KNOW YOUR HEAT GUN

Electric heat guns have now largely replaced the 'old fashion' paraffin and bottled gas blowlamps for stripping paint on timber.

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The paraffin and bottled gas blowlamps still have a place in the tool kit where electricity is not readily available but they have to be used with care to avoid scorching the wood, setting fire to the stripped paint or cracking the glass when working on a window frame.

The hot airflow of a heat gun is less dangerous than a naked flame but it can still cause highly flammable items to catch fire, crack glass and injury if directed onto skin. One great advantage is that the heat is almost instantaneous so the heat gun can be switched off during pauses in the work while the flame blowlamps have the inconvenience of needing to be relit if the flame is extinguished.

The electric heat guns now available are lightweight, easy-to-use tools which make it far less likely to scorch wood or crack glass when used correctly to strip paint.

How heat guns work 

Heat guns look a lot like hair dryers - but, as many instructions thoughtfully point out, should never be used for drying hair! The method of operation of a hot air gun is similar to a hair dryer: a fan pulls air into the body of the tool and drives it across an electric heating element and out through a nozzle.

For stripping paint, the heated air is directed onto the painted surface, causing it to soften so that it can be easily stripped off - either by using a stripping knife or hook. For best results it is best to work up the surface with the heat gun above the stripping tool, softening the paint just before the stripping tool reaches it. The tool is used one-handed, with the other hand to hold the stripping tool.

Temperature settings