heat gun/torch for heat shrink terminals?
- Thread starter Gene Neill
- Start date
Using a torch, you start a distance away and let the heat build, so you do not boil the adhesive or the shrink. It works fine. Having used both, I think the torch is more focused. It just takes finesse because it gets hotter faster. Watch your fingers...
We all seem to agree that an electric heat gun is the way to go, but what is the best to use if you are on your boat and don't have 120V power?
Put it all together and shrink it later when you’re armed and powered. I’ve had to do that a few times when forgetting to bring the gun from home..
I bought one of these flame-less refillable butane torches a few years ago. It uses common butane lighters for an inexpensive refill option. Instant lighting with piezoelectric trigger and a wrap-around shield for concentrating the heat around a connection. It is portable of course and it works well for small connectors up to about 10 ga.
I don't carry my large electric heat gun with me onboard due to storage space. However if I have a planned job or if I am shrinking battery cables, I will bring it for that special use.
I have found that this flame-less torch is much less likely to damage the shrink tube than an open-flame torch.
The only down side is that I think it is rather expensive. I paid about $30 quite a while ago.
I don't carry my large electric heat gun with me onboard due to storage space. However if I have a planned job or if I am shrinking battery cables, I will bring it for that special use.
I have found that this flame-less torch is much less likely to damage the shrink tube than an open-flame torch.
The only down side is that I think it is rather expensive. I paid about $30 quite a while ago.
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Yes, if you’re using open flame. Some of these micro torches come with an adapter for shrink which is a tube like thing that spreads the heat.
The trick with an open flame is to shrink it, without that extra 100 millliseconds that burns it.
The trick with an open flame is to shrink it, without that extra 100 millliseconds that burns it.
The Ancor torch I bought, which is identical to the one in the pic above, has no open flame. The flame is shrouded behind a screen.
You are more likely to get a cramp in your arm from holding the torch than to burn the insulation, at least with the Ancor torch I bought. It's not as slow as the Bernzomatic, but it's still slow. The heat gun did the job in 1/4 the time.
You are more likely to get a cramp in your arm from holding the torch than to burn the insulation, at least with the Ancor torch I bought. It's not as slow as the Bernzomatic, but it's still slow. The heat gun did the job in 1/4 the time.