This is probably the easiest tool to use – but that many people don’t have.
A Heat Gun.
I didn’t have a heat gun until last year – and I didn’t get it out of the box for a month or so after I got it because I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.
Let me tell you – it can do so many things.
And it is so easy to use.
How to use a Heat Gun
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My heat gun is the HomeRight Digital Temperature Heat Gun. I have only used it and the Heat Pro Deluxe II Heat Gun. I can’t attest to other heat guns, but these have always worked well for me and are easy to use. Gina at Shabby Creek Cottage is doing her Power Tools 101 post today on using the Heat Pro Deluxe II Heat Gun.
The digital heat gun comes with a handy case and a few tools to go along with the gun:
There is a scraper for paint and nozzles that you can attach to the end of the gun to focus your heat or change its direction. Typically, I just use the heat gun as is, without an added-on nozzle.
To start, simply plug in the heat gun. This is all electric. I suggest using an extension cord if you are working on a larger project and need to move around a lot.
There is a temperature display screen and two buttons on the back of the gun.
The left button will decrease the temperature (the lowest it goes is 120 degrees) and the right button will increase the temperature (the highest it goes is 1000 degrees).
You turn it on with that switch on the back of the handle there.
Super hard, right?
The biggest question with a heat gun is what temperature do I use for what projects?
There is an instruction manual that comes with the gun and has suggested temperatures for different things. However, I typically just feel it out for myself. I start with a lower setting and work my way up until the gun has accomplished what I need it to. Its always better to start at a low temperature, rather than starting at a higher one and messing up whatever project you are working on (a.k.a. melting something into oblivion).
I recently stripped the top of a dresser. To strip the paint that was on it, I had to turn the heat gun all the way up to 1000 degrees. When I made the snake bowl and snake vase, I was more at a “medium” degree setting.
Now, the question is what all can I freakin’ do with a heat gun?
Let me tell you…..
Age Galvanized Metal Roofing (and make a cool arrow sign in the process)
Make a Snake Bud Vase out of a Toy Snake
Have you used a heat gun before? What do you use it on?
Need more Power Tools 101 courses?
The Best Tools for DIYers at any Level
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