Old timer at the shop swore by using a heat gun on plastic bumpers, cost me a repaint

Guy named Tony who's been doing body work since the 80s told me to use a heat gun to get dents out of plastic bumpers before painting. Said it softens the plastic and lets it pop back into shape without filler. I tried it on a 2015 Civic rear bumper last Thursday, got the dent mostly out, but the heat caused the paint to bubble and crack in a weird pattern. Ended up having to strip the whole thing and respray it, cost me an extra 3 hours and $50 in materials. Shoulda just used filler and primer like I always do. Has anyone else had this happen or did I just use too much heat?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_emery29d ago

Damn, that sucks man. I feel your pain, I had a similar thing happen with a heat gun on a Ford Explorer bumper cover last year, it left this weird orange peel texture that I couldn't sand out.

harperg7629d ago

Wait you actually used a heat gun on a bumper cover? I used to think that was the way to go for fixing dents, but after messing up my own plastic trim with one I totally changed my mind. That orange peel texture is the worst, it never seems to match the rest of the panel no matter how much you sand. Now I just stick to a hair dryer on low or those little handheld torches for plastic work, way less risk of ruining the surface.

the_amy29d ago

Ugh that's such a frustrating waste of time and money (especially the extra materials, ouch). Definitely sounds like too much heat or holding it too long in one spot, that bubbling pattern is a dead giveaway.

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