temperature for shrinking heat-shrink insulation

[Adam Funk]

Looking at heatshrink insulation in catalogues, I typically see
specifications like this:

Operating temperature -20° to +135°C
Shrink temperature 120°C

Hot-air guns, however, always seem to have a low setting of 300 to
350°C & a high setting of 500 to 600°C. Am I right in thinking that
the right way to shrink sleeving like the one quoted above is to use
such a gun at 300 to 350°C, quickly and from the right distance?

What's the right distance?

How about the risk of damaging semiconductors in the vicinity of the
heatshrinking operation?


--
It is probable that television drama of high caliber and produced by
first-rate artists will materially raise the level of dramatic taste
of the nation. (David Sarnoff, CEO of RCA, 1939; in Stoll 1995)

 

[Rich Webb]

On Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:00:53 +0100, Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com>
wrote:

Looking at heatshrink insulation in catalogues, I typically see
specifications like this:

Operating temperature -20° to +135°C
Shrink temperature 120°C

Hot-air guns, however, always seem to have a low setting of 300 to
350°C & a high setting of 500 to 600°C. Am I right in thinking that
the right way to shrink sleeving like the one quoted above is to use
such a gun at 300 to 350°C, quickly and from the right distance?

What's the right distance?

How about the risk of damaging semiconductors in the vicinity of the
heatshrinking operation?

You may be over-thinking this. Get a couple of feet of shrink tube and
your favorite hot air gun and try out a few representative tests. I
think that you'll find that it isn't hard to gauge a good working
distance that shrinks the tubing without melting or charring it.

In a pinch, an ordinary butane lighter and some moderate dexterity does
the trick.

For really big jobs, there are nozzle attachments that partially wrap
around the cable to distribute the hot air more evenly. With smaller
stuff it's usually sufficient just to move the air around to heat all
sides more-or-less the same.

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA

 

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-04-25, Rich Webb wrote:

On Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:00:53 +0100, Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com
wrote:

Looking at heatshrink insulation in catalogues, I typically see
specifications like this:

Operating temperature -20° to +135°C
Shrink temperature 120°C

Hot-air guns, however, always seem to have a low setting of 300 to
350°C & a high setting of 500 to 600°C. Am I right in thinking that
the right way to shrink sleeving like the one quoted above is to use
such a gun at 300 to 350°C, quickly and from the right distance?

What's the right distance?

How about the risk of damaging semiconductors in the vicinity of the
heatshrinking operation?

You may be over-thinking this.

It wouldn't be the first time.

Get a couple of feet of shrink tube and
your favorite hot air gun and try out a few representative tests. I
think that you'll find that it isn't hard to gauge a good working
distance that shrinks the tubing without melting or charring it.

I'm asking mainly because I haven't bought the sleeving & gun yet, so
I want to make sure I get suitable equipment.


--
"Mrs CJ and I avoid clichĂŠs like the plague."

 

[notbob]

On 2012-04-25, Rich Webb <bbew.ar@mapson.nozirev.ten> wrote:

You may be over-thinking this. Get a couple of feet of shrink tube and
your favorite hot air gun and try out a few representative tests. I
think that you'll find that it isn't hard to gauge a good working
distance that shrinks the tubing without melting or charring it.

In a pinch, an ordinary butane lighter and some moderate dexterity does
the trick.

Besides, shrink tubing is pretty robust. You almost can't overheat
it. I vaguely recall a part we had to shrink wrap very tightly over
two diameters, almost beyond the tubing's capability. By applying
very high amounts of heat --almost an open flame-- we were successful.
The tubing held up beautifully under this kind of abuse. You can, in
fact, destroy shrink tubing, but it takes some effort.

nb

--
vi --the heart of evil!

 

[Rich Webb]

On Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:06:57 +0100, Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com>
wrote:

On 2012-04-25, Rich Webb wrote:

On Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:00:53 +0100, Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com
wrote:

Looking at heatshrink insulation in catalogues, I typically see
specifications like this:

Operating temperature -20° to +135°C
Shrink temperature 120°C

Hot-air guns, however, always seem to have a low setting of 300 to
350°C & a high setting of 500 to 600°C. Am I right in thinking that
the right way to shrink sleeving like the one quoted above is to use
such a gun at 300 to 350°C, quickly and from the right distance?

What's the right distance?

How about the risk of damaging semiconductors in the vicinity of the
heatshrinking operation?

You may be over-thinking this.

It wouldn't be the first time.

Get a couple of feet of shrink tube and
your favorite hot air gun and try out a few representative tests. I
think that you'll find that it isn't hard to gauge a good working
distance that shrinks the tubing without melting or charring it.

I'm asking mainly because I haven't bought the sleeving & gun yet, so
I want to make sure I get suitable equipment.

This kit (link is Mouser but also at Digikey, Newark, etc.)
<http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Alpha-Wire/FITMGKIT1-NC032/?qs=fupkc3fsa%2fmkfdW7lX6LXA%3d%3d>
may be a good place to start, then. I have a similar kit that I use at
home -- may be the same kit but they had a slightly different hot air
gun at the time I got mine some years ago. The picture at Digikey is
closer to the one I've got.

If you're doing something like big-ass shipboard cable then you'll want
a correspondingly larger hot air gun and a deflector but for "ordinary"
use, the small gun in the kit above will work just fine and is less
likely to set the carpet on fire.

Also, 100 ft reels aren't terribly much more expensive than the
onsie-twosie little pre-cut pieces in a kit so if you're using a lot of
a particular size, get it in bulk.

--
Rich Webb Norfolk, VA

 

[amdx]

On 4/25/2012 9:06 AM, Adam Funk wrote:

You may be over-thinking this.

It wouldn't be the first time.

Get a couple of feet of shrink tube and
your favorite hot air gun and try out a few representative tests. I
think that you'll find that it isn't hard to gauge a good working
distance that shrinks the tubing without melting or charring it.

I'm asking mainly because I haven't bought the sleeving& gun yet, so
I want to make sure I get suitable equipment.


I used a small hair dryer for years, worked great!

Mikek

 

[Tim Wescott]

On Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:06:57 +0100, Adam Funk wrote:

On 2012-04-25, Rich Webb wrote:

On Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:00:53 +0100, Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com
wrote:

Looking at heatshrink insulation in catalogues, I typically see
specifications like this:

Operating temperature -20° to +135°C Shrink temperature 120°C

Hot-air guns, however, always seem to have a low setting of 300 to
350°C & a high setting of 500 to 600°C. Am I right in thinking that
the right way to shrink sleeving like the one quoted above is to use
such a gun at 300 to 350°C, quickly and from the right distance?

What's the right distance?

How about the risk of damaging semiconductors in the vicinity of the
heatshrinking operation?

You may be over-thinking this.

It wouldn't be the first time.

Get a couple of feet of shrink tube and your favorite hot air gun and
try out a few representative tests. I think that you'll find that it
isn't hard to gauge a good working distance that shrinks the tubing
without melting or charring it.

I'm asking mainly because I haven't bought the sleeving & gun yet, so I
want to make sure I get suitable equipment.

Just hold the gun on it until the tubing shrinks, then stop.

Rotating the part once the tubing starts to shrink helps a lot --
otherwise you'll overheat the near side, and not shrink the far side.

Of course, using a fancy adjustable gun with a nozzle specifically made
to direct air all around a tube works, too, but takes the challenge out
of things. (It's what I'd buy if I needed to do the job frequently).

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

 

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-04-25, notbob wrote:

Besides, shrink tubing is pretty robust. You almost can't overheat
it. I vaguely recall a part we had to shrink wrap very tightly over
two diameters, almost beyond the tubing's capability. By applying
very high amounts of heat --almost an open flame-- we were successful.
The tubing held up beautifully under this kind of abuse. You can, in
fact, destroy shrink tubing, but it takes some effort.

Sounds like an interesting side-experiment. ;-)


--
It is probable that television drama of high caliber and produced by
first-rate artists will materially raise the level of dramatic taste
of the nation. (David Sarnoff, CEO of RCA, 1939; in Stoll 1995)

 

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-04-25, Rich Webb wrote:

This kit (link is Mouser but also at Digikey, Newark, etc.)
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Alpha-Wire/FITMGKIT1-NC032/?qs=fupkc3fsa%2fmkfdW7lX6LXA%3d%3d
may be a good place to start, then. I have a similar kit that I use at
home -- may be the same kit but they had a slightly different hot air
gun at the time I got mine some years ago. The picture at Digikey is
closer to the one I've got.

If you're doing something like big-ass shipboard cable then you'll want
a correspondingly larger hot air gun and a deflector but for "ordinary"
use, the small gun in the kit above will work just fine and is less
likely to set the carpet on fire.

Also, 100 ft reels aren't terribly much more expensive than the
onsie-twosie little pre-cut pieces in a kit so if you're using a lot of
a particular size, get it in bulk.

I'm just going to be playing around, not producing anything on any
serious scale.


--
....the reason why so many professional artists drink a lot is not
necessarily very much to do with the artistic temperament, etc. It is
simply that they can afford to, because they can normally take a large
part of a day off to deal with the ravages. [Amis _On Drink_]

 

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-04-25, Tim Wescott wrote:

Just hold the gun on it until the tubing shrinks, then stop.

Rotating the part once the tubing starts to shrink helps a lot --
otherwise you'll overheat the near side, and not shrink the far side.

Thanks. Mainly I just wanted to make sure --- before buying a gun
with 300 to 350°C setting --- that I wasn't getting the wrong tool for
this.


--
Two of the most famous products of Berkeley are LSD and Unix.
I don't think that this is a coincidence.
[alleged in The UNIX-Haters Handbook]

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Adam Funk wrote:

Looking at heatshrink insulation in catalogues, I typically see
specifications like this:

Operating temperature -20° to +135°C
Shrink temperature 120°C

Hot-air guns, however, always seem to have a low setting of 300 to
350°C & a high setting of 500 to 600°C. Am I right in thinking that
the right way to shrink sleeving like the one quoted above is to use
such a gun at 300 to 350°C, quickly and from the right distance?

What's the right distance?

How about the risk of damaging semiconductors in the vicinity of the
heatshrinking operation?

You can get cheap heat shrink & a gun at places like Harbor Freight,
to get started.

--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

 

[John Fields]

On Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:36:30 +0100, Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com>
wrote:

On 2012-04-25, Tim Wescott wrote:

Just hold the gun on it until the tubing shrinks, then stop.

Rotating the part once the tubing starts to shrink helps a lot --
otherwise you'll overheat the near side, and not shrink the far side.

Thanks. Mainly I just wanted to make sure --- before buying a gun
with 300 to 350°C setting --- that I wasn't getting the wrong tool for
this.

---
Get the cheapest hot air gun and the cheapest heat shrink tubing you
can and you'll be fine.

--
JF

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2012-04-25, Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> wrote:

[ heatshrink, how to heat it ]

I'm just going to be playing around, not producing anything on any
serious scale.

Just use a lighter or hold it over the toaster.

--
⚂⚃ 100% natural

--- Posted via news://freenews.netfront.net/ - Complaints to news@netfront.net ---

 

[Adam Funk]

On 2012-04-25, John Fields wrote:

On Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:36:30 +0100, Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com
wrote:

On 2012-04-25, Tim Wescott wrote:

Just hold the gun on it until the tubing shrinks, then stop.

Rotating the part once the tubing starts to shrink helps a lot --
otherwise you'll overheat the near side, and not shrink the far side.

Thanks. Mainly I just wanted to make sure --- before buying a gun
with 300 to 350°C setting --- that I wasn't getting the wrong tool for
this.

---
Get the cheapest hot air gun and the cheapest heat shrink tubing you
can and you'll be fine.

That's the kind of practical advice I can use.

;-)


--
"Gonzo, is that the contract from the devil?"
"No, Kermit, it's worse than that. This is the bill from special
effects."