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General Upholstery Questions and Comments => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mike8560 on October 07, 2011, 02:51:48 pm

Title: What a heat gun can do
Post by: Mike8560 on October 07, 2011, 02:51:48 pm
Started some salon cushions this afternoon and did the first one and had two lucked spots on seams I didn't like   
Some asked befir how to use one
before
http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy102/Mike8560/bd61c3fd.jpg
affer
http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy102/Mike8560/3cc8ff7a.jpg
me I hold my hand in the area to feel the heat. 
And heat the area of pucker and the tight smooth are nnear it. 
I think heating let's the tight are streCh and loosen the pucker along with the heat tifhti g the pucker out kids like shrinkwrap.
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: fragged8 on October 09, 2011, 01:59:56 am
nice example Mike , personally i've not had much luck using heat.

Rich
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: alge on October 09, 2011, 04:08:29 am
Hi mike, was this on vinyl? I didn't know it was possible on plastic.

I do it on leather when the job needs a little tweaking  ;), tends to shrink the hide for a few years of normal use but you have sure gotta be cute with the gun or you end up with burnt toast.  :'( + it smells really bad.
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: Mike8560 on October 09, 2011, 06:37:41 am
A sorry it was vinyl  tradewind to be exact. I'm replacing some wornout ultralsather salon seats.
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: alge on October 09, 2011, 11:38:22 am
dont apologise mike, thats awesome if your able to do it on a vinyl. it takes a skilled hand on leather it must take an even lighter, faster and brave hand not to melt vinyl, thanks for sharing the concept.
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: Ihavenoname on October 09, 2011, 05:06:10 pm
Probably know this but, A good steaming helps as well.
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: kodydog on October 09, 2011, 05:42:46 pm
Hi Mike. When you say heat gun are you talking propane? Like what you might use on shrink wrap?

I'd be leery to use flame on vinyl, but it sure did get those puckers out didn't it.

I've used a blow dryer with good results.
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: Mike8560 on October 09, 2011, 07:39:01 pm
Kody it's electric more heat then a hair dryer though
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: Darren Henry on October 11, 2011, 11:08:26 am
Quoteit must take an even lighter, faster and brave hand not to melt vinyl,


I've been using heat guns  even to take vinyl shoes apart for repair (heat reactivates contact cement) since '86. I've seen two incidents in all that time.  Once the nozzle ,which gets very hot, got in contact with the vinyl and the other time was just an idiot not paying attention.

FYI ; as much as Mike's example does help, I've always had better success with heat guns and (to a lesser extent) steam if I address the problem before it is tacked down. If the "skin" doesn't want to lie down and play nice --- heat it up until it does, then tack it.
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: Mike8560 on October 11, 2011, 03:22:09 pm
Darren I Alayna worry about the gun slipping out of my hand. Oops &$!€#!!
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: JuneC on October 11, 2011, 03:35:26 pm
I couldn't live - at least work - without mine.  Best $20 I ever spent.  I got this one from Amazon about 6 years ago and it hasn't given me a minute's trouble after many hours of use.  It has 2 fan speeds and infinitely selectable heat output (within it's range - from warm to very hot).  I use it to bend 1/2" starboard and PVC foam board as well as get the wrinkles out.

http://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-H0801-Heat-Gun-1800/dp/B0000DD1KQ

June
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: BigJohn on October 17, 2011, 11:42:13 am
June:
     That's the heat gun I saw in use at a small winery here in Wisconsin, as the bottles went down the line and after the cork was in a shrink wrap sleeve was slipped over the top and the heat gun shrinked it into place!
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: BigJohn on October 17, 2011, 07:23:02 pm
Like I've said in the past a warm clothes dryer before installing the cover works good for me!
Title: Re: What a heat gun can do
Post by: christwo on October 27, 2011, 08:48:46 pm
Heat gun horror story:
I'm currently working for Automotive Design and Fabrication and we do custom Mercedes sprinter van conversions. I had to vinyl wrap an A/C drop down pyramid that involved a few stitches and a whole lot of heat. Thing came out perfect after about 6 hours of figuring it out. As i was trimming the excess material, in a spat of negligence i set part of the piece on the tip of the heat gun and instantly but a huge whole in the side. Luckily I had enough excess material to pull and stretch it to a place where it wouldn't be seen, but it was almost a huge problem. Moral of the story, heat guns can be dangerous, but work great when ya pay attention lol