7
REMOVING PAINT
Efficientpaint removal requires the
developmentof technique. Follow the
guidelinesin this manual and youʼll find
thatyou will have mastered the procedure
aftera few simple projects.
Turnon the tool and hold the nozzle about
oneinch (25mm) from the surface to be
stripped,as shown in figure C. (Give the
unitabout 15-20 seconds running time to
reachits full heat potential.) The paint
beingheated will usually begin to blister
whenit reaches the proper temperature
forstripping. When it reaches this point
beginscraping with smooth, even strokes.
Ifthe paint is sufficiently hot and the
scraperis properly suited to the surface
beingstripped, the paint should come off
ina strip equal to the full width of the
scraper.Move the unit slightly ahead of
thescraper to assure that the paint being stripped is softened.
Bestresults will be achieved if the heat gun is moved slowly,but constantly, fromside to
sideto evenly distribute heat. Do not linger or pause in onespot.
Rememberthat splinters and small particles of strippedpaint can be ignited and blown
throughholes and cracks in the surface being stripped.
HINTSABOUT PAINTSTRIPPING
Asmooth, downward scraping action willgive good results and will help to prevent
gougingthe work surface.
Withsome paints, prolonged heating will actually makethem tougher to strip. Try a few
differentheating times until you develop the techniquebest suited to your particular
application.
Theheat gun is designed to remove both oil based and latex basedpaints.
Itwill not remove stains or primer coats that have impregnatedthe wood grain.
Scrapepaint as soon as it softens, it will soon cool and hardenagain. Clean the edge of
yourscraper often to retain a clean, sharp edge. Shieldareas adjacent to where youʼre
scraping.For example: shield the door with nonflammablematerials if youʼre stripping the
doorframe.
Donʼtconcentrate the tools heat on a window pane or otherglass surface. Excessive heat
maycrack the glass. Use some nonflammable material toshield the glass when stripping
thewindow frame.
OTHER USES
Forhands free operation, use the heat
gunstand as shown in figure D.
Asidefrom stripping paint, your heat gun
hasa wide array of other uses. Use it for
softeninglinoleum and floor tile and for
looseningheat sensitive adhesives. Itʼs
perfectfor use with heat shrinkable tubing
andanywhere you need a portable heat
source.You can even use it to thaw
frozenmetal water pipes.
Automotiveuses include reducing set up
timeon body fillers or drying time on
paints(the product manufacturerʼs
recommendationsmust be followed.)
Cautionmust be exercised around
gasoline,automotive fluids, tires, gaskets,
upholsteryand hoses, etc. to prevent
damageor fires. Be constantly aware
thatthis tool can ignite flammable
C
D