Heat Shrink Tubing

I am gonna hear about this, but the fastest thing I have ever found is a candle.

I don't think a hair dryer will do it. I use a Weller heat gun.

I use a heat gun.  I believe most heatshrink requires around 90C and up to shrink, the temperature is dependent on the type of heatshrink.

Here's a nice chart: http://www.insultab.com/techni...nfo/shrink-temp.html

I have a heat gun made for heat shrink tubing. It has several attachments that help the process and it gets very hot. One that is useful is an attachment that encircles the tubing heating it from all sides. If you do much, you will like having a dedicated heat gun for the purpose.

I have the dedicated gun, but about 90% of the time I'm doing wiring and I just use the wand from my hot air rework tool.

I have the Master-Mite gun.

But this is the most used shrink tool.  It's right at the bench, and I can hit individual wire splices quickly without having heat all over the place.  For larger jobs, the gun is great.

I just use the shaft of my soldering iron. It is hot enough to do an excellent job and you don’t have to worry about overheating the sink tube.

Jim

Pencil type lighter. quick and easy as long as you are not too close to sensitive parts.

I use an old hair dryer. It works.

I had help with motorcycle wiring this Summer.  From a real experienced guy, he used a refillable hot air type cigarette lighter, on 20 ga wire connections.We were inside the dash so space was at  a premium . He varied the temperature  by distance to shrink wrap. I didn’t like using my heat gun even with the smallest nozzle because it was cumbersome and put heat everywhere.I learned a lot that day.

beardog49 posted:

I am gonna hear about this, but the fastest thing I have ever found is a candle.

That, or a BIC lighter.  I've used both with equally good results.  But don't let the flame actually touch the heat-shrink, it will melt and burn it.

And a pencil-type soldering iron works good too, and is safer than an open flame.  Simply rub the hot soldering iron shaft on two or three sides of the heat-shrink.  Doesn't take much, just long enough to get it shrunk down.  Rub it, don't hold in one spot, or it could get too hot and melt through.

RSJB18 posted:

Pencil type lighter. quick and easy as long as you are not too close to sensitive parts.

 

I use this same tool.  Just wave the flame on the tubing for a few seconds and done.  I used to use a soldering iron tip held close but when I visited TrainAmerica Studios I saw all of the techs there using regular Bic lighters on the heat shrink tubing when doing locomotive upgrades.  Hey, if it was good enough for Mike Reagan's shop then it was good enough for me and MUCH faster than the soldering iron method.

I've never set the tubing or wire insulation on fire with the lighter.

A match or a cigarette lighter 

Mixed Freight posted:

And a pencil-type soldering iron works good too, and is safer than an open flame.  Simply rub the hot soldering iron shaft on two or three sides of the heat-shrink.  Doesn't take much, just long enough to get it shrunk down.  Rub it, don't hold in one spot, or it could get too hot and melt through.

That's what I usually do. Most times when I use heat shrink it's for a small project and I'm using a pencil soldering iron anyway. Only need one tool for the whole job .

I'll stick with the flameless heat source, it takes more time to talk about it than the hot air does to shrink it.  I also like the fact that the hot air shrinks it evenly all around, that doesn't happen all the time with the ad-hoc methods.

Heat gun seems like a luxury that has a hard time staying in the shopping cart.  Once you use one, you’ll wonder why you didn’t earlier.  

Lighters and flames get most jobs done, albeit sometimes not the best looking.  The heat gun allows you better control, especially if putting on a looser wrap in smaller wires.

It only hurts once, see one, buy one.  Cost about the same as Menards rolling stock if you shop.  Long  winded reply, but.....

Harbor freight sells one for $15.00 and you can use the 20% coupon or see if it on sale and then it can be had for about $10.00 ans yes it does work on heat shrink.

Have a couple of them as with a older MASTER APPLIANCE which is great.

This heat gun is the cat's meow. It will last a lifetime and does an excellent instant hot job. The accessory nozzles are super for getting to all sides of the heat shrink tubing.

https://www.jensentools.com/we...s-nozzles/p/812pr010

I use the same hot  soldering   iron except mine is the adjustable table model with that pencil tip for electronic work.

All you have to do is  solder  the wire slip the shrink tube over  the weld and USE the upper part of the tip  (not the hot tip you used to solder) And wipe it with that part till it shrinks .

Works every time in a tight spot  hope this helps you along the way...daniel

I mostly just use a lighter or if it is not close by sometimes the soldering iron. I melted a caboose body one time with my hair dryer. It can get extremely hot. Only use it for drying parts after washing them and am very careful around plastic after the caboose incident.

Forest

Thanks for all the replies.  I have a heat gun but as we are preparing to move I won't be taking all the tools I have in the basement and am trying to determine which need to come with me and which are a luxury.  Sounds like a toss up, however those who are pro heat gun are people that do am lot of electrical and electronic work.  So I think the heat gun makes the trip.

I've always use a Bic lighter, quick and easy.

A match works too.

I do a lot of upgrades where I'm working in close quarters.  There's simply no possibility that I could use flame where I'm working, not to mention you have to get under the connection to get effective heat transfer.

If you're a casual user that doesn't use much heatshrink, most solutions work OK.  If you do a lot of work with heatshrink, open flame and soldering irons are not even close to an ideal solution.

If you go to a site like AliExpress.com and search for Hot Air Gun, you'll find a multitude of great choices for heatshrink in the $10-20 range.  They come with an assortment of nozzles.  I use a small nozzle and my heatgun set on 250C for heatshrink, it does the job in a flash with no collateral damage.  I typically use a small nozzle like the one on the bottom right.  For large heatshrink, I either dig out my MasterMite heat gun with the surround shield or just slip on the larger nozzle and crank up the air on the bench hot air station.

You can also find stuff like this for less than $10 shipped, also very convenient for heatshrink.  I don't have one of these, simply because I already have a couple of heat guns and my SMD hot air station, but if I didn't, I'd probably get one of these.

Lots of good choices for using heatshrink, don't set your fingers or project on fire trying to use open flame!

I use a butane-powered soldering iron from Home Depot with the tip off.  Works like a charm for small jobs.

If you own the heat gun that woodland scenics sells to shape its acrylic grass mats - that works great. If I am in a hurry though I will do as above and hover the tubing over the shaft of my solder iron.

I don't think woodland scenics sells the heat gun any more but it can be found on amazon / ebay for about $30