Small torch for heat shrink

[signcrafter]

Looking for a small torch or something for heat shrink tubing. I have a heat gun but it's big and shaped like a hair dryer so not the best. Plus it has to be plugged in. I'm I have a butane soldering iron and it has a heat tip but usually when I need heat shrink I'm already using the soldering iron and have to let it cool down and change the tip to do the heat shrink. Thinking about getting some kind of mini torch or something that will be pretty much dedicated to heat shrink duty. So I can use my soldering iron to solder the wires together and the torch to heat shrink it right away.

Any advice on what works best for heat shrink?

 

[warmpancakes]

Lighter from the gas station heat guns are better for this a open flame can melt the shrink tube way to easy

 

[geojag]

I have a Blazer butane torch that is compact and works fine for heat shrink. Just go over it quickly back and forth and you don't burn it up. They are fairly inexpensive. Harbor freight has a cheap version but some things you don't want to go cheap on.

 

[WhiffySpark]

I have a power probe torch. It burns easy

 

[devoncoolman]

Blazer torches are some of the best.

 

[Zeke]

Butane torch.

 

[crab]

snap on makes a butane torch designed for this, works great.

 

[Wamsutta]

Zippo lighter. They work great for heat shrink.

 

[QtrHorse13]

I use the Weller P2KC butane soldering iron. It comes with a little tip that blows the heat instead of an open flame hitting the heat shrink and it also comes with a half guard to get the heat all the way around. I prefer to use something like this instead of an open flame torch or lighter. If you have anything sensitive near the heat shrink, an open flame can burn it/ melt it. It's easy to melt the outer jacket of surrounding wires or electronics. You can find them new for around $65 or get a used one on Ebay for around $30-$35. I have used mine often for small solder jobs or heat shrink jobs. If it's a bigger solder/ heat shrink job, I use my larger iron and hair dryer type heat gun.

If it will be for a small job/ one time deal and you don't care about an open flame, a cooking/ scorcher torch works well. They are small, has an igniter, small concentrated flame and they are cheap.

 

[Ign]

Noticed this in an email today from Tooltopia. I imagine their "sale" price isn't all that special but have not researched it.

http://www.tooltopia.com/master-appliance-mt76.aspx

 

[Professur]

An old Bic has always done the job for me.

 

[ladrones]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Palmer812]

Most of the time I use my butane soldering iron. The soldering tip has an opening in the top of it that you can see into. Putting that under the heat shrink works perfect. The rest of the time I use a butane torch.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I use a disposable, butane BBQ lighter. $1 at Walmart. I usually buy 2 or 3 at a time.

 

[signcrafter]

By "torch" I mean something that others have pictured above. It's a torch but has a tip so that it isn't an open flame.

I use the Weller P2KC butane soldering iron. It comes with a little tip that blows the heat instead of an open flame hitting the heat shrink and it also comes with a half guard to get the heat all the way around. I prefer to use something like this instead of an open flame torch or lighter. If you have anything sensitive near the heat shrink, an open flame can burn it/ melt it. It's easy to melt the outer jacket of surrounding wires or electronics. You can find them new for around $65 or get a used one on Ebay for around $30-$35. I have used mine often for small solder jobs or heat shrink jobs. If it's a bigger solder/ heat shrink job, I use my larger iron and hair dryer type heat gun.

If it will be for a small job/ one time deal and you don't care about an open flame, a cooking/ scorcher torch works well. They are small, has an igniter, small concentrated flame and they are cheap.

I have the same soldering iron and also use it. But like I mentioned in the original post it's a pain to solder a wire, let the iron tip cool enough to handle, switch tips, then heat up again to shrink the heat shrink. I don't want to be switching tips anymore. That is why I would like a butane torch with a tip like the soldering iron has so I can solder with the iron and then do the heat shrink with the torch. Maybe I should just get another soldering iron and use one to solder and one to heat shrink?

Noticed this in an email today from Tooltopia. I imagine their "sale" price isn't all that special but have not researched it.

http://www.tooltopia.com/master-appliance-mt76.aspx

That's a pretty nice price for that kit. I need to decide if I want to get another butane soldering iron with the torch tip for heat shrink or get a torch with a tip for heat shrink. Not sure how often I would use a torch other then for heat shrink? What else are they used for?

 

[WhiffySpark]

Soldering.

 

[signcrafter]

Soldering.

Any particular reason you say to get a second soldering iron to use for heat shrink instead of a torch kit?

 

[wild cowboy]

unless it needs to be wireless, a heat gun is ideal for heat shrink

if it does need to be wireless (like in a road kit) then I use the one below:

 

[signcrafter]

It doesn't have to be cordless but I have a good heat gun and while it is nice for some heat shrink it also can be a pain due to it's size and needing a cord. My butane soldering iron has a heat shrink tip and reflector that works nice but it's a pain to switch back and forth from the soldering tip to heat shrink tip. So think I want to either get another butane soldering iron so I can use one with a soldering tip and one with a heat shrink tip. Or get a butane torch with a heat shrink tip.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I used to use a lighter for heat shrink. I got fed up with an uneven flame so I went out and bought a butane torch. It was night and day difference for me and well worth the money spent.

I'm not sure but I believe it's a Benzomatic. I'd have to look to be sure.

 

[MFolks]

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=72620&cat=51&ap=1

 

[Buster21]

I use this one from Home Depot. I think it was around $25.00

 

[QtrHorse13]

Signcrafter,

Off topic.... What kind of signs do you craft/ fabricate?

 

[Bobioz1]

Solder-it. Ultra-therm or turbo-therm look promising. I have the same situation as you. Just haven't pulled the trigger on one.

 

[Vvmvbb]

For heat shrink, I now use the Portasol with the heat shrink tube heat reflector tip exclusively. I like it even than heat guns.

 

[cheechi]

I have the HF creme brulee style similar to the bernzomatic above. Pretty solid, honestly most of them are the same regardless of brand, up until the bigger names of course.

I have used a pencil torch in the past too. I like fire too much to care about the heat attachment thingy, though I do have a bernzomatic or similar butane solder kit that has one.

 

[pi_guy]

From doing a lot of heat shrink tubing on competition harnesses I strongly recommend a heat gun.
The Ideal gun I use has a variety of tips, including one designed for shrink tubing and adjustable heat ranges and fan speeds. It can also has a temp setting for soldering.
Also the technique of doing long lengths of heat shrink can be more efficient as you are blowing the air over a larger portion verses concentrating on one section at a time.
As a note HF shrink tubing is very prone to cracking and splitting with too much heat in one place were a Ray-chem product has no such issues.

 

[Buster21]

I forgot to add that a heat gun is far better than a torch for heat shrink, I do a lot of it at work and will always use the heat gun first, it is just a lot more even consistent heat. If I am away from electricity I will use the mini torch but if you hold it to long in the same place or get it to close it will burn through the shrink tubing and melt the wire insulation.

 

[kball]

Depending on the type of shrink wrap you're using... No need for a second tool. Just rub the shrink wrap with soldering iron to shrink it.

 

[ds350]

Another vote for the Blazer torch, it is a favorite