Heat Gun

[BevTheBuilder]

Hello,

I just purchased a heat gun with the intention of using same for removing some really thick looking paint off of a table I bought at a second hand store. The gun has two heat settings and some attachments to assist in directing the heat to certain areas as well as some scraping tools. I haven't tried it yet but am wondering if anyone has any experience with these things. According to the instructions, this baby can be used for thawing pipes (hopefully I will never need to use it for that!) as well as softening silicone sealant to aid in removal. That is something we may use it for. I am just looking for other's experiences and any tips. The manual is pretty thin and the only big issue they printed in bold is to avoid using it on older paint that may contain lead.

Thanks much.

"Incontinence Hotline...can you hold please?"

[LazyPup]

In physical appearance an electric heat gun appears like an industrial grade hair dryer, but once you plug it in, any similarites to a hair dryer soon fade.

On hIgh temp the heat guns can produce heat just slightly lower than the conventional propane pencil flame torch.

They work excellant whenever a concentrated source of heat is required such as softening paints, window glazing, or when setting the commercial grades of vinyl floor tile or thawing a frozen copper or iron pipe. I would not recommend them for thawing PVC or CPVC pipe as they can actually burn the pipe if you not really careful. Electricians sometimes use them to soften small diameter PVC conduit for bending, but it is a skill that requires a bit of practice.

While they do not create a flame as would a propane torch, do not be fooled into thinking they are entirely safe around combustable materials, as they are hot enough to cause ignition.

They should not be used in areas where you are working with materials that have volatile fumes as the fumes will be drawn in through the air flow and blown into the heating chamber which could cause a fire.

The tip of them gets extremely hot so you have to be careful handling them or where you set them down between uses.

Be very careful when working around any plastic or vinyl sheet goods materials as they can burn or distort the surface very quickly.

AS you noted about lead paint, you must be careful when working around any materials than can give off toxins when heated.

With a little practice you will soon learn that they are a very handy tool, but require a bit of practice and forethought to get the most out of them.

[BevTheBuilder]

Hi LazyPup,

Thanks for the comments, very much appreciated. Once it warms up a bit and working in the garage becomes comfortable, I'll be giving the new gun a whirl. I love working on old wood furniture pieces and I think this new toy will be very helpful. Thanks again!

"Incontinence Hotline...can you hold please?"

[mrcaptainbob]

All true,what LazyPup says, plus..experiment on some scrap wood first to get the feel of the new tool. It's easy to burn the wood. See what it takes with the high and the low settings. A nice pair of gloves helps keep the heat off the fingers, too!