How to uniformly shrink heat shrink tubing... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: alank2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2014, 07:59:00 pm
content: Hi Everyone,I usually use a lighter to do it and it is always a balance of trying to apply heat evenly but not so much heat that it burns... What is the best way to shrink heat shrink tubing? If you had a bunch to do would a toaster oven be a better way to apply X degrees for X seconds, etc?Thanks,Alan

author: ThomasDK
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2014, 08:00:28 pm
content: Hot air gun :-)

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 07, 2014, 09:10:48 pm
content: You can get a hot air gun as mentioned, or for the bench you can also use a hot air rework station. For work in the field there is also an option like this:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Cordless-Refillable-Gas-Torch-Hot-Air-Heat-Gun-Heat-Shrink-Soldering-Drying-/360667108172There are also attachments like what is included in the mini torch for heat guns or you can make one yourself.The main thing is that regardless of what heating tool you use is that you don't hold the heat just in one spot and hope for the best. Rotate the wire or move the heat source around so that you get all parts of the heat shrink warming up s close to the same time as you can.

author: Erwin Ried
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2014, 11:06:47 pm
content: I think normal hot gun/torch is not very precise like to get a smooth finish in the tubing. I prefer using a reflow gun (I have a very cheap one like this:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hot-Air-Gun-Holder-with-Fixtures-for-SMD-Rework-Soldering-Desoldeing-Station-/221284494840?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item3385956df8) set to 130ºC (or whatever the shrink tubing says in the exterior)

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2014, 11:17:32 pm
content: The side of a soldering iron is about as fancy as I get.Becky Stearn had quite a neat little heat gun she used in a video...Eh,the forum kills the timestamp start, you'll have to manually skip to 15m50sFor heat-shrink on connectors, boiling water is sometimes used, of course, let it dry afterwards (see DangerousPrototypes.com blog posts in the last couple months about their bus pirate wires).

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2014, 11:20:56 pm
content: Hot air gun , ideally temperature controlled and allowed to stablise before shrinking, with deflector nozzle

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2014, 11:21:22 pm
content: I like to use a little heat gun like this one:It works very nicely for heat shrink.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2014, 11:30:32 pm
content: Quote from: sleemanj on March 07, 2014, 11:17:32 pmTry this:http://youtu.be/WTFosKkbRmI?t=15m50s(Looks like the same kind of thing as above.)

author: AG6QR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2014, 12:31:41 am
content: I use a hot air gun that I bought from a hardware store. It was sold as a paint stripper, not for electronics use (and I originally purchased it to strip paint) but it works wonderfully for both purposes. Haven't tried to use it for any soldering-related purpose, and I'm not sure if it gets hot enough, but it does the job for heat shrinking.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2014, 01:19:41 am
content: If you can't handle heat shrink, don't even try glassblowing.Just keep the heat source moving... either use a relatively low temp, diffuse source for a long time, or use a moderate source (like a heat gun, but not direct flame, or, like, an arc welder) for a shorter time while continuously moving it over the work.Tim

author: MatCat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2014, 02:21:58 am
content: I second a heat gun, I heat shrink hundreds of PCB's every production run and just use a goold ole heat gun to do it.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2014, 03:59:54 am
content: Since it's already on the bench, i just use my board pre-heater, a hot air rework station work work fine if you got one too.

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 08, 2014, 08:55:19 am
content: I must be the odd one, I use a butane soldering iron with its small heating tip, if in a tight spot I use its little heat guide.I would have thought a paint stripping gun would be overkill, not unless my paint stripper is a lot different.Interesting the different ways to do the same thing.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2014, 04:05:59 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on March 07, 2014, 11:30:32 pmThis works, thanks! I always used the '#' separator and this forum software ignores it. The '?' goes through.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2014, 04:24:21 pm
content: Quote from: VK5RC on March 08, 2014, 08:55:19 amDepending on the butane iron and the size of the heatshrink, you may not even need a heating tip, you can just turn the iron up and use the intake/exhaust of the catalytic heater!

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 08, 2014, 11:48:44 pm
content: I didn't explain myself well. my butane iron has a separate tip for heating which the hot air exits along the long axis (as opposed to the specific soldering tips in which the hot air exits sideways), I have found it quite useful but you often have to turn the heat shrink over and heat both sides unless you use the heat deflector (which I generally don't) as is mounted on the butane iron in the picture below.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2014, 12:29:10 am
content: I have a Weller butane iron like that and it works, but I find the electric heat gun I pictured above works even better.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 09, 2014, 02:22:39 am
content: I have a small Ronson butane torch with hot air attachment and a hot air gun from Home Depot. I prefer the hot air gun as it is much faster, especially on the larger size heat shrink.

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 09, 2014, 06:52:08 am
content: I think I may have to try one of those small pencil like hot air guns, my paint stripper would shrink the heat wrap over the entire beach at one go! And then blow it away or set it on fire for good measure! It works a treat for terminal and rapid part salvage off a PCB but you need welding gloves, a set of long nose pliers you don't care about and you have to do it outside as the fumes are terrible.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2014, 08:04:00 am
content: Quote from: VK5RC on March 08, 2014, 11:48:44 pmIndeed, however, some irons have very large catalyser ports so it may be unnecessary to use a specific hot air tip. Additionally, on that specific weller iron, you can just use it as a small butane torch, without a tip+catalyzer and heat the heat shrink with that if you keep your distance.

author: kg4arn
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 14, 2014, 01:10:42 am
content: I have the Weller 6966C and I am very pleased with it. Came with 5 nozzles.