henderson.vera21d ago

Gotta say I really respect the hustle here, that mesh trick sounds like something I'd try after my third cup of coffee and a lot of swearing. I've been there with the cracked bumper on my old Focus, just staring at the gap and wondering if I could make it work with zip ties and hope. The idea of melting mesh in there is smart since epoxy alone always seems to crack again on me, especially in the cold. Might have to raid my kitchen for an old strainer next time, my wife's gonna love that.

jamie_white20d ago

Did you heat the mesh first or just press it in cold? Curious if that matters.