How to shrink heat shrink tubing?
in [Repair]
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From: Wild_Bill on 11 May 2010 12:51 I don't have problems shrinking the tubing with a disposable lighter, most of the time. If the tubing is far enough away from the tubing, it usually won't leave any soot marks on it, but the soot marks can generally be wiped away on light colored tubing with lacquer thinner/acetone. A hot air tool for surface mount solder reflow is an effective method (but not cheap), especially for multi-pin connectors where the heat can be directed to a very limited area by the small tip (the reverse of a desoldering iron, esentially). For larger tubing, the smooth area of a stainless steel soldering iron works (slowly) by lightly rubbing the hot barrel around on the tubing. Other than using shrink tubing, there is a product referred to as Liquid Tape, which can be applied with a brush or other utensil. -- WB .......... "Geoffrey S. Mendelson" <gsm(a)cable.mendelson.com> wrote in message news:slrnhugcn1.e0e.gsm(a)cable.mendelson.com... > 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. > > > Thanks in advance, > > Geoff. > -- > Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm(a)mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM > New word I coined 12/13/09, "Sub-Wikipedia" adj, describing knowledge or > understanding, as in he has a sub-wikipedia understanding of the > situation. > i.e possessing less facts or information than can be found in the > Wikipedia.
From: mm on 11 May 2010 22:48 On Mon, 10 May 2010 16:24:04 +0000 (UTC), "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. :-) I always use a kitchen match, a wood match about 3 inches long. A couple boxes of them are very cheap. It usually comes out perfect. Sometimes I need to use more than one match to make it tight. Once in a while I burn the tubing a little, but it's never seemed to weaken it. I'm sure I only turn the surface black. I hold the wires horizontal and move the match back and forth, with the tubing within the flame, the match 1/2 to 3/4 inch below the tubing. It shrinks quickly. >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. > > >Thanks in advance, > >Geoff.
From: mm on 11 May 2010 23:01 On Tue, 11 May 2010 22:48:56 -0400, mm <NOPSAMmm2005(a)bigfoot.com> wrote: >On Mon, 10 May 2010 16:24:04 +0000 (UTC), "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. :-) > >I always use a kitchen match, a wood match about 3 inches long. A >couple boxes of them are very cheap. > >It usually comes out perfect. Sometimes I need to use more than one >match to make it tight. > >Once in a while I burn the tubing a little, but it's never seemed to >weaken it. I'm sure I only turn the surface black. I guess this is just soot from the match, based on a couple other posts. Need I clean it off? >I hold the wires horizontal and move the match back and forth, with >the tubing within the flame, the match 1/2 to 3/4 inch below the >tubing. It shrinks quickly. I've finished reading the thread and it's amazing to me the problems some have. I didn't want to use a hair dryer because I didnt' want to heat more than the tubing and I don't like the noise. Maybe you all don't have kitchen matches so you've never tried them? >>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. >> >> >>Thanks in advance, >> >>Geoff.
From: Mark Zenier on 11 May 2010 15:41 In article <slrnhugcn1.e0e.gsm(a)cable.mendelson.com>, Geoffrey S. Mendelson <gsm(a)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. For cable assemblies, I've found that nothing beats a Sunbeam toaster. Turns itself off, too. You don't have to put it down into the slot, just hold it over the top. The trick with lighters is to keep the shrink about 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the top of the flame. Mark Zenier mzenier(a)eskimo.com Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)
From: Jeff Liebermann on 12 May 2010 15:38
On Tue, 11 May 2010 19:41:59 GMT, mzenier(a)eskimo.com (Mark Zenier) wrote: >For cable assemblies, I've found that nothing beats a Sunbeam toaster. >Turns itself off, too. You don't have to put it down into the slot, >just hold it over the top. Isn't there an interlock in the toaster that checks if there's a slab of toast inside before it will turn on? I'm not sure I want to insert a slice of bread for every shrink tube joint. >The trick with lighters is to keep the shrink about 1 1/2 to 2 inches >above the top of the flame. I always manage to char the shrink tube joint when I do it that way. It's not the heat that's causing the blackening. It's that the burning ligher fluid is too low in temperature for complete combustion and therefore dumps plenty of soot on the shrink tube. You can demonstrate it for yourself by burning a lighter under a plate of glass. The distance doesn't matter. You'll always get plenty of soot. If you must use a flame, use a propane torch. Instead of 2 inches, about 1-2 ft is about right. Don't hold onto the wire as you're likely to burn yourself. Work very quickly and be prepared to react if the wire or workbench catches fire. -- Jeff Liebermann jeffl(a)cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558 |