Hot air gun / blow torch

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Hot air gun / blow torch grumpyat 03-20-2008
Posted by on March 20, 2008, 5:17 pm
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 Slightly at a tangent to Model Engineering but worth a try.

I need a hot air gun to shrink some 'heat shrink' onto some cables.
No power available. Not feasible to use a genny. I thought of
adapting a gas blowtorch to provide heat at the nozzle instead of a
flame. I have a choice of 3 types of blowtorch.
Plumbers gas bottle type with a hose and torch
Plumbers disposable gas can type
DIY 'ronson type' " " "

Problem is I do not know the best way of doing it.

Cables are quite hefty 400mm^2 each core!! but I want to keep away
from direct heat.

All advice gratefully received, thanks

Posted by Adrian Godwin on March 20, 2008, 5:51 pm
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 grumpyat@eanx100.co.uk wrote:
> Slightly at a tangent to Model Engineering but worth a try.
>
> I need a hot air gun to shrink some 'heat shrink' onto some cables.
> No power available. Not feasible to use a genny. I thought of
> adapting a gas blowtorch to provide heat at the nozzle instead of a
> flame. I have a choice of 3 types of blowtorch.
> Plumbers gas bottle type with a hose and torch
> Plumbers disposable gas can type
> DIY 'ronson type' " " "
>
> Problem is I do not know the best way of doing it.
>
> Cables are quite hefty 400mm^2 each core!! but I want to keep away
> from direct heat.
>
> All advice gratefully received, thanks

There are several small gas soldering irons with hot air adapters -
they use a catalytic element to avoid putting a flame into the hot air
stream. The Weller Pyropen is the most easily found, but there are
others, mostly cheaper - I've got a fairly large unit made by
Radiospares and previously used by a double glazing fitter. They work
very well on heatshrink.

-adrian

Posted by Cheshire Steve on March 20, 2008, 5:58 pm
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On 20 Mar, 22:17, grump...@eanx100.co.uk wrote:
> Slightly at a tangent to Model Engineering but worth a try.
>
> I need a hot air gun to shrink some 'heat shrink' onto some cables.
> No power available. Not feasible to use a genny. I thought of
> adapting a gas blowtorch to provide heat at the nozzle instead of a
> flame. I have a choice of 3 types of blowtorch.
> Plumbers gas bottle type with a hose and torch
> Plumbers disposable gas can type
> DIY 'ronson type' " " "
>
> Problem is I do not know the best way of doing it.
>
> Cables are quite hefty 400mm^2 each core!! but I want to keep away
> from direct heat.
>
> All advice gratefully received, thanks

Didn't know you were supposed to use a hot air gun (don't have one
anyway), I have always used my hand 'Ronson' type gas torch and wafted
it in the general direction until the shrinkage level was about right
- but then I am only an amateur, and its usually small bits on the car
or an electric motor, but I don't see why it wouldn't work on bigger
stuff.

Steve


Posted by Richard Edwards on March 20, 2008, 6:09 pm
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On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:17:22 -0700 (PDT), grumpyat@eanx100.co.uk
wrote:

>Slightly at a tangent to Model Engineering but worth a try.
>
>I need a hot air gun to shrink some 'heat shrink' onto some cables.
>No power available. Not feasible to use a genny. I thought of
>adapting a gas blowtorch to provide heat at the nozzle instead of a
>flame. I have a choice of 3 types of blowtorch.
>Plumbers gas bottle type with a hose and torch
>Plumbers disposable gas can type
>DIY 'ronson type' " " "
>
>Problem is I do not know the best way of doing it.
>
>Cables are quite hefty 400mm^2 each core!! but I want to keep away
>from direct heat.
>
>All advice gratefully received, thanks

Given all the negatives described above I would not use heat-shrink.
Consider self amalgamating tape.
If you are using a joint box which incdes heat-shrink which MUST be
used then reconsider the generator and standard heat gun. I use a gas
powered heat gun (catalyst type) for heat shrinking but 120mm2 max,
and it is a bit slow on that.

--

Richard

Email address is valid but remove burrs before sending!

Posted by Steve on March 21, 2008, 2:15 pm
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> Slightly at a tangent to Model Engineering but worth a try.
>
> I need a hot air gun to shrink some 'heat shrink' onto some cables.
> No power available. Not feasible to use a genny. I thought of
> adapting a gas blowtorch to provide heat at the nozzle instead of a
> flame. I have a choice of 3 types of blowtorch.
> Plumbers gas bottle type with a hose and torch
> Plumbers disposable gas can type
> DIY 'ronson type' " " "
>
> Problem is I do not know the best way of doing it.
>
> Cables are quite hefty 400mm^2 each core!! but I want to keep away
> from direct heat.
>
> All advice gratefully received, thanks

I haven't tried this, just a wild idea. get the heatshrink in place and
wrap in tinfoil, warm the whole lot up gently. Or use self amalgamating
tape!

Steve


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