Shrinking heat-shrink sleeves

[Guest Zeppelin]

Does it have to be a heat gun or can I do it with a lighter?

[Cabwood]

I've successfully used a lighter flame before, and it was OK except that it tends to leave a black residue on the work and it's too easy to melt or burn stuff.

[trigger]

I will use solder iron to make them shrink, if I don't have the heat gun

[allvol]

I would suggest you not actually touch the sleeve with your soldering iron - merely get close enough for the radiated heat to reach the material.

AllVol

[MP]

Heat shrink tubing is pretty robust. You can actually touch it to the solder iron without harm so long as you are not touching it for long. However, this method makes for some pretty ugly wires. The solder iron tends to discolor and melt the outer surface of the tubing.

[mmnmaniac]

Does it have to be a heat gun or can I do it with a lighter?

if you have a hair-dryer, set it on high and just use that.  I've done that plenty of times, and a simple dryer works wonders. :)  Simply takes a bit longer, since the heat is spread out over a larger area.

Hope this helps!

~MMN Maniac

[peteec]

my mate work's for a company that makes heatshrink,and he managed to accuire me a proper heat shrink gun............. black and decker paint stripper..... pretty much... only real difference is the heat gun has a heat control dial!!
i'd use a paint stripper... just not too close!... i've even used a gas hob before... not too close of course.... and it was some real big stuff!... like above said its only the heat radiating you need

hope that helps!

[Guest 65ShelbyClone]

I use lighters or matches. They don't get soot on them if you keep them out of the flame.