A heat gun is a supplemental heating device that uses hot air to warm up a surface quickly. It’s the perfect tool for removing adhesives, stripping paint, curing resin, thawing frozen pipes, and more. Discover what is a heat gun used for in everyday projects and activities.

 

Whether you just want to shrink wrap a few boxes or strip old paint off the side of your house, there are multiple uses and benefits of owning a heat gun. 

 

Benefits Of Using A Heat Gun

 

A heat gun’s temperature can reach up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1093.3°C); this increases its usability in various fields. You can use it to roast food, wrap plastics, and even stick things together using a glue stick and by applying the gun’s heat over it.

 

Aside from this, it works using electricity. Yes, certain guns use gas, but electric heat guns are most popular.

 

A heat gun uses hot air, so it can be used on any surface.

 

When you use it at its highest temperature, it can even desolder components from an electric circuit board; that’s how powerful it is.

 

Top 10 Heat Gun Uses

 

Paint Stripping

 

These machines have been used so often for paint stripping that retailers have begun labeling them as sophisticated paint strippers and not heat guns.

 

Heat guns give you the control and precision you need to remove old paint in various places. Their variable temperatures let you work safely and comfortably—and even sneakily—especially in confined, hard-to-reach spaces.

 

The best paint removal units are gentle. They produce plenty of heat to soften old paint layers, allowing you to remove stubborn coats with a handheld scraper. They’re completely chemical-free!

 

Remove Stickers And Adhesives

 

Have you ever bought a product with a label on it that you desperately wanted to remove? Does it bother you when you can’t scrape the label off without leaving behind residue? Well, with a heat gun, you can get rid of these stickers in no time.

 

Applying heat will soften the glue, making it easier to remove. Safely use a heat gun to melt the glue and remove the sticker or decal.

 

With the dual-temperature feature, you can choose between low and high settings. For example, if you remove labels from wood surfaces, lowering the temperature setting will prevent the wood from being damaged.

 

Roasting Coffee Beans

 

There’s nothing like enjoying a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee. And what makes it even better is roasting the beans yourself. 

 

In a pan, lay out the raw coffee beans you’ll be roasting. Put your heat gun on medium or high, then move it in a circular motion one-inch above the beans in a clockwise direction. Every few minutes, gently mix the beans to help them cook evenly.

 

When the beans spark, your coffee is done! For a darker roast, continue the process for a couple more minutes.

 

Drying Wood

 

If a glass breaks and water spills onto your table, you’ll have to clean up the mess somehow. You can use a cloth to clean it up, but the wood table may still be damp. This is the perfect opportunity for you to use a heat gun. 

 

When using your heat gun, ensure that it’s on a low-temperature setting (no higher than 200 degrees Fahrenheit.) Work slowly and keep the trigger pressed while moving the gun over the wood to dry it.

 

Melting Wax

 

Assuming you’re not practicing any candle-making techniques, accidental wax drips can be a pain to remove. But not with a heat gun! Just angle your gun over the wax and watch as it instantly melts off of almost any surface. 

 

You can also use a heat gun to remove hardened candle wax from old candle jars. Just place the tip of the gun into the jar and warm the bottom for a moment. The wax will soften and then be much easier to remove with a spoon.

 

Melt Ice (Defrosting Freezers)

 

Over time, ice can build up on the coils inside your freezer, ruining its ability to function properly. This will overwork the compressor by needlessly destroying it in a short amount of time. 

 

A heat gun allows you to defrost your ice-packed freezer and restore your frozen food quickly. Be sure to keep the heat gun moving as you defrost the freezer, so the temperature is uniform and strong enough to melt the ice quickly.

 

If you live in a cold environment, you’re probably familiar with how much ice can build up on your car’s windows overnight. No matter how carefully you try to scrape the windows, your efforts are usually futile. Instead of trying to break the ice layer off with a blade or scraper, why not use a heat gun?

 

Leather Stretching

 

If you have leather belts, you can use a heat gun to soften the material so that you can stretch your leather belt without having to create any new holes.

 

A heat gun is a fantastic tool, but it’s not a miracle worker. If you’ve seriously stretched your belt beyond its limit, it will break, meaning you’ll have to buy a new belt.

 

Cooking Food

 

You’ll be surprised with what kind of things you can cook using a heat gun. 

 

Speed up your morning prep by warming bacon with a heat gun. Run the hot air across the slices, one piece at a time, until you have crispy bacon ready for breakfast!

 

You can use it to melt cheese over a pizza too. 

 

Maybe you want your bun to have a crispy outer layer. Place butter on the top and then use a heat gun to melt it and toast the bun.

 

Loosen Nuts And Bolts

 

Screws and bolts from decades past can be a bit of a pain to remove. If you have a heat gun handy, you can often just warm them up and out! 

 

A heat gun is specifically designed for this purpose. It uses hot air to warm up the metal, causing it to expand and making nuts and bolts easier to remove. When you need to remove various metals, such as grates, nails, or screws, a heat gun can soften the metal and allow easy removal too.

 

Packing

 

You can use a heat gun to shrink plastic wrap. Just wrap your product with plastic, turn your heat gun to the lowest temperature, and then point it at the wrap. The plastic will start to shrink, removing all air and completely sealing your product.

 

Conclusion

A majority of people know what a heat gun is and the most basic uses for it. They know that it is used to shrink and stretch plastic and metal and that it is used to thaw frozen pipes and locks.

 

What most people do not know, however, is that you can also use this tool for so many other things. Owning one will help you save money and time while also helping you finish more projects around the house.

 

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