Microtorch for plastic pieces that got bent

RICHat22 · October 2, 2004

I figured this one out fo rmyself a long time ago having to repair a piece for one of my installers although since I have seen a couple others that say they knew about it :evileye

Occasionally you will be pulling panels for various reasons (2 dr accord mid 90's up comes to mind in tinting) and those friction clips or pop out types don't want to release. It's not always easy to get something behind them and you slide your hand in and pull it from the back and in doing so it just slightly bends or creases the plastic. It leaves a little white mark where the stress was.

Next time this happens, as long as you didn't damage beyond repair, take a micro torch and VERY lightly heat it. This is not so much for putting it back in place as it is removing the white stress mark it left. I have done this several times over the years on pieces that got bent in removal and it worked great. couple you could barely see, the rest were like magic and gone. :shock

Heat guns work too, but the heat is not concentrated enough so it's a little tricky to do it without damaging something else.

October 2, 2004

I beleive this has been covered before...if I do remeber correctly...just not in the tip section.. :mad

RICHat22 · October 2, 2004

I'm sure I put my .02 in then, too, if I was around :mad I don't remember seeing it anywhere so I thought I'd throw it out there while I was thinking of it.