Certainly you are here to know the use of a heat gun to remove paint ! Among so many ways; using a heat gun is one of the best options. If you ask me, “which is the cheaper option to remove paint ? How much time does it consume?” My honest reply will be, “ Go for it.” It is Affordable, economical and also a fast procedure. It’s easier to work with the heat gun tools than you think. We will help you on this. After reading this, you will be able to start removing paint but don’t think you will be an expert .Expertise comes After doing the same thing again and again.
Equipment You Need:
First of all you have to know which tools can make your work easy and comfortable. For the beginners it’s essential.
- A Heat gun.
- Nozzles.
- A Safety Goggles.
- A Respirator Mask.
- One pair of chemical resistant safety gloves.
- Different size flexible scrapers.
- Sanding sponge.
- Old cloth or paint suit.
A heat gun: You can purchase or rent a heat gun. Whatever it is, check the condition of the heat gun. It’s not a good idea to use a faulty tool even it’s essential to know its function as well. Every heat gun contains a user manual. First of all, read thorough the manual. Faulty tools or unknown features can bring hazards. It can damage the surface from where you are trying to remove paint. Choosing the best heat gun is also a difficult task. To know more about the best Heat gun you can see our reviews HERE
Nozzles: Nozzles are used to direct the flow of the hot air towards the specific place you want. Usually heat gun manufacturer companies provide extra nozzles with the product. You can also buy different kinds of nozzles. Be sure of the right kind of nozzles you are buying for your work. Mainly there are four types of nozzles:
- Reflector nozzle.
- Reducer nozzle.
- Glass protector nozzle.
- Flat nozzle.
- Reflector nozzle: a Reflector nozzle is used to heat copper pipe. As it direct the flow around the pipe, it’s easy to warm the pipe all around. It is a less used nozzle.
- Reducer nozzle: This nozzle helps to heat a particular small area. It is great when you have to work in a narrow space and direct the airflow to a specific space.
- Glass protector nozzle: It helps to direct the airflow on the surface you want to work without warming and melting the putty or glass. It prevents the putty from being warm and the glass from falling out.To prevent this damage this nozzle directs the hot air from the gun away from the glass and on to the surface you want.
- Flat nozzle: Flat nozzle directs the heat to a narrow but extended area. It’s a little bit difficult But practice brings perfection.
Safety Goggles: Safety should be the best priority whether you are a beginner or a professional. Goggles can protect your eyes from being affected by any kind of chemical or small particles..
A respirator Mask: As you are doing a job of mending the older one so bad smell, dust or any harmful substances can get inside with your puff. It will secure your lungs.
Chemical resistant safety gloves: Chemicals are harmful for our body parts. We should keep our hands safe. Hands should be kept safe from the excessive heat of the heat gun.
flexible scrapers: Different sizes flexible scrapers can make your work easy as the thinner one can be put into the narrow spaces and the wide one can clean the wide spaces.
Sanding sponge: After cleaning the surface there will be some bits or pieces of paint. For a smooth surface with perfect finishing brush or sand is a must. If the surface is wooden then we recommend to use typical sander and if the surface is of concrete or stone it is better to use hard brushes and sand paper bricks.
Old cloth or paint suit: I think you don’t want to tear or burn your new cloth. Keep in mind you are going to work with a tool which can produce heavy heat. It’s a small tool but can harm you a lot. A single touch can burn your hand or other organs. It is better to put on a chemical resistant paint suit. If it is not possible then you can put a cloth which can cover your full hand and body..
All these above are the equipment to use. Now let me tell you how can you start and finish the job using a heat gun:
- Use of a Heat gun for removing paint : Check the heat gun if it is okay or not. Check the nozzles and keep these clean to emit the hot air flow then as per instruction turn on the switch and wait a moment to heat the gun. Faulty tools and without knowing the functionality can be hazardous as different heat guns have different functionalities. We recommend to use the low temperature option as you are a beginner. Heavy heat will not be perfect for the beginners. They need to be accustomed to the heat guns weight ,features and movement etc first. Keep the Nozzle 3 to 4 inches away from the surface you want to remove paint. If you hold it in a closer distance, it can damage the material and burn it. You will see bubbles on the layer of the paint. That means they are getting detached but it will not fall off ideally . Now it’s time to use the scrappers. Using a scraper, it becomes easy to clean the surface. Usually heat guns are used to detach the paint from the original surface and scrapers to remove the paints ideally. Repeat the procedure as it usually never works perfectly with the first attempt. Besides for the beginners it may need to be repeated 3 or 4 times but for the professionals it will be done with the second attempt. Patience is one of the most important things to do with perfection. Professionals take time but they finish it in the second attempt. This is not a fast process. So choose your weekend accordingly. This process may not be fast but it is the efficient way. After that the finishing task comes with a sanding sponge. Small spots of paint can still be there on the surface and the surface may not be smooth as you want. So now you have to rub the surface with a sponge, preferable according to your surface. I think you already know which brush or sandpaper we suggested above. Follow the procedures, removing paint is not a very difficult task. Best wishes for you 🙂
Safety measures: Heat guns are very easy to use but It’s not about bringing a heat gun and start working. You must be careful about your tools and the surroundings of your workplace. Usually heat guns produce extreme heat and so you should check the surroundings if there are any flammable things. If there is, Please! keep that thing away. A heat gun can be a small machine but it can be far more dangerous. Use goggles which cover your eyes . A respirator mask can protect you from inhaling the chemical air or any small particle. Hand gloves can protect you from burning your hand. Put on flame and chemical resistant gloves. you should put a cloth which covers you hand and body but that doesn’t mean a cloth which makes you suffocate 🙂 . We have pointed out the safety measures so that it will be easy to keep in mind.
- Inspect the heat gun first.
- Keep the nozzles clean.
- Never touch the nozzle or put it on your body parts.
- Keep the room ventilated.
- There should be an exit route or a fire extinguisher.
- Never use it on flammable material.
- Never point it to the people .
- Keep it safe from the little children.
- After finishing the task, let the machine cool down.
- Use a stand if a short working break is needed.
Why heat gun is suggested ! Removing paint with a heat gun is not as costly and hazardous as buying a huge amount of chemicals. you just need to have a heat gun, Scrapers and a lot of free time. Point the heat gun to the surface, keep a distance of 3 to 4 inches from the surface and hold it for a few seconds. The paint will start loosening. Starter quality heat guns are cheaper than the heat guns used for the professionals. Even you can use these tools for several years. Besides heat gun has a lot of uses such as: It can be utilized for epoxy resin, shrink wrapping, PVC pipe bending, tint soldering/desoldering, crafting, plastic welding, waxing skis and snowboards, embossing heating, seized bolts & nuts loosening, phone / auto glass repair replacing tile, painting, roofing, wire stripping, soften plastics as well as drying and thawing purpose. To know more about a heat gun please visit: HERE. Another benefit we found : usually old homes have several layers of paint and the most interesting thing is you need not to loose all the layers separately. Rather, it melts all the layers at the same time. Operating a heat gun is not a difficult task, you know. Just follow the procedures and the manual provided with the product. Most importantly don’t forget to follow the safety measures.
Personal Opinion: Using a heat gun is far easier than the other process. It’s not a fast process but once you are a master, It becomes easier. Of course You have to follow some procedures explained above. removing paint can be done by yourself alone. Just know about your instruments of work , care about safety measures and choose a weekend to start your work.
I tried to give you all details about scrapping paints. Yet you may have some questions. Please feel free to ask.
