KK4RF
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« on: March 24, 2013, 07:40:04 PM » |
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Gentlemen:
I built a N1AL gate-dip meter and have wound all the necessary coils. Heat shrink tubing is recommended to cover and protect the coils. I've never done this before. AllElectronics has 4 foot lengths of different sizes of the stuff at fairly reasonable prices. They show a $47 heat shrink gun on their web site. Seems a bit steep in price.
Does anybody have any advice for a cheaper way to heat-shrink the tubing?
Fun project, and the dipper seems to work pretty well. Thanks to all.
---Marty, KK4RF---
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W2VW
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« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2013, 07:55:36 PM » |
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A plumber's torch and care works. Burn a few and the rest are easy.
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kb3ouk
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« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2013, 07:59:30 PM » |
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If you get tubing that is already close enough in size to fit the coil, you can use a blow dryer on high to get it to fit. I've done that before, takes a while but it works.
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Clarke's Second Law: The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is by venturing a little past them into the impossible
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KB2WIG
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« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2013, 08:23:32 PM » |
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Homely Despot has heat guns from around $25.
klc
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What? Me worry?
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Pete, WA2CWA
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« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2013, 09:01:12 PM » |
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Propane torch, lighter, and wife's hair dryer has worked for me.
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Pete, WA2CWA - "A Cluttered Desk is a Sign of Genius"
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KK4RF
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« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2013, 10:08:39 PM » |
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Gentlemen,
Thanks to all that replied. I'll borrow the wife's hair dryer and give that a try. If that fails, will check out Home Depot. 25 bucks, I can handle OK, the 47 bucks was a bit high.
Thanks again to all. Will let you know how it works out.
---Marty, KK4RF---
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KL7OF
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« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2013, 12:22:03 AM » |
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cigarette lighter?
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KA2DZT
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« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2013, 02:26:56 AM » |
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I have a very expensive heat gun, I think about $250 (that's what I was told it cost), but I just use a lighter for heat shrink tubing.
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W7TFO
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« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2013, 05:51:56 AM » |
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You bunch of over-mechanized pikers! I just save my projects up for Summer and leave it outside for 10 minutes....  73DG |
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Just pacing the Farady cage...
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MikeKE0ZUinkcmo
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« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2013, 06:55:54 AM » |
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I seriously doubt the hair drier will get hot enough. Visit your local RC hobby store and purchase the type of heat gun for about 20 bucks. |
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W1ATR
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« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2013, 07:16:24 AM » |
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Get yourself one of those little handheld butane torches. They generally cost less than 10 or 20 bucks, and have about a billion other uses around the shack.
I do coax connectors with one cause I'm hard core like that.
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kb3ouk
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« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2013, 08:15:40 AM » |
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I seriously doubt the hair drier will get hot enough. Visit your local RC hobby store and purchase the type of heat gun for about 20 bucks. Depends on how much heat it can put out, the one I used got hot enough one time I has using it to melt the end of it. |
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Clarke's Second Law: The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is by venturing a little past them into the impossible
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Pete, WA2CWA
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« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2013, 03:09:32 PM » |
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I seriously doubt the hair drier will get hot enough. Visit your local RC hobby store and purchase the type of heat gun for about 20 bucks. My wife's Conair hair dryer is rated at 750, 1200, and 1800 watts. At 1800, it's a zip to shrink typical heat shrink tubing. |
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Pete, WA2CWA - "A Cluttered Desk is a Sign of Genius"
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WD5JKO
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« Reply #14 on: March 25, 2013, 07:16:46 PM » |
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The presence of heat shrink over the coil will influence the L-C resonant frequency (it will go down). If possible use a thin shrink, and preferably Teflon shrink instead of PVC shrink.
Jim
WD5JKO
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KK4RF
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« Reply #15 on: March 25, 2013, 08:17:11 PM » |
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Gentlemen:
I want to thank everyone for the ideas. I'm going to try to put the heat shrink on this weekend. The 20 dollar unit from Tower Hobby sounds good, but I will check the wife's hair dryer first to see if it has enough heat to do it. Thanks again, guys. ---Marty, KK4RF---
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KK4RF
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« Reply #16 on: March 25, 2013, 10:21:00 PM » |
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Gentlemen:
The printed circuit boards for this project are available from Far Circuits. I believe they were 7 bucks a piece.
Oh, I checked the wife's hair dryer. It is a Conair with multiple heat settings, with the highest being 1875 watts. When she asked me why I needed it (i.e. to do heat shrink wrapping) I was dumbfounded when she said that she and other mothers volunteering at the local grade school do heat shrink wrapping at school for gift baskets and other stuff for the school auctions and my wife said they just use a hair dryer. She knew all about heat shrink! What a gas.
Thanks again, Gents.---Marty, KK4RF---
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Dave K6XYZ
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« Reply #17 on: March 26, 2013, 12:03:24 AM » |
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Gentlemen:
I want to thank everyone for the ideas. I'm going to try to put the heat shrink on this weekend. The 20 dollar unit from Tower Hobby sounds good, but I will check the wife's hair dryer first to see if it has enough heat to do it. Thanks again, guys. ---Marty, KK4RF---
I have one of the Tower heat guns. It is fine for Monocoat, it's intended purpose....but it dosen't get hot enough for most heatshrink tube. The Conair hair dryers DO work well though. I also have a paint stripper airgun that works well but is pretty hot. Most of the time I use a Thermofit cv 5300 which is designed for heat shrink tubing. |
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KA0HCP
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« Reply #18 on: March 26, 2013, 11:38:17 AM » |
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I use an RC heat gun made by Hangar 9 that cost $11 ten years ago.
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New callsign KA0HCP, ex-KB4QAA. Relocated to Kansas in April 2019.
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w1vtp
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« Reply #19 on: March 26, 2013, 03:52:02 PM » |
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I use a paint stripper heat gun. Gotta watch it tho, the temp gets really HOT. But it works just fine
Al
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