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How do you shrink your heatshrink?

post #1 of 58
7/26/07 at 3:42am
Thread Starter 
Well, with heat, obviously... but I was wondering if anyone had a method that works particularly well. I've never used heatshrink before; I tried using a lighter, but it left ugly black scorch marks on the plastic.

EDIT: after digging through some threads I turned up with the search feature, it seems like a hair dryer seems to be a popular choice?
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post #2 of 58
7/26/07 at 3:52am
a heatgun is what they use in industry...so ya a hair dryer turned as hot as it will go is a good choice if you dont wanna spend the money on a heatgun just for heatshrink tubing, which I wouldn't
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post #3 of 58
7/26/07 at 4:31am
if you have a gas, or probably electric soldering iron, just get it close but don't touch it and it should shrink it right up

We have a heat gun though which is extremely convenient
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post #4 of 58
7/26/07 at 4:33am
Don't use your soldering iron.
A hairdryer works good. A heat gun works faster.
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post #5 of 58
7/26/07 at 4:40am
Bic lighter works in a pinch. Just have to watch so don't scorch the heatshrink.
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post #6 of 58
7/26/07 at 5:38am
Hairdryer for me. Sleeved all the wires in my PC with it, didn't take too long. Took longer cutting all the heatshrink to the right sizes and whatnot.
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post #7 of 58
7/26/07 at 6:58am
i use a lighter.

trick is not to burn 1 part too long...just wave the flame at the heatshrink (dunno if u get what i mean)
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post #8 of 58
7/26/07 at 7:24am
If you really get into it you can get heaters(like a blow dryer) especially made for this.
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post #9 of 58
7/26/07 at 7:44am
Heh, I just use my soldering iron, probably isn't the best thing but I don't use the tip and go further down the barrel, doesn't make perfect results but I'm too lazy to do anything else
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post #10 of 58
7/26/07 at 7:58am
A heat shrink gun is regularly on sale at Harbor Freight for less than $10. I've used one for over a year now - highly recommended:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=35776 Online, it says $9.99 right now. My local store has it for $8.99.

In a pinch, you can visit your local hobby shop (if there is one anymore) and use a Monokote heat gun. You can order online from Tower Hobbies:
$12.99 for this one - http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXJD39&P=0
$13.99 for this one - http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXL498&P=0
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post #11 of 58
7/26/07 at 8:23am
I use a hairdryer at home but for portable use I use a lighter. Just wave the bottom part of the flame near the tube, with the tube and flame next to each other. Don't let the tip of the flame touch the heatshrink, I mean, don't hold the lighter directly under the tube, they should be next to each other. Holding the tube over the tip of the flame is where the black soot marks come from.
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post #12 of 58
7/26/07 at 9:16am
I agree with tomb... I have the same one. For years I used a hairdryer, lighter, soldering iron, etc. They work but you have a hard time getting it to shrink evenly (or not burn it), and it doesn't seem to shrink as tightly. The heatgun works so much better, and is so cheap at Harbor Freight when you catch it on sale.
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post #13 of 58
7/26/07 at 9:18am
Heatgun on 300ºC setting here. Hairdryers work ace too, but take a bit longer
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post #14 of 58
7/26/07 at 10:26am
I've used a paint stripper heat gun that gives instant results
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post #15 of 58
7/26/07 at 11:03am
I have a hairdryer that is too hot to use for it's original purpose. Even at that, it takes to long and doesn't do a good job. If I was doing a lot I would definitely get a proper heat gun.
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