Heat Gun

[k.rock!]

Can anybody suggest a good, cheap heat gun for shrink sleeving? I've been heating sleeves with the heat my soldering iron irradiates and Im getting annoyed by it. Any suggestions?


Thanks!

-Kaleb

[jimmybjj]

I use a lighter, never bothered with anything else because this was so quick and simple.

[JakeFuzz]

Lighter all the way. Leaves little carbon deposits on nicely colored shrink tube so I just buy black.

[CRBMoA]

I use this. I don't have all that accessory stuff. It is overkill, but you can adjust the intensity of the flame/heat, you can fry ants and flying insects with it in the summer, and I just enjoy being able to point a noisy blue flame!

Seriously, a lighter heats horizontal, and UP, but if you are working in an enclosure (repair, heat shrink after-thought on a nearly complete build), this is the ticket.

[Haberdasher]

I use a heat gun.  I got mines at Harbor Freight for $9.99.  Works great, and I use it all the time.

[Fastocker]

I use one of these:

http://www.pro-iroda.com/MJ600.htm

Mine's an old one I got at Radio Shack years ago --- it's labeled Radio Shack but is made by Iroda and uses the same refills.  Small, easy to use and works great --- no flame, just heat so you don't torch your wire or shrink tube.

[oldhousescott]

I picked one up at Lowes. I think it was intended for wallpaper removal. Two speeds, works great, pretty cheap IIRC.

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

I use a heat gun.  I got mines at Harbor Freight for $9.99.  Works great, and I use it all the time.

That's what i have too. The one I got has 2 heat settings, low setting works great for heat shrink and the high setting could probably strip paint like a mofo!

[cjkbug]

I use this. I don't have all that accessory stuff. It is overkill, but you can adjust the intensity of the flame/heat, you can fry ants and flying insects with it in the summer, and I just enjoy being able to point a noisy blue flame!

Seriously, a lighter heats horizontal, and UP, but if you are working in an enclosure (repair, heat shrink after-thought on a nearly complete build), this is the ticket.

I use thing...it rules for heat shrinking! you can write your name with it too!

[dwstanford]

i use my wife's hair dryer

[Haberdasher]

I use a heat gun.  I got mines at Harbor Freight for $9.99.  Works great, and I use it all the time.

That's what i have too. The one I got has 2 heat settings, low setting works great for heat shrink and the high setting could probably strip paint like a mofo!

Yep, I use low for almost everything.
The high setting you have to be careful with.  The other day I thought I'd quickly and lightly use it on high to help set up some paint on an enclosure.  I thought I was taking the proper precautions but it still bubbled the paint from about 4 inches away.  So don't do that unless you like sanding & starting over. 

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

Yup thats exactly what happened to me when I tried to use it to dry a finish faster. This one time I did it at night, in a rush not giving the paint proper dry time. When I sprayed the clear coat on, since it has a faster drying time it totally shrivled up on the back!!! And I used the heat gun on top of it 
But it looked damn cool in the end.

[k.rock!]

man, so many good choice...haha I have to say, I have tried a hairdryer before but I found that it took too long to shrink...worked though!

Never thought about a lighter...pretty cool too...And that Benzomatic and the Iroda one look really cool too!

I went to Harbor Freight yesterday and they had a heat gun for $20 but that thing was HUGE....I mean for our type of application...it definitely looked perfect for stripping paint of walls.

I think I might go for that Iroda one cause I don't really want to torch stuff up inside my pedals, since I usually shrink stuff inside the box...

Anywho, thank you all for your suggestions!


-Kaleb

[FredGarvin]

God, I must be the only cheap bastard here. I use matches. But, I only shrink outside of the box