Craftsman Heat Gun Handbook
Heat Gun
HANDBOOK
HANDBOOK
German Quality
Hot Air for Professionals
The Heat Gun Handbook
is designed to provide a
basic insight into the
virtually unlimited uses of
heat guns. This book
offers suggestions for
how STEINEL heat guns
can revolutionize the way
you do your job and
basic instructions on how
to do each task.
Wire Processing
Contents
Today’s heat guns
The STEINEL Quality Difference 4
Heat Guns in Industry
An overview of heat gun uses in industry 6
Adhesives
This is how it's done
Wire Harnessing 8
Heat Shrink, Connectors & Solder Sleeves 9
Activating & Deactivating Adhesives 10
Plastic Welding 12
Before attempting any
job, test the heat gun on
leftover material to
perfect the process for
yourself. Please
understand that we are
unable to guarantee
suitability to your specific
need or situation. All of
tips are based on
experience from industry
professionals.
We wish you the best of
luck working with your
heat gun.
Plastic Welding
Shaping Plastics
MRO
Medical
Fabric Welding
Desoldering
Medical 14
Shaping Plastics 15
Roofing 16
Tarps, Liners & Industrial Fabric Welding 17
Construction 18
Vinyl & Leather Repair 19
Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul 20
Soldering & Desoldering 22
Packaging 23
Heat Guns and Accessories
STEINEL Heat Guns 28
Accessories 30
2
3
Today’s Heat Guns
WHAT MAKES A QUALITY HEAT GUN?
STEINEL heat guns incorporate state-of-the-art technology to produce the most precise
durable tools available. User controlled temperature, airflow and the ability to reduce heat
down to a pinpoint are features that combine to ensure a perfect job every time.
Programmable Output with LOC™
Select tools feature four customizable preprogrammed
settings that allow a user to set the temperature and
airflow. Additionally, the output of these guns can be
locked-down, providing ultimate quality control.
Electronic Thermocouple Control
A temperature sensor in the output nozzle feeds information
to the on board microprocessor, which adjusts automatically
to achieve the desired air temperature output.
DuraTherm™ Heating Element
Coils are wound through a series of ceramic disks
achieving full encapsulation. This provides even heat
and added support helps to prevent coil breakage.
The pages that follow explain a number of basic
processes. The various tips are of interest to
professionals and tradesmen. Always follow
basic safety procedures.
For your safety
Fresh air
is important when working with hot air. Softening
up paint may release solvents, soldering
produces vapors from the additives used, and
vapors are also generated when welding plastic.
This is why you should always work outdoors or
with the window open if work has to be done in
small rooms.
Working in the presence of water
with electrical power tools is dangerous. When
using a heat gun, never work above or next to
uncovered water.
Testing
is the magic word when it comes to
experimenting with hot air. Therefore always
carry out a trial run first before attempting any
new application. Check the airflow rate,
temperature and compatibility of the hot air with
the material you intend to work on.
Safe Operation
Be careful to avoid personal injury. Air heated to
over 200°F (100°C) damages hair and injures
skin. A heat gun can reach up to 1300°F (700°C).
Never direct heat gun at hair, skin or other
unprotected body parts.
Interconnect Block Circuitry
Plastic is injection molded around the "wiring" to form a
solid block, which will not break or disconnect like
traditional wiring.
5 5
Heat Guns in Industry
Aerospace
In the aerospace
industry temperature control is
critical in creating and repairing
wire harness and soldering and
desoldering circuit boards for
satellites, radios and other
communication devices.
STEINEL heat guns with LOC
technology and LCD display
provide the precision and control
these applications require.
Exterior composite work and
fabricating aircraft interior panels
are demanding applications
where a durable tool is
necessary. STEINEL heat guns,
tested to endure up to five times
longer than other heat guns,
provide the long life
expected by
discriminating
professionals.
Automotive
Automotive repair
shops use heat guns for a large
variety of tasks including leather
and vinyl repair, loosening
adhesives, plastic welding
bumpers and dashboards,
repairing wire harness and
installing electronics. STEINEL
offers heat guns to
accommodate a wide range of
temperatures and airflows as
well as accessories to help make
every job easier.
Electronics
Desoldering circuit boards is a job
that requires precise temperature
coupled with the ability to finely
control the stream of hot air.
STEINEL heat guns offer the
ability to specifically select
temperature in 10° increments
as well as the ability to control
airflow. The variety of STEINEL
reduction nozzles enables the
user to control the stream of
hot air in the most
sensitive of
situations.
Construction
Construction
professionals rely
on heat guns to
lap weld roofing
materials, install
flooring, sweat
pipes and to make
vinyl siding
workable in cold
temperatures.
These applications
require heat guns
that are durable
and easily repaired
in the field. STEINEL offers heat
gun models that have field
changeable parts and are the
most durably constructed tools
available in the industry.
Packaging
The packaging industry uses
heat guns to touch up shrink
wrap on assembly lines, activate
adhesives while fabricating foam
packing inserts, create gift
baskets, and to loosen and
remove packaging labels.
STEINEL offers
ergonomically engineered
heat guns for long term
comfort as well as the
longest lasting heating
elements.
Maintenance
Stripping paint, applying shrink
tubes and solder sleeves to
repair wiring, loosening seized
fasteners, bending and shaping
plastics, drying putties and
paints and activating and
deactivating adhesives are just a
few of the many uses for heat
guns in MRO industries.
STEINEL’s heat guns and
accessories simplify the job by
offering the ability to accomplish
all of these varied tasks with one
variable output tool.
Medical
The medical field uses heat guns
to shape orthotics and
prosthetics, plastic weld
dentures and for shaping large
frames in optical labs. All of
these applications require the
precise even heat
that STEINEL
delivers with the
DuraTherm™
heating element.
6
7
This is how it's done
350 – 500°F (175 – 250°C)
Wire Harnessing
The automotive, electronics and aerospace industries use heat
guns in the manufacture of wire harnesses. This is done by placing
wire bundles into the appropriate sized tubing and shrinking it down
to hold the wires in place. Applying hot air at 350 – 500°F (175 –
250°C) will shrink the tube to the correct size. Precise and consistent
temperature is crucial in this process to prevent damage to the wires
and to prevent scorching or blistering the shrink tubing.
The 75mm and 39mm reflector nozzles are a popular choice for this
application because they direct hot air around a larger diameter
bundle of wires. Heat guns are also used in wire harness shops to
cauterize the ends of wire harness braids.
350 – 500°F (175 – 250°C)
Heat Shrink, Connectors and Solder Sleeves
In the electronics and MRO industries heat guns are often used to
make and protect wire connections. This is done by sliding a heat
shrink tube of the appropriate diameter over the connection and then
shrinking it on using hot air at 350 – 500°F (175 – 250°C) and a
reflector nozzle. STEINEL heat guns offer precise, even heat allowing
the user to effectively control temperature output and prevent
scorching or blistering the tubes and sleeves. The 9mm reducer is
recommended for repairs where a smaller diameter shrink tube is
being used.
Solder sleeves with an integrated solder ring or crimp
connection are available to ensure that a reliable electrical
connection is made. They are also available with an
adhesive coating on the inside for watertight connections.
The 14mm reflector fit solders sleeves well, making it a
great choice for this application.
Similarly the automotive and
aerospace industries use heat
shrink and solder sleeves for
repairing wire harness.
8
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