Customer Reviews

How to Repair Plastic Bodywork: Practical, Money-Saving Techniques for Cars, Motorcycles, Trucks, ATVs, and Snowmobiles (Tech Series)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm sure this review won't be very persuasive being that it's coming from the author. I can assure you, dear prospective reader, that this was no half-hearted effort. I poured a tremendous amount of time and energy into this book; it took me about one year to write the text and develop all of the line art. Kudos to Dan Kennedy and his staff at Whitehorse Press for the editing and layout. They appearance of the book is absolutely first rate, and I'm proud that the book is the first one by Whitehorse Press to be done in full color from cover to cover.

As far as I know, this is the first book to detail the methods and technology of automotive and motorcycle plastic repair for the layman. It builds on my eight years of experience as technical support director for Urethane Supply Company, a leading manufacturer of plastic repair and refinishing products for the automotive collision repair industry.

This is a great book for the do-it-yourselfer who wants to do some repair or restoration work to his own vehicle. It would also be a great study guide for the collision repair technician who would like to broaden his skills base and create a source for additional revenue. The book only assumes that you have an interest and desire to save money by repairing your own plastic parts.

I think there's a very good chance that, if you choose to buy this book, you'll save the purchase price of the book with your very first repair and that you'll build skills that will save you much more money in the long run. If you have any questions about the book, please e-mail me at kurt@urethanesupply.com. Enjoy!

I bought this book [and later the "how to" video].

As far as I know, this is the only layman's plastic repair book out there. [I'm sure there are engineering books on the subject, but I only want to know how to fix plastic, not formulate it].

A great balance of how-to text with corresponding how-to photos [photos are in full color and are high quality].

An excellent alternative to sending your simple repairs off to someone else to fix.

Depending on the plastic repair to be done, you can probably buy a basic "repair kit" along with this book; and do the job yourself.

I work on all sorts of computer peripherals [like printers].
The reason most every computer and peripheral is so lightweight today [as compared to just 5 years ago] is PLASTIC.

Folks tend to whine about parts being made from "cheap plastic", but just wait until a part breaks and you need to replace it. Those parts are never CHEAP.

The information I learned from this book has saved me having to buy several plastic parts for inkjet and laserjet printers.
If I have both halves of the broke part, I can fix it.

The author of the book is president of Urethane supply company.
[as per the closing page of this book].

I contacted the company after reading this book and the customer support at Urethane supply is excellent.
I asked some questions about a repair not specifically mentioned in the book and their support folks did an "on-the-spot" R&D of the problem and emailed me their results about how to fix the plastic parts involved.

If you want to fix your own plastics, I highly recommend this book.

With just a couple small repairs, I paid for the cost of:
1. this book,
2. their how-to video and
3. the small repair kits used to fix the problems

It is refreshing to read a "how-to" book by someone who actually knows what he is talking about. Too many recent automotive "how-to" books are written by inexpert authors who rely on other people's knowledge, and the author's lack of first-hand exerience shows. Kurt Lammon obviously knows his stuff.
Mr. Lammon takes us through all aspects of the repair, assessing whether to repair or replace the part, how to identify the type of plastic, how to choose the most appropriate of five methods of repair, and how to refinish the repaired part. Each repair method is covered in great depth. He includes details only an experienced repairman would know - what grit of abrasive to use, what RPM to use when grinding, what products to use for cleaning, etc. The appendices briefly explain what tools will be needed, the science of how adhesives work, and where to find materials. There is a thorough index so you can find the information you need quickly.
This is a great textbook, but it is not literature. The writing style is factual but dry, the drawings are easy to understand but sterile and cold. This is exactly what a hobbyist or body repairman needs to get the job done. If you want to know how to repair plastic bodywork, buy this book. If you want amusing anecdotes about automobiles, read something by Peter Egan.

This book has helped me learn more about plastics in general and all the items available out there for repairing. I have asked many people that have experience in repairing plastics and it's interesting to find out there is a lot of people that do not really know about the materials that they are working with. The book breaks down every type of plastic material that you will come across in the automotive industry, some history on them, how to identify the plastic, different repair methods, and different repair materials.

Everything is nicely organized and easy to follow. Thanks Kurt Lammon for taking the time out to create this book and helping a lot of people out there looking to learn.

I bought this book just out of curiosity and I ended up really using it. You just have to get over the fear of trying it and go for it. At the moment I am busy restoring an old ZX-10 fairing.The book tells you a lot about different situations and how to get around them.

What makes it even better is that the last chapter or so shows you how to prepare the plastic for paint. It answers a lot of questions on what prep work is needed and what paint can be used.

It's been sometime since i purchased this "how to" book. And i must have repaired (and fabricated) over a hundred pieces by now with the knowledge gained from this very well written book. It should be titled,
"A-Z of Plastic Bodywork" as it is all one really needs to identify and repair plastic body work.

If you're a DIYer and/or in the business (collision repair, motorcycle fairing repair, etc.) than this is a must have book.

New book, easy to read and find certain areas in the book. Explains everything very well.

could not find much on the subject so sprung for this book, glad i did,need more info but this is a good start!!!

This book is full of great illustrations and understandable instructions. A beginner, which I am, would benefit from this book, as well as an experienced old timer with a tough problem.

I love it. The information is good when combined with the manual from the welder. I don't even mind them using it as a advertisement for selling more items. I'm really happy to finally be able to fix plastics properly!