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-   -   Favorite heat gun & defector? (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=134561)

bnt83 02-12-2016 07:28 AM

Favorite heat gun & defector?
 
What's your favorite?

I was working on solder sleeves and mine went Tango Uniform last night. I know a few guys that have butane ones that works for tight access but not sure I want to go that route.

fl-mike 02-12-2016 08:56 AM

Master-Mite 10008

https://www.google.com/search?q=mast...YXAZIQ_AUIBigB

JonJay 02-12-2016 09:09 AM

I am a tool nut and don't skimp on quality tools. However, this is one area where you don't need to spend a bunch of money. You just don't need it that much for an RV build and the cheapo's work just fine. So, unless your a production shop, or just can't help yourself, a $20 gun is just fine. Most come with an assortment of shields.
Just my personal opinion.

12vaitor 02-12-2016 09:16 AM

Steinel IntelliTemp? Silver Anniversary Electronic Heat Gun Kit. 3 programmable levels of Digital temp settings plus a good selection of tips for heat shrink, solder sleeves, and blue plastic film removal. I already had a Master, but it was too big for doing close work on the wiring harness.

http://www.all-spec.com/products/HL2...9v8xoC8pnw_wcB

flyboy1963 02-12-2016 09:18 AM

hey, it's Friday eh?
 
...favourite defector?????

6 September 1976, when a Soviet Air Defence Forces pilot, Lt. Viktor Belenko, defected, landing his MiG-25P at Hakodate Airport in Japan

...just sayin'! :D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-25

bnt83 02-12-2016 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 12vaitor (Post 1053466)
Steinel IntelliTemp? Silver Anniversary Electronic Heat Gun Kit. 3 programmable levels of Digital temp settings plus a good selection of tips for heat shrink, solder sleeves, and blue plastic film removal. I already had a Master, but it was too big for doing close work on the wiring harness.

http://www.all-spec.com/products/HL2...9v8xoC8pnw_wcB

That is actually the "tyco approved" gun for Raychem sleeves, at a price that wasn't horrifying.

JonJay 02-12-2016 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnt83 (Post 1053471)
That is actually the "tyco approved" gun for Raychem sleeves, at a price that wasn't horrifying.

I'm horrified ;)
For a tool that sits in my box for years between uses....
Heat shrink just doesn't need to be that technical for what most of us need on our wiring harnesses. Sure, if you are Stien, building panels for a living....

Years ago, as an electronic tech, in a pinch, a bic lighter, with care, worked just fine..... I bet I am not the only one....
Not saying I would recommend that....

But hey, it's our folks money. I just as soon spend the extra $100 on something else for the airplane, and I love to spend money on it!

rleffler 02-12-2016 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonJay (Post 1053479)
I'm horrified ;)
For a tool that sits in my box for years between uses....
Heat shrink just doesn't need to be that technical for what most of us need on our wiring harnesses. Sure, if you are Stien, building panels for a living....

Years ago, as an electronic tech, in a pinch, a bic lighter, with care, worked just fine..... I bet I am not the only one....
Not saying I would recommend that....

But hey, it's our folks money. I just as soon spend the extra $100 on something else for the airplane, and I love to spend money on it!

I'm with you. The $8.99 special from Harbor Freight works just fine. IT also comes with a variety of heat shields.

bob

bnt83 02-12-2016 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyboy1963 (Post 1053467)
...favourite defector?????

6 September 1976, when a Soviet Air Defence Forces pilot, Lt. Viktor Belenko, defected, landing his MiG-25P at Hakodate Airport in Japan

...just sayin'! :D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-25

Lol!


No opinion on heat gun tho?

bnt83 02-12-2016 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rleffler (Post 1053481)
I'm with you. The $8.99 special from Harbor Freight works just fine. IT also comes with a variety of heat shields.

bob

Was that a Drill Master? Mine died.

Vlad 02-12-2016 11:11 AM

Kitchen matches
 
Strike anywhere matches work just fine. :)

BillL 02-12-2016 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyboy1963 (Post 1053467)
...favourite defector?????

6 September 1976, when a Soviet Air Defence Forces pilot, Lt. Viktor Belenko, defected, landing his MiG-25P at Hakodate Airport in Japan

...just sayin'! :D

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-25

Yeah - that is the guy I was trying to recall - the wing skins rusted overnight, they were steel!

Canadian_JOY 02-13-2016 05:56 AM

I use a cheapo from the hardware store. I'm sure it's made in China, and it certainly didn't come with any form of heat deflector. That's where the homebuilder gene kicked in. A soup can, a pair of snips and a couple of minutes of my time produced a heat deflector that I hold in place with a pair of cheap hemostats.

I can slide the deflector behind a single wire that's pulled slack in a bundle, and advantage I hadn't anticipated when trying to go this "cheapskate" route.

I used to have one of the old red metal-cased Master heat guns, but it and all its accessories just "walked" out of my toolbox one day, never to be seen again. I still miss that heat gun, but will never spend the same money to replace it. As has been pointed out in this thread, the cheap heat guns will do the trick.

Oh, as for shrinking heatshrink tubing the "wrong" way... for years I've used the barrel of my soldering iron for that task when I couldn't use a heat gun. It works. It's NOT rocket science!

gnuse 02-13-2016 07:37 AM

I have used my TopFlite gun for over 20 years now. It has served my model airplane needs and even more shrink wrap tasks.


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