Hi all,
Given that it's cheaper to buy a 2kw hairdyer than one of those fancy heatgun things, what is the prevaling view about the utility of splashing out on a dedicated heat gun vs. using a hairdryer to shrink that plastic tubing stuff?
cheers,
cd
Cig lighters work on heat shrink:-)
Thank you for that remarkably fast response. However, I was just wondering, iow, if a 2000 watt hairdryer would be about right for shrinking toob. Cheers.
If you slowed the fan down so the air got hotter, then yes.
You should get about 1 toob before your hairdryer is a puddle of molten plastic....
Cursitor Doom brought next idea :
Hair dryers are great for drying hair, without melting your head.
I use a hairdryer.
You want a cheap one with an underpowered fan, the sort that scorches your scalp if it gets too close.
The high air volume salon style ones are probably useless.
Owain
I hope your hairdryer doesn't get to 125°C which is what it says on my this 'ere bit of tubing.
Not got a paint-stripping heat gun (as opposed to buying a dedicated tubing gun)?
That's what I use - a paint stripping gun (with a bit of care!)
I use my Dremel Versatip.
I use a gas-powered candle lighter.
That's what I use at work. At home I use a proper Weller heat shrink gun.
Something wrong there!!
Using the correct tool with the correct attachments does a far more presentable job than bodging it. I have used a gas lighter and will agree that they do work, as long as you don't set fire to the cable and don't mind a sooty bit of tubing.
A hot air paint stripper with a low setting works ok. Bit more bulky than the correct tool, though. I use my solder re-work hot air system these days, though.
Helps if you partially cover the air inlet with your hand, just don't hold it there too long.
Given that LidlAldi sell perfectly usable hot air guns for around GBP8.99 from time to time, I would buy one of those. (I have a proper ?Steinel? hot air gun and the cheap one still gets an outing from time to time for heatshrink use etc.).
If you like that sort of thing, Aldi also have packs of heatshrink tubing at the same time, might be worth picking up...
J^n
Not quite sue why a hairdyer uses 2kW of power though you just massaged it in and rinsed out. B-)
A Hair drier doesn't get hot enough at least not without restricting the airflow and risking a melt down.
+1I have B&D variable one. Even on the low setting you have to make sure the tube and wires are just where you want them as it shrinks the tube PDQ. Not easy to start at one end and move along.
Given that I'm likely to have just soldered the joint I'm covering, I just lightly rub the soldering iron shaft against it.
At various places I've worked heatshrink has always been treated like gold dust and used very parsimoniously, from the DIY sheds you also get ridiculously few inches of the stuff for your money, you can get it by the fathom for under a quid from eBay (this UK seller dispatches quickly).
I've used a hair dryer for small heat shrink, I've used an a soldering iron too a few mins after switching off works OK.
Got one of these for the lab, it's better as the curved nozzel makes the h ot air flow around the tube so you have to do a bit less turning or moving the gun which is handy in a small space. Although I still use a soldering iron as it's there (having just soldered something)and hot and I don't have to walk all the way over to the bench an d attempt to find the hot air gun and then the nozzel :-( the hot air gun I use. ~£27
Well the proper tools often come with tools that fit on the end to kind of form the right shapes from boots, but if all you are doing is sleeving then its academic, assuming the heatshrink is of the lower temp type that will work with a hair dryer. Not all is apparently. Brian
I bought 2Kw heat gun from Aldi ... £9.99 having just burnt out wifes hairdrier using it as heat gun.
used it on quite a lot of things ... well worth £9.99
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