How to shrink heat shrink tubing?
in [Repair]
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From: Dave Plowman (News) on 11 May 2010 11:39 In article <slrnhugcn1.e0e.gsm(a)cable.mendelson.com>, Geoffrey S. Mendelson <gsm(a)cable.mendelson.com> wrote: > I've recently started doing electronic repairs (mostly wiring) and need > to shrink heat shrink tubing. A long time ago I bought a heat gun used > for removing paint and used that. It was 120 volt, so I left it when I > moved here. > I've never had much luck (or is it patience?) shrinking it by holding it > over a soldering iron tip. Using a flame, like a cigarette or stove > lighter ends up with burnt plastic. :-) > Is there such a thing as a small heat shrink tube shrinker that does not > toast the things around it? The largest thing I need to shrink over is > about 1/2 an inch most of them are small (20awg or less) wires. Other way is a hot air re-work station. Mine can be set at a low enough temp. But it's an expensive way to do it. -- *Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional Dave Plowman dave(a)davenoise.co.uk London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound.
From: GregS on 11 May 2010 12:01 In article <5115cd2189dave(a)davenoise.co.uk>, "Dave Plowman (News)" <dave(a)davenoise.co.uk> wrote: >In article <slrnhugcn1.e0e.gsm(a)cable.mendelson.com>, > Geoffrey S. Mendelson <gsm(a)cable.mendelson.com> wrote: >> I've recently started doing electronic repairs (mostly wiring) and need >> to shrink heat shrink tubing. A long time ago I bought a heat gun used >> for removing paint and used that. It was 120 volt, so I left it when I >> moved here. > >> I've never had much luck (or is it patience?) shrinking it by holding it >> over a soldering iron tip. Using a flame, like a cigarette or stove >> lighter ends up with burnt plastic. :-) > >> Is there such a thing as a small heat shrink tube shrinker that does not >> toast the things around it? The largest thing I need to shrink over is >> about 1/2 an inch most of them are small (20awg or less) wires. > >Other way is a hot air re-work station. Mine can be set at a low enough >temp. But it's an expensive way to do it. > I have used mine, but the small area is only good for small shrink. i also melt hot melt glue sometimes, and melt hot melt inside the shrink. The edges need touched up at times. The Ungar heat gun is about 350 watts and produces a 600 degree temp at the tip. I have shrunk 2-3 inch shrink, no problem. greg
From: Wild_Bill on 11 May 2010 12:24 That may be the case, William. Do you know of a product that will soften the vinyl or PVC on low voltage wire/cables? -- WB .......... "William Sommerwerck" <grizzledgeezer(a)comcast.net> wrote in message news:hsbp14$n6j$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... >> A new set of test leads that came with an older model >> of Tektronix TekMeter LCD scopemeter consisting of >> 4 leads, 3 were soft, but the red one was semi-rigid. > >> Vintage cables are often stiffer after 20-30 years, and >> I suppose that's to be expected, but new cables should >> be relatively soft. > > Perhaps the plasticizer would have unacceptably altered the color. > >
From: Michael A. Terrell on 11 May 2010 12:35 "Michael A. Terrell" wrote: > > William Sommerwerck wrote: > > > > Isn't there a burning bush in your vicinity? > > > > The problem is that fairly high temperatures are needed, well above what a > > lighter or hair dryer put out. Lighters, in particular, will burn the tubing > > before shrinking it. > > > > One workable solution is to use a hair dryer, and block the inlets with a > > sock. This causes the outlet temperature to rise to the "shrinking" point. > > There's a catch, though... The hair dryer will "overheat" (natch -- that's > > the idea) and shut off. If the dryer doesn't have a resettable fuse, you > > won't be able to use the dryer again. > > > > A few years ago I bought an inexpensive heat gun, which worked well. A bit > > of scrounging might turn one up. > > <http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-watt-dual-temperature-heat-gun-572-1112-96289.html> > $19.99 regular price. On sale for $9.99 at times. I received their weekly e-mail right after I posted. It is on sale for $7.99 with the coupon below: http://www.harborfreightusa.com/html/wkend0517/images/2.jpg Here is the user manual: http://images.harborfreight.com/manuals/96000-96999/96289.pdf -- Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.
From: Michael A. Terrell on 11 May 2010 12:42
Allodoxaphobia wrote: > > On Mon, 10 May 2010 19:59:30 -0500, AZ Nomad wrote: > > On Mon, 10 May 2010 16:51:06 -0700, William Sommerwerck wrote: > >>>> The problem is that fairly high temperatures are needed, > >>>> well above what a lighter or hair dryer put out. Lighters, > >>>> in particular, will burn the tubing before shrinking it. > > > >>> If you need more heat than what a blow dryer will do, > >>> the HS is defective. > > > >>Not likely. A hair dryer hot enough to fully shrink tubing would > >>probably burn your scalp. > > > > Maybe HS has has changed recently or perhaps blow dryers are wimpier > > now being designed for people too stupid to hold it at a reasonable > > distance. > > I only use the stuff occasionally and haven't in about 7 years. > > Previously, I never had any trouble using a blow dryer. > > I use a pistol-style hair dryer _plus_ a 'cup' formed from several > layers of aluminum foil. Create the cup using the barrel of the blow > dryer as the form -- making it with 2 slots running down opposite sides. > Lay the splice/whatever on the bottom of the cups with the wire(s) > entering through the slot(s). Use by placing the blow dryer just part > way into the cup -- allowing the "blow" to flow out of the cup. (Use a > blow dryer with a bimetal overheat reset -- not an overheat fuse.) http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-heat-gun-accessory-kit-95301.html $7.99 for a set of four nozzles & five tools for their heat guns -- Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to have a DD214, and a honorable discharge. |