Gear & Products

Repair Your Broken Plastics Quickly And Effectively With Shark

Shark Industries’ Pro-Tack Plastic Welder should be in your toolbox!

May 15, 2018

We’ve all done it—smack a rock, tree branch, or other obstacle and put a big, nasty crack in one of our UTV’s body panels. Most of the time, the cracks remain there and are left to spread, but what if there was a quick and strong way to repair the plastics without having to shell out hundreds of dollars for a new panel?

Shark’s Pro-Tack Mini Plastic Welder plugs into any 110-volt outlet and uses stainless steel staples to bridge the cracks in the plastic, creating a strong repair that lasts out on the trail.Cody Hooper

Shark Industries is an industrial supply company based out of Rockford, Minnesota, that employs quite a few off-road enthusiasts. The company's Pro-Tack Mini Plastic Welder retails for under $180 and comes with everything you need to do your own plastic repairs trailside or in the garage. It can be found on Rocky Mountain ATV/MC, along with an instructional video showing a demonstration of the welder in use here.

Find the Pro-Tack Mini Plastic Welder for $180 at RockyMountainATVMC.com.Cody Hooper

The kit comes in its own hard plastic carrying case, complete with 40 staples in assorted sizes to fit your needs. Simply plug the unit in, install a staple in the pronged ends of the welder, bridge the crack with the staple, and press the button on the handle to begin heating the staple. As the staple starts to sink into the surface of the plastic when it heats up, let off the button about halfway through the thickness of the plastic to allow the staple to cool slightly. As the plastic begins to cool and dry, apply slight twisting pressure to the staple to bed it in, and pull the gun away from the staple. The ends of the staple are dimpled so they can be bent and removed. It’s a very simple process that leaves behind a strong bond. By using the staples as a stitch, it improves the rigidity of the plastic and allows for a robust, long-lasting fix.

Simply plug the unit in, install a staple in the pronged ends of the welder, bridge the crack with the staple, and press the button on the handle to begin heating the staple.Cody Hooper

We have used the Shark Pro-Tack Mini on many odd jobs around the house that don’t involve UTVs as well; you will find that its uses are nearly endless. This is a great piece to add to your tool set, and at this price, it’s hard to beat! The kit also includes a hot knife attachment for blending and burying the staples after installation. Check out the video in the link above for a brief demo!