What are you guys using for a torch, melting shrink wrap and such??

A cheap BIC butane-fired grill lighter works well.

I also use a grill lighter, available from lots of places (Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc.) for around $4.

Sitting at my workbench, I use the tip of my soldering iron. otherwise I use a Milwaukee heat gun. No open flame.

Tip of may soldering iron. Been using this method for more than 30+ years. Never damaged any other wiring or structure with this.

Lighter with a long tip. Soldering iron occasionally too.

I use a Milwaukee heat gun

I have used matches, Bic lighters and grill lighters.  I’ve also used an electric heat gun on low setting.  If you are insulating small gauge wire, it’s best to go with the heat gun so there is less chance of burning through the insulation.

I use a blow dryer with a narrow nozzle. It works great without the threat of fire.

Used to use a soldering iron but finally broke down and bought a cheap heat gun from Amazon for about $10. Glad I did much better. The right tool for the job

I have a couple of heat guns, but I usually just use my hot air rework tool.  It's right on the bench, and I can dial up any temperature and it has a nice 3/16" nozzle to direct the hot air just where I want it.  I also use it for loosening up hot glue, makes it much easier to remove stubborn spots of glue.

Side of soldering iron tube - quick, easy and never a problem.

Harbor Freight heat gun.  

Pretty basic with only a high & low setting, but at $7 it's a bargain.  Also works great for decal & paint removal, softening plastic for kit bashing plasticville or bending 1/48 figures in various poses etc...

Tom

Master Model 501. Had it for over 40 years and its keeps on ticking. Way overkill for the hobbiest though.

Pete

The wife's hair dryer/blower. Works fine for shrink wrap. Also works great for removing labels from shipping boxes so the boxes can be used again.

I always use a little butane grill lighter. Cheap, easy to control, fits in the tool box, and works perfectly. What's not to like about that? 

When assembling audio cable snakes for the stage rig, I use one of these neat hand held refillable butane units. Perfect for the small wires and precision aiming.

Porter Cable heat gun with concentration nozzle and variable heat setting; got off of the big A for ~$30 but it suspiciously looks like the one from HF.  Ugly part was getting concentration nozzles that fit - ordered separately, I had to cut a concentration nozzle to fit the barrel of the gun.

I don't what "and such" is.   But for Shrink tubing, I just use a candle.    I have some about 1 inch diameter and 2 inches tall that will sit on my desk.   I just light one and hold the shrink tubing about 1-2 inches above the flame.

I do have a heat gun that will do it very nicely too.   I got mine a harbor freight and it is overkill for small shrink tubing.   I am also just too lazy to dig it out when I need it for a quick job like a shrink.    The candle and box of matches are in my work bench drawer.

I chuckle over all the crazy schemes people employ just to avoid a simple heat gun, all of $10 for a compact one that will work well on the bench.  What is the allure of flames, the side of the soldering iron, etc.  While all will shrink the tubing, and having used all of those techniques, I can honestly say you will get the best results with a plain heat gun.

BIC lighter.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I chuckle over all the crazy schemes people employ just to avoid a simple heat gun, all of $10 for a compact one that will work well on the bench.  What is the allure of flames, the side of the soldering iron, etc.  While all will shrink the tubing, and having used all of those techniques, I can honestly say you will get the best results with a plain heat gun.

Yeah, but those Tesla flame throwers were really cool.

I have a Black and Decker heat gun now that I have my dad's tools.  Before that, I used a hair dryer.  I find either much easier to control than my soldering iron or an open flame.  I just can't seem to hold things steady enough to use the iron or flame.

So I tell my wife I need to get a small heat gun for train stuff. She tells me she has one tucked away in the closet... Go figure.

@geysergazer posted:

A cheap BIC butane-fired grill lighter works well.

Yeah, I generally keep a few dollar store grill lighters around for this purpose.

Mitch

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

While all will shrink the tubing, and having used all of those techniques, I can honestly say you will get the best results with a plain heat gun.

Portability (no cord) is a benefit.  I read about grill lighters a while back and keep one near.  I find it very convenient to just grab it without having to reach for the heat gun and drag it and the cord across everything.

I agree that it's nice to be portable, but since when I'm away from the bench working on the layout, I usually need light, Dremel, drill, etc. I always have an extension cord handy.

A grill lighter is smaller and easier to mess with than a heat gun and has a multitude of uses. A heat gun is useful for one or two things only. It's really overkill for small shrink jobs like model railroading.

What kind of heat gun are you talking about?  I'm not talking about a huge 1,000W monster!  For portability, I'm talking about a small 300W one like this $11 one from Amazon, there are literally thousands of similar products.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I usually need light, Dremel, drill, etc. I always have an extension cord handy.

Batteries!  DeWalt has made a fortune from my 18v and 20v purchases, although I'm really unhappy about my older 18v batteries dying (okay, they are a decade or more old).  Glad they have the 20v to 18v adapter.  And I have to admit my battery Dremel works well for cutting track but not much else.  Have not tried a battery power heat gun yet.

I actually have a battery powered Dremel, it's the 8220.  It's actually a pretty powerful tool, and I probably use it 90+ % of the time, even though I have the Dremel 4000 with "cruise control".  I do love the allure of no cords, but I relent for heat guns.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I have a couple of heat guns, but I usually just use my hot air rework tool.  It's right on the bench, and I can dial up any temperature and it has a nice 3/16" nozzle to direct the hot air just where I want it.  I also use it for loosening up hot glue, makes it much easier to remove stubborn spots of glue.

Thanks for reminding me John, I also have a Raychem compressed hot air heat gun, the kind you use on aircraft. It works great. Totally forgot all about it, only use it on big jobs though.

Git R done!! 

(These people are professionals, don't try this at home ) 

Grill/fireplace lighter.  I can touch the tip of the flame near the tubing without blowing heat all over other components.

Honestly, I have always just used a match.  Not for any particular reason other than that's how my dad taught me almost 40 years ago when I got serious in this hobby.  There are a lot of good ideas on here. 

I use the solder station I have and touch the shrink wrap with the barrel just behind the soldering area.

Charlie

I’ve tried a variety of techniques, and I have found my heat gun to be the best and to the point for heat shrinking  

My workbench has a power strip on the wall and I find no problem with plugging in my heat gun.
Bam-bam-bam and I’m done.
We can spend a small fortune ‘s on our trains, but why do some people resist buying a cheap heat gun when it’s really designed for the task at hand.

Alan

@Jeff T posted:

So I tell my wife I need to get a small heat gun for train stuff. She tells me she has one tucked away in the closet... Go figure.

Jeff, maybe she was hoping you'd find the vacuum cleaner while there and offer to do more household work!

" why do some people resist buying a cheap heat gun when it’s really designed for the task"

Because they don't want to blast the entire area with heat.

@RJR posted:

" why do some people resist buying a cheap heat gun when it’s really designed for the task"

Because they don't want to blast the entire area with heat.

Agreed.  Also, frankly I just don't need more limited use tools.  I have many tools that only serve one function, but there is no reasonable substitute and when you need it you need it.  A heat gun isn't like that, I don't need it, it doesn't function any better for me than my small torch or grill lighter and I use both of those for a myriad of other things.