Jump to content

Arggh...my Heat Gun Just Blew Out. What Do You Have?


tmenyc

Recommended Posts

Last month my ultrasonic cleaner gave up the ghost. Now it's the heat gun, which sparked a few times, blew out a bunch of smoke, and gave up the proverbial ghost.

It was Michaels' best a few years ago...what do you use, what do you recommend?

 

Thanks,

Tim

Tim

 timsvintagepens.com and @timsvintagepens

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 8
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • tmenyc

    3

  • Ron Z

    1

  • pen lady

    1

  • Greenie

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

I have been very happy since upgrading to an infinitely variable heat gun with a dial on the end. I can check the temperature of the air with a kitchen digital meat thermometer and vary it to my needs for various materials. I have a model that sits flat on the dial so it can point upwards without holding it or clamping it. The model I bought is no longer available, but check out the pictures to see what I mean about the shape allowing for hands free usage.

 

http://www.amazon.com/HomeRight-C800781-Heat-Deluxe-10-Piece/dp/B003IHVANI/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_opt?ie=UTF8

 

There are certainly less expensive ways to go, such as an embossing gun, and a lot of pen people swear by these.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Darice-Embossing-Multi-Purpose-Heat-Tool/dp/B0013LAYUQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448083019&sr=8-1&keywords=embossing+heat+tool

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A hair drier will work in a pinch. Most pen mechanics use the simple embossing gun from Michaels, AC Moore etc. Its all that I've used for over 10 years now. I have a Steinel temperature controlled heat gun, and I never use it. I don't even know where it is at the moment. One of the advantages to the embossing heat gun is that the outlet is only about 1/2 inch in diameter. Another is that you can hang it on a drawer or the table edge so that the outlet is nearly at table height instead of several inches over the table top. Much easier to work with since you aren't holding the work piece up in the air while it warms. Mine last about 3 years, even with the number of repairs that I do daily.

spacer.png
Visit Main Street Pens
A full service pen shop providing professional, thoughtful vintage pen repair...

Please use email, not a PM for repair and pen purchase inquiries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A hair drier will work in a pinch. Most pen mechanics use the simple embossing gun from Michaels, AC Moore etc. Its all that I've used for over 10 years now. I have a Steinel temperature controlled heat gun, and I never use it. I don't even know where it is at the moment. One of the advantages to the embossing heat gun is that the outlet is only about 1/2 inch in diameter. Another is that you can hang it on a drawer or the table edge so that the outlet is nearly at table height instead of several inches over the table top. Much easier to work with since you aren't holding the work piece up in the air while it warms. Mine last about 3 years, even with the number of repairs that I do daily.

 

I read this same advice from Ron 6 months ago and tried an embossing gun. It's much better than a heat gun or hair dryer because the heat is concentrated, and my version is made to lie on the bench top on its wire stand allowing hands-free use. And btw, it cost about $12.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ron, Robert et al,

Thanks -- I still have the hair dryer one of my daughters left behind some years ago as the spare-in-waiting, and with Michaels and DickBlick in the neighborhood and Amazon Prime on deck I'll find an embossing gun today.

Michaels' web site even has a really pretty pink and white one listed...

 

Tim

Tim

 timsvintagepens.com and @timsvintagepens

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the one that I use.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Standard-Optometry-Optical-Hot-Air-Eyeglasses-Lens-Frame-Warmer-Heater-Device-/181102159200?hash=item2a2a87a560:g:vEcAAOSwHjNV9MAZ

I can adjust the heat using the heat adjust knob and a dial thermometer, so for me it is easy to set the temp that I want. The heat is not as concentrated, but I deal with that with bicycle tube over the pen body as I am heating it.

Edited by ac12

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AC, nice unit. I ordered the sort of standard blue embossing gun on Amazon today, should have it by Monday. Of course, the hair dryer I'm using as a spare also has almost no heat left...

 

Tim

Tim

 timsvintagepens.com and @timsvintagepens

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi I think you have already ordered your new heat source, but I thought I would add what I use anyway its made for surface mount pcb repair and I can control both the air flow and temperature which has a digital read out, the heat gun is very easy to control and switches itself on and off when removed from the station and also self cools. an ebay search for SMD heat gun should bring up a large number they seem to be of the same design with different manufacturer badging and in the Uk are about the £30 mark.....hope that might be of interest to someone..... Ell

Edited by EPP
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...