It can also be used for such things! Surprisingly convenient "heat gun"

A heat gun that I didn't need right away, but I've always been interested in

Everyone loves Amazon's prime sale. The author chose the "Anesty heat gun" that displays the set temperature on the LCD and the concentrated coffee maker "OXO BREW". The coffee maker is the second one so that you can drink twice as much for the summer (For "OXO BREW", see "Coffee life will change !? Enjoy the deliciousness of" Cold Brew "at home". I'm happy).

Until now, heat guns have been replaced with burners and hair dryers, but I decided to purchase them on sale.

A heat gun that produces hot air of up to 600 degrees

If you don't know about heat guns, you can imagine "a powerful hair dryer" and there is almost no mistake. However, a general dryer can produce hot air of about 100 degrees, while a heat gun can produce hot air of up to 600 degrees. For those who like to make their own aquariums and water-cooled PCs, it may be a familiar tool for bending acrylic pipes.

The heat gun purchased this time is a product that displays the temperature of hot air.

5 scenes where the heat gun is useful, recommended by the author

1 Remove stickers, stickers and labels

You may have seen a scene in a TV program where a magician presented a felt-tip pen asking, "Can you sign the playing cards of your choice?" If you look closely at the pen, do you notice that there is no manufacturer or product name?

Especially in prime time (around 19:00 to 22:00, when the CM broadcasting fee is high), the manufacturer name of the exposed props tends to be nervous. In the past, sponsors were mostly decided at the time of recording, but since it is undecided until it is aired for the past few years, the rule is "I do not know what kind of sponsor will be attached, so I will erase all the manufacturer names for the time being". It seems that it has become.

As you know, most felt-tip pens have a large product name written on the side. In many cases, staff will wrap black vinyl tape or the like during the rehearsal to hide it. However, as you may know if you have worked in electrical systems, vinyl tape has the disadvantage that the adhesive is special and the entire tape becomes sticky after a while.

The solution is to peel off the label with the manufacturer name or product name, but it seems that each manufacturer is also taking measures around that, and each company is pasting the label with strong glue. If you try to peel it off forcibly, the white backing paper will remain and you will be poor.

The weakness of such a powerful label is heat. Until now, I used to use a hair dryer, but it took a long time and my hands got hot. When I tried it with the heat gun that arrived, it was a special tool. The label is heated to a temperature that can be peeled off in about 30 seconds.

Everyone loves "Hi-McKee" (Zebra) and the one with the label removed for TV (set temperature 100 degrees)

I was worried that the ink inside would harden due to the heat, but there is no problem probably because the heating time was short. Recently, various products have various labels, which is useful.

2 Heating of heat shrink tubing

A heat-shrinkable tube is convenient when connecting lead wires when making your own PC or DIY. Of course, vinyl tape for insulation can be used as a substitute, but as explained above, it has the disadvantage that the glue on the tape will melt later and become sticky. By using a heat-shrinkable tube for the connection part, I like that it looks smarter and more space-saving than wrapping it with tape or using a giboshi (terminal for wiring). If you heat it enough, it will be strong against some pulling.

I used to use a lighter as an emergency, but I also like the fact that it can be covered (insulated) firmly because the heat is evenly distributed when using a heat gun.

Using a heat shrink tube makes the connection part smarter (set temperature is 100 degrees)

3 Remove the screws and the lid of the bottle.

The heat gun also comes into play when screws that cannot be turned due to rust or when the lid of bottled food does not turn. Especially, it is convenient to use a heat gun to reduce the risk of ignition, such as in places where the flame of the burner cannot be applied, where resins (boards, etc.) are nearby, or after using a lubricant.

If the bottle with the metal lid does not turn, heat the lid. If you heat it too high, the glass bottle may break, but unlike using a burner or boiling water, a heat gun can gradually raise the temperature from a low temperature.

These utilize the principle that the metal of the screw or lid expands due to heat and the fixing is released.

4 Remove the white turbidity of the resin

The surface of the resin used for car bumpers may turn whitish due to deterioration over time and due to ultraviolet rays. Silicone oil (polymate, etc.) can also temporarily restore the color, but the drawback is that when the oil volatilizes, the cloudiness returns again.

Professionals use burners, but it seems that skillful skills are still required, and heat guns are recommended for amateurs like us. The point is that the heat is applied evenly and the surface is not melted too much.

The white turbidity of the resin part of the inflator is restored by heat (set temperature is 300 degrees)

However, it is strictly forbidden to use a heat gun because the lens of the headlight may be cracked or deformed by the heat of the heat gun.

5 Removal of paint

There are two types of paints: one-component type that hardens by volatilizing organic solvent and water, and two-component type that cures by scientific change such as epoxy paint. One-component paint can be removed by dissolving it in an organic solvent (thinner, acetone, etc.), but the troublesome thing is two-component paint. Since it is sandpaper, it is common to scrape it.

There is also a special paint remover, but it cannot be used for plastics, and the remover may penetrate the wood and become dirty.

Although I have not practiced it, it seems that some musicians are strong in repainting the guitar, and if you look at the video distribution site, there are many videos of removing old paint films with a heat gun.

There are many other uses for heat guns

In addition, heat guns that can be used in various ways, such as attaching a wrapping film called shrink wrap, welding vinyl chloride, and accelerating the drying of paint.

A famous tool maker costs about 8,000 yen, but it may be a good idea to try using a cheaper one for around 2,000 yen and replace it with a maker's product after you start using it in earnest. I got a cheap item for about 1600 yen on sale. If you have plenty of space to put your tools, it is a convenient product to have one.

Tomohiro Maeda

Graduated from Tokyo Electric University. His graduation thesis is artificial intelligence (expert system). He is one of the "close-up magicians" who plays at close range to a small audience. He has appeared on over 100 TV shows and commercials, including prime-time specials. He has been appointed as a brand ambassador by the LVMH (Moet & Chandon) group company, and has shown magic to successive prime ministers, ambassadors and business people. He has appeared abroad a lot, and Prince Charles of England is also a member. He is a gold star member of The Magic Circle London.

His books include "Intelligent Distance" (Kanki Publishing), "Secret Words That Move People" (Nihon Jitsugyo Publishing Co., Ltd.), "Brain that Creates Art" (Co-author, University of Tokyo Press), and "One Gift for New Employees". Volume ”(co-authored by Nihon Keidanren Publishing) and others.