The construction hair dryer, the characteristics of which will be described below, is a tool designed for welding linoleum, melting soft tiles and cutting roofing material, etc. If you decide to choose such equipment, you should know its characteristics and the main factors that you should pay attention to ...
Features of the construction hair dryer
The construction hair dryer, the characteristics of which you must study before purchasing the unit, is used to dry putty and glue, tiles or stucco moldings, as well as joints of materials before installing insulation. With it, you can remove excess paint or varnish, wallpaper, parquet or tiles from the surface of furniture, floors or windows. To do this, you will need to stock up not only with the described tool, but also with a spatula-scraper.
The hair dryer is used to form polystyrene PVC products (at an exposure temperature of 300 degrees). If you provide a temperature of 500 degrees, then you can also work with plexiglass, as well as acrylic. Perfectly copes with the application of rods and pipes made of polyurethane.
A construction hairdryer, the characteristics of which must be known to the consumer before going to the store, will help defrost frozen locks, pipes and gutters by removing ice from wires and steps. Through this unit, you can disinfect wood, eliminate microorganisms, bugs, destroy anthills that are built in a blind area or a stone wall. It can be used to glue various large parts using contact hot melt glue.
Among other things, the hair dryer will help speed up the setting of two-component compounds, remove PVC-based stickers, and also allow you to remove the screw that was attached to the adhesive. The construction hair dryer, the characteristics of which may differ from model to model, will allow to solder and press in and provide the desired shrinkage to the hoses and handles. Using this tool, you can overlap elements of PVC film, as well as tarpaulin.
Individual pieces of flooring can be welded together if they are made of PVC.
Specifications
If we consider the designs, then in this respect they practically do not differ from each other. The insulator, made of ceramic, together with a heating element in the form of a spiral, which is located in the insulator, are housed in a sufficiently strong plastic case that can withstand high temperatures. In addition, the unit has an electric motor equipped with one or two impellers. The motor runs at a fairly high speed.
If you decide to choose the described tool, then it is important to take into account the maximum temperature that the air jet produced by it will have. The extremely high temperature for most models is around 650 degrees. However, on sale you can also find more powerful units, in which this parameter reaches 800 degrees. The performance of the device is determined by the volume of air that is passed through the hot air gun for a certain amount of time. If you have a middle-class model in front of you, then this value will change in the range from 200 to 650 liters per minute. The parameter is linked to As the temperature and productivity increase, the tool will have a wider range of possibilities. Its power is determined by the power of the fan and the spiral. The power can be in the range from 500 to 2500 watts. If you want to choose equipment with a capacity of more than 2000 watts, then you need to be prepared for the fact that the unit will be quite heavy, bulky and expensive. For home use, a model with a power not exceeding 2000 watts is quite suitable.
Air volume adjustment
The construction hair dryer, the photo of which you can look at in the article, has one very important indicator, which is the adjustment of the volume of injected air.
Not all models are equipped with such functionality, but it can be extremely useful if overheating of the entire surface is undesirable. This function is also used in the event that a sufficiently light part is to be subjected to air treatment, which can simply be blown off by too strong a stream of air.
Heating temperature
If you choose a construction hair dryer, the photo of which you can see in the article, then it is important to consider whether the tool has the ability to adjust the heating temperature. This parameter allows the technician to adapt the machine to work with different materials. If you have equipment of the "hobby" class, then the adjustment will be carried out in steps. As for the construction models, their adjustment is smoother. With the help of such a unit, it will be possible to work with any material, even very complex in the process of processing. If you still need such functionality, then you can choose the adjustment method, which can be slider or electronic.
Temperature maintenance system
Before choosing a technical building hair dryer, you need to pay attention to the presence of a system for maintaining a certain temperature. Otherwise, this parameter is called heat flow stabilization. It is carried out on an electronic circuit and allows you to maintain a certain temperature of the discharge air. This functionality protects the heating coil from rapid wear. Most often, manufacturers supply such devices with a memory that remembers a certain temperature until the next turn on. According to experts, working with such equipment is faster and more comfortable. However, as a rule, these are professional models that are quite expensive. For those craftsmen who choose a tool for solving everyday tasks, most likely, such a unit will not work.
Using cold air
Before choosing a building hair dryer for home use, you need to think about whether you need functionality that involves the possibility of blowing cold air. This parameter can be quite a big advantage. For example, after the soldering point of plastic-based pipes has been cooled, the manipulation period can be shortened. In this case, the master does not have to wait until the hot place cools down by itself. When choosing such a model, you should take into account that different options can provide cold air in different ways. This can be done by having another nozzle or turning off the spiral. The first method is more modern, while the second allows for a short time to cool the spiral after work, when the unit is already folded and packed. Among other things, the presence of another nozzle, which provides cold air supply, allows gluing thermoplastic surfaces - while the first nozzle heats up, the second - cool the surface.
Inlet air filter
Before choosing a hair dryer for your home, you must take into account that the tool may have a special filter designed for the incoming air. If you will use the equipment in places where there is a lot of dust, then this parameter is very useful. Once inside, dirt can quickly damage the coil. Whereas if air passes through the filter, then this problem will not arise.
Control indication
If delicate work is being done, insufficient or excessive heating can damage the parts. In this case, the discharge air temperature must be constantly monitored. Control indication can be carried out by means of a small screen or by means of LED backlighting.
overheat protection
If you choose a hair dryer for construction, the characteristics, reviews of a particular model, you should study first. Remember also that it is important to select a model that provides overheating protection. This function is also called thermostop and is designed to deactivate the thermoelement in case of overheating. This can happen when it is necessary to work perpendicular to the surface of the material. The air goes to the base, after which it is repelled, affecting the spiral. This can cause the unit to overheat.
A hair dryer is a popular tool that can hardly be replaced with something else. At first glance, it has a simple, uncomplicated design, but does this mean that it will be easy to choose the required model?
This is a continuation of a series of articles dedicated to electric tools for professionals and amateurs. Today we are going to talk about heat air guns.
A technical hairdryer, as the "competent authorities" say, is an air blower, a thermal gun, a thermal blower, a hot air gun, a thermal blower, a construction or industrial dryer ... There are a lot of names for this unit, most likely because of its remarkable popular popularity, the possibility of application in a wide variety of areas of life. And what, it is inexpensive, practical, compact, functional, easy to operate.
A hair dryer is a device powered by a stream of heated air. In German and French there are words that roughly sound like "foehn" - a gust of warm wind descending from the Alpine mountains. The German company FOEN, which has been part of the AEG concern for over a century, introduced the first hair dryer in 1900. Over time, the successful device was improved, acquired a number of additional properties and took its place in production shops, on construction sites, in home workshops.
What a hair dryer can do
The list of operations performed with a hot air gun can amount to hundreds of items. In short, it comes in handy when you need a local, safe heating of the surface. In fact, a powerful professional building hairdryer will do everything that was previously done with a blowtorch, and much more. There can be one obstacle (in extreme cases, two) - if there is no power supply at the workplace, or it is raining, only then the lamps get some advantage. In the asset of the hair dryer: the absence of an open flame, the possibility of the finest adjustments, safety, versatility, compactness.
So, what tasks are solved with a thermal gun? Let's list the main ones:
- removal of heated paintwork, veneer, films, wallpaper, parquet, tiles;
- soldering and deformation of polymers;
- welding of linoleum, fabrics and PVC membranes;
- heating, melting and cutting of roofing material, bituminous tiles;
- work with soft metal solders, tinning, tin removal;
- installation of heat shrinkable insulation;
- soldering with tin or silver;
- acceleration of gluing processes;
- drying, blowing, surface cooling;
- defrosting water pipes, steps, storm gutters and other elements;
- cutting of foam polymers;
- melting compositions;
- hot fit (press fit).
It is believed that a powerful building hairdryer can easily ignite barbecue coals and even create a magnificent crust on a gastronomic masterpiece. Some builders like to dry a wet robe with an air blower, someone heats up the "brake" with them, but still the main thing that is required from the layman is to "not confuse" the blower with a household appliance. It has been proven that whenever a technical hair dryer is used for other purposes, for example, for hairdressing purposes, the matter ends in disappointment. The manufacturers of this device persistently remind about this in passports and manuals.
Naturally, not all hot air guns are equally versatile, there are amateur models with limited capabilities, there are truly multifunctional devices with a wide range of high-tech gadgets. Let's figure it out so as not to waste money.
Technical characteristics of the building hair dryer
The design and principle of operation of all technical hair dryers are approximately the same. In a housing made of heat-resistant plastic, a spiral is located on a ceramic insulator, which brings air to a predetermined temperature, and a high-speed electric motor, using one or two impellers, pumps it in a specific direction. The nozzle forms the outgoing flow in a special way, which, in fact, does all the work. Of course, different products can have serious differences in layout, but more on that later. First, I propose to consider the "power" characteristics.
And these include the maximum temperature of the air stream and the amount of air supplied (performance). As for the maximum operating temperature, the average for the class, this figure is approximately in the region of 600-650 ° C. It is these numbers that can most often be found in the name of the tool (AEG PT 600 EC).
As always, there are exceptions to the rule - there are monsters in nature that heat the air up to 750-800 degrees. The performance of an average building hair dryer varies between 200-650 liters per minute, sometimes it can be adjusted (Metabo HE 2300 Control). These characteristics are interdependent, they change their values almost every time the instrument is readjusted. A quality instrument in this regard will be well balanced, manufacturers of the cheapest models do not burden themselves with such things, they put everything together in full, just to surprise the consumer. Obviously, the higher the maximum temperature and performance of the device, the more benefit it can bring to its owner. The reverse side of the coin will be a solid total power of the blower (500-2500 watts), which is distributed between the filament coil and the blower fan. Voracious apparatuses that exceed 2 kW significantly load the electrical network and will be somewhat larger, heavier and more expensive. There are models that are obscenely powerful, for example, Steinel HG 5000 (3.4 kW, 800 l / min, max. 600 degrees; 1.2 kg).
Temperature regulation. This essential function will help us adapt to specific work with specific materials that are now plentiful. It is no secret that even externally similar materials can have a special chemical composition, have unique physical properties, so each of them will need its own temperature regime. Construction hair dryers of the "hobby" class provide step switching, usually two or three modes: "small", "near average" and "maximum". Their scope is limited to materials that fall within these ranges. Much more interesting is the situation with professional models - there is an opportunity to smoothly select the desired temperature, respectively, to work with any materials, even the most capricious ones. The temperature can be controlled either electronically (Steinel HG 2310 LCD) or using a slider.
Cold airflow. Very handy sometimes there is the ability of a building hair dryer to give out cold air (not all models have this). Thanks to this option, you can quickly cool down, for example, a freshly welded joint of two plastic parts and immediately continue working. The total time for the entire project is reduced significantly. By the way, the supply of cold air can be carried out either by turning off the spiral (Bosch GHG 660 LCD), or through a separate nozzle. The second option is considered a serious technological breakthrough, but the first one also has its advantages - you can quickly cool the spiral at the end of the work and immediately put the unit in the case.
Maintaining the set temperature. This system is called temperature stabilization by some manufacturers. Smart electronics reads information from a group of sensors and adjusts the power of the coil for specific conditions, but at the same time does not allow it to overheat and fail (Makita HG 651). The temperature of the jet will be exactly what we need, regardless of voltage drops in the network, strong winds or low temperatures of the treated surface that reflects cold air. The built-in memory will play the last mode next time it is turned on. It is much more pleasant to work with such a tool, the speed and quality of the operations performed increases. And the service life of the heating element increases significantly due to the absence of overloads and sharp dips in energy consumption. Unfortunately, household models cannot boast of such a wonderful option, primarily because of its high cost.
Filtration of incoming air. Some types of “blowing” work can generate a certain amount of dust. It is sucked into the instrument and, settling on the spiral, can cause it to fail. Advanced manufacturers supply their technical hair dryers with built-in removable filters that are easy to clean.
Control indication. To perform high-precision professional operations, when there is a danger of overheating (or "underheating") the workpiece, you have to monitor the parameters of the work flow every minute. All kinds of information screens, LCD panels (Sparky HAG 2000ED) come to the rescue, which, however, do not make the instrument cheaper. Most often, we will have LED indication of various colors at our service.
Construction hair dryer layout
A pistol or a cylinder? Typically, the blower has a pistol-type main grip (Makita HG 650 CK), which is why, in general, the "military" version of the name stuck behind it. The handle can be closed, where the bracket protects the operator from hot air and molten particles - this is the traditional version (Metabo HE 20-600). But there is also a direct layout (Bosch GHG 600 CE), which may not be as convenient and safe, but definitely more walkable, allowing you to get to the most tight spots (imagine that you need to clean a cast-iron radiator of paint). The Black & Decker KX1692 hair dryer has a swivel design and can, if necessary, take a straight or L-shape. Anti-slip grips on the handle significantly increase the comfort and safety when working with the hot air gun.
Parking options. Imagine a situation: work is in full swing, and we need to take a minute break, for example, in order to fix a new workpiece on the workbench - the hot hair dryer needs to be put somewhere so as not to burn yourself and not melt anything. The task is complicated by the fact that he really does not like the hairdryer to fall even from a low height (the ceramics inside beats, the spiral bursts). It is not always practical to put the instrument on the bottom, even if the width of the platform is sufficient - it is very unstable. Laying the tool on its side is also not an option; there is always something nearby that tries to stick to the hot nozzle.
The solution turned out to be very simple - a special loop is made on the network cable, with which you can hang the unit on any hook. This device is useful if you need to direct the hair dryer to a certain area without special precision and hold it in this position for a relatively long time (for example, we need to warm up the thickened bituminous mastic). We fixed the tool to the loop, and you can do other work. The hot air gun body can also have all kinds of hooks and supports for installation on a flat surface (DeWalt D26411).
Burn protection. It is easy to explain why the cases of technical hair dryers are made of plastic - just metal in such a design (due to the high heat transfer coefficient) would be simply dangerous. There is no reducer here, but plastic will be easier - in general, all manufacturers have unanimously agreed on the use of polymer as the main material. The nozzle of the heat air gun is still metal, so in all models it is covered with a thermal protective casing. The latter, however, somewhat limits the possibilities of the hair dryer in hard-to-reach places, because some manufacturers make it removable. Yes, working without a casing will require increased concentration and accuracy from the master, however, if necessary, the functionality of the device is significantly increased.
The nozzle can be equipped with a hot nozzle ejector (Skil Masters 8005MA).
Weight, dimensions, power cord. The building hair dryer is a manual tool, so it makes sense to pay special attention to its weight and dimensions. Typically, heat guns weigh in the range of 0.5-1 kg. It is also impossible to grind in this case, since such a difference in weight is seriously affected not only by the total power of the product, but also by the quality of materials, the presence of a high-quality casing and closed-type handle, a long and well-protected power cord. By the way, the longer the power cable is, the more convenient it will be to work (it is recommended to operate the hair dryer at chest / head height in order to expose yourself less to the action of vapors). A cord shorter than 3 meters for a professional tool is a serious disadvantage.
Completion of the construction hair dryer
Any technical hair dryer is completed with a set of metal nozzles, they are also called nozzles, nozzles, nozzles. It is they who form the air flow in a certain way, which allows you to expand the capabilities of the instrument. Usually, you can buy the necessary nozzle for any model of the blower, since they are quite inexpensive, and their assortment is counted in dozens of units, depending on the shape.
For soldering and heating copper pipes, sealing products with welding tape, round, focusing nozzles are suitable. Flat nozzles will cope well with deformation of flat plastic, removal of coatings (wallpaper, veneer, varnish, paint). For deformation of polymer pipes, a reflex nozzle with a frontal rounded outlet is used, it heats the part from both sides, therefore it is also suitable for pressing, heating the heat shrinkage. Slotted nozzles help with overlapping PVC sheets. The cutting nozzle is made in the form of a narrow flattened tube, it concentrates hot air at one point - it is intended for straight or curly cutting of foam polystyrene (foam, EPS ...). For cleaning window frames, when there is a danger of overheating the glass, use “side design” nozzles - glass-protective. The flat V-nozzle is designed to feed the welding cord. Mirror nozzles return the reflected heat to the working area and serve as a heating surface for resistance welding of plastics. Reducing adapters are used to switch from a pistol to nozzles of a thinner diameter; they also work as concentrating nozzles. We have listed the most common injectors, the list is actually very long.
In addition to the nozzles, the basic set of the construction hair dryer may include scrapers, additional handles, welding rods, pressure rollers, adapters and, of course, a case. Some manufacturers put the entire gentleman's set in a metal box, which is very far-sighted, given the poor resistance of hot air guns to mechanical stress.
When choosing a technical hair dryer, clearly define its scope. Inexpensive models from world leaders, including the "hobby" class, are suitable for most of the work. Excellent construction heat guns are made by Makita, Bosch, Skill, Steinel, AEG, Kress, Metabo, DeWalt, Sparki, Black & Decker. The cheapest units without a name, as a rule, do not work out even their meager price, they are unsafe and have little functionality.
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