An automotive heat gun is an incredibly versatile tool that can benefit any auto-body shop owner. They can make certain tasks much easier and improve the quality of others. Don't believe us? Check out these uses for a car heat gun to see for yourself:
1. Update the look
For many car owners, the vehicle isn't just about getting from point A to point B. It's also about arriving in style. Many drivers seek out options to update the appearance of their vehicles, often through adding details to the body or tinting the windows.
A heat gun can help place window tint evenly. Direct the heat toward the window tint material to shrink it to size. While it's still warm, the material will be malleable, so you can shape and place it perfectly on the window. When window tint fits the surface correctly, it's less likely to peel away later.
Vinyl car wrapping is another way to personalize a car. Car owners may want to change the color of the car, add a few small details or turn their vehicles into an eye-catching works of art. With the help of the right printer and vinyl material, artists can turn their ideas into impressive creations. Businesses can also benefit from vinyl car wraps, effectively turning their work vehicles into moving billboards. Some business owners believe this to be a smart strategy for boosting brand recognition.
As fun and useful as vinyl wraps are, they're only as good as their application, and that requires adequate heat. A heat gun provides an even heat source for vinyl projects big or small. Because they're reliable and safe than torches, heat guns are a smart upgrade for any automotive shop that specializes in car wrapping.
2. Fix blemishes
Appearance matters, even when your customers aren't striving for something as bold as a bright or detailed car wrap. Tears in leather seats, small dents in a bumper or scratches on plastic interior features all make a car look worn out. A heat gun can help remedy each of these problems.
By applying heat a dent on a bumper, you soften the material. Once the bumper fully warmed up and malleable, you can pull or push it back into place.
A heat gun can also be used to place and secure leather patches. Apply heat-activated glue to the patch and hold it on the tear. Use the heat gun to cure the adhesive in place.
Plastic becomes soft and pliable when heated. Scratches in plastic features, like the dashboard or side panel of the door, can be smoothed out after directing a heat gun toward the spot. Use a grain pad to eliminate the scratch and reset the texture.
Some cars have black trim around tire arches or the bumper that looks nice and shiny when new, but fades in time to a dull gray. Swiping over these with the stream from your heat gun can bring back the sheen.
3. Remove old adhesives
Bumper stickers are challenging to get off – so hard in fact that sometimes they're handed down from car owner to car owner. Whether your customer wants to take off an outdated sticker that no longer appeals to them or wants to remove relics from previous owners, a heat gun can help. Hold the heat gun over the sticker until the glue beneath becomes soft, then scrape the sticker off the surface and scrub away any residual glue.
Restoring older cars often means replacing panels. These are secured in place with filler or putty that can be difficult to remove. Heating these areas with a heat gun softens the adhesive so you can remove panels without having to resort to using sandpaper, which tends to be labor intensive and fills your workspace with dust.
There are many ways that auto-body shop owners can serve their customers with a heat gun. But before they do, it's important they choose the right automotive heat gun for the job. Check out the selection at Master Appliance to find the right one for your shop today.
