On 13/05/2010 16:01, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In ,
wrote:
Geeezus, all this waffle - one huge thread to avoid buying a heat gun!
A cheap one will do, fifteen quid, that`s twenty bucks, and you can use
it for other stuff like paint stripping.
Why **** about with hairdryers, dodgy modified soldering irons or gas
lighters when you can get the proper tool for so little money?

I can see that a paint stripper gun may be a bit on the large side for
some things, although it's never worried me. RS components do one
specially for this job - smaller and less powerful than a paint stripper,
but much more expensive. Part Number 545-137


I don't want to join in a dickwaving match here but I use a Steinel 1500
watt heatgun for all heatshrink work. I`ve owned it for maybe... 15
years, I forget, It's one of those tools that is so useful, I seem to
have always had it.

When I was more active I made many many multicore cables for pro audio
work. I use the same gun for both multi core cable over an inch in
diameter, tails and singles. I never noticed a problem with the gun
being either too powerful or physically too large.

I made a little deflector attachment from sheet aluminium for when I
didnt want too much heat going where I didnt want it.

Another use for a decent heatgun is reflowing solder joints on whole
circuit boards, it`s amazing how often a good going over with a heatgun
gets a board working again.

I guess if I wanted a very small heat gun, I would buy one of those
micro blowtorch gizmos which use a BIC Lighter. As it happens I have a
Weller gas powered soldering iron which has a heat blower nozzle
attachment which is good for reflowing work.

Ron(UK)