Discovered this week that soldering rework station is an amazing tool not only for electronics but models as well.
The rework station is basically a heat gun that has a lot more control over the temperature and volume of air being pushed out.
Typically used for either installing or removing surface mount devices on a circuit board. It can have many different nozzle shapes attached to better direct hot air.
I’d picked up this cheaper version of one for a specific project and it’s basically sat around since then.
This week I had a few pieces of slightly misaligned and deformed plastic and was about to get some warm water when it occurred to me that this rework station might be able to do the job.
As it turns out this station can set temperatures as low as 212F. True it’s the boiling point of water but the air cools rather quickly as you get further from the gun.
Tested it at that temp and a low air volume and it worked! It did a bang up job anywhere I needed targeted heat. Added bonus, I could hold the part in my hand and check the plasticity of the part without burning my fingers. was able to easily straighten several small pieces that had develop improper curves as well as correct a couple of miniatures with no problems.
This will be my go to tool for doing small scale corrections. I imagine it will be a lot harder to apply heat consistently on a larger pieces. But for small corrections this was a lot faster and easier than water.
I have used a mini heat gun and prefer it to a soldering iron. The type I use is called a stamping iron and can be found in craft stores, but Micro mark does carry them, but just alls it a mini heat gun. I aslo use it at times to soften decals. Fairly inexpensive.
I have a Steinel temperature controlled heat gun that I use for this same purpose. It can be adjusted as low as 160 F, and as high as 1,100 F, but similar to what you found at 212 F, I found it works best on plastic right around that temperature (210 in my case). I have had a couple of warped canopies and car chassis that have been fixed with it. Definitely an essential tool for model building…and I use it at work also for heat shrink tubing and solder sleeves. Also works well for softening Nylo-Flo tubing just enough to get to slide onto pitot and static system fittings easier.
Heat shrink tubing, such amazing and useful stuff. Always keep a selection of it handy.
Before this thread I didn’t know adjustable temperature heat guns existed. The ones I had seen were basically two temperatures, high and low. Both of which had more air and heat than was good for the plastic.
Always great to learn about options and alternatives for tools!
Good idea.