Your heat gun can make many tasks easier and faster to complete, but there are ways to make this tool even more helpful. Attachments tailor your heat gun to a specific type of activity. There are many types of heat gun attachments, each with a different purpose. Here are four instances when an attachment can make your project easier, faster or safer:

When you’re working with glass

Glass is a delicate material that can break or weaken when subjected to extreme heat. Glass protection nozzles such as the Window Deflector from Master Appliance deflect the heat away from the pane to safely work in proximity to windows.

Heat guns are helpful tools when giving windows a tune-up. They help soften putty so it can be removed and replaced. High temperatures also soften paint on a wooden surface. If you’re planning on re-puttying or repainting a window sill, a heat gun can make preparing the area faster and easier.

Before adding new caulking or putty to a window, remove the old material.

When you need to target a small area

Some tasks require high heat in a small area outside of which heat would only hinder the project. When bending PVC pipe, for example, heat must be applied to the area where the bend is needed. If the whole pipe is heated, though, it’s harder to place the angle where desired, plus it’s more difficult to handle the PVC.

Reduction nozzles help in this area. By providing a funnel-like nozzle, the heat only exits your appliance in a small diameter, containing the area affected by it. Reduction nozzles come in different sizes, such as the 5/16 Pinpoint Reducer for smaller tasks or the 9/16 Reducer when you need just a little bit bigger of a diameter to be heated.

When you need all-around heating

Tasks like shrinking tubing, warming or thawing pipes and soldering copper pipes require even heat around the circumference of an area. A reflector nozzle like the Shrink Tubing attachment from Master Appliance makes all-around heating simple. As the hot air leaves the heat gun, a metal semi-circle directs it around the item you hold in the center. The heat travels around the item, providing consistent, even warming.

When you’re welding plastic

Plastic welding requires high temperatures and the right material to fasten seams between plastic items. It’s critical that the plastic weld rods are placed correctly, and that they’re heated properly. Plastic welding attachments have three openings: one for the heat gun nozzle, one to guide the plastic rods and an output opening where the heat and plastic will come into contact with the work surface.

Choose the right attachment for your project

There are many different types of heat gun attachments, each appropriate for different situations. Find the one you’re looking for on the Master Appliance online store, or get the heat gun attachment kit, which comes with five nozzles that can make your projects easier.