Do any of you use a Hot Air Gun?

I think you're talking about hot-air rework? When I think of a "hot air gun", I think about those "blow dryer" type guns you use for heat shrink....
 
I use a hot air gun all the time, works great to dry my hair after i shower. . .
 
I use a "hot air gun" to desolder chips from junk boards. The one I use is a blow-dryer like device intended more for paint stripping. It WILL burn boards, it can generate enough heat to delaminate the material too. But I've gotten pretty good at using it, and it's a wonderfully handy tool to be able to desolder chips quickly. I've used it for a couple of repairs, but I mainly use it to scavenge components. With practice, it is possible to do board rework with one, but it's also very easy to destroy the board...

A true hot-air rework station is much more controllable and is used for surface mount repairs.

-Ian
 
I have that Aoyue, but I have only used the hotair rework a couple of times. I need to practice more with it before I try to use it on a good board. It takes a long time to get the board hot enough to remove the chip for me. I am always afraid of getting the chip too hot as well. I have no idea which tips are the best to use for what either. Once I get good at it, I think I will like it, but for just removing one IC, I think it is just easier to use the desoldering gun.
 
I use a "hot air gun" to desolder chips from junk boards. The one I use is a blow-dryer like device intended more for paint stripping. It WILL burn boards, it can generate enough heat to delaminate the material too. But I've gotten pretty good at using it, and it's a wonderfully handy tool to be able to desolder chips quickly. I've used it for a couple of repairs, but I mainly use it to scavenge components. With practice, it is possible to do board rework with one, but it's also very easy to destroy the board...

A true hot-air rework station is much more controllable and is used for surface mount repairs.

-Ian

Same here... when I want something with a lot of pins off a junk board, I take my heat gun, melt the solder, then slam the board on the desk, and a bunch of parts fall off :) .

I also have a hot air tool like shown, and I definitely use it, but pretty much just for surface mount components, and for shrinking heat shrink (I've upgraded from using a Bic lighter ;) ).

DogP
 
I also have a hot air tool like shown, and I definitely use it, but pretty much just for surface mount components, and for shrinking heat shrink (I've upgraded from using a Bic lighter ;) ).

DogP


I still use a lighter but I will use the heat gun if im doing colored heat shrink.
 
Huh. I never thought of using the heat gun on the heat shrink tubing. I always just use the side of the soldering iron.

-Ian
 
A "hot air gun" can and will destroy your games if you aren't careful with it. You can actually set the cabinet on fire with one. No, really. You can. I just use a regular hair dryer for heat shrink. 1250W I think. For removing SMT parts, I use my iron for 2-3 pins. With more pins than that, the number of removal tricks equals the number of part types. If you're going to be doing a lot of SMT rework/repair getting a hot air rework station would be the way to go.
 
Huh. I never thought of using the heat gun on the heat shrink tubing. I always just use the side of the soldering iron.

-Ian

?????

Heat guns are great for heat shrink tubing. over soldered together wires. End of line.
 
?????

Heat guns are great for heat shrink tubing. over soldered together wires. End of line.

Oh, I'm sure that they are. I'm sure it works great. And heat shrink tubing is great stuff - I use it all the time. I just never thought of digging out the heat gun to shrink it, that's all. Makes sense, and it probably would work better than my method - which is to use the side (not the tip) of the soldering iron to heat the tubing. My post was more a "I can't believe I never thought of that" than anything :)

-Ian
 
Heh, my hot air tool is attached to my soldering iron (all part of the same station), so it's about just as convenient, and easier than my old method of trying to find a lighter.

DogP
 
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