Heat Gun Alternative Can You Substitute it for a Hair Dryer

Heat Gun Alternative: Can You Substitute it for a Hair Dryer? Can you use a hairdryer as a heat gun? Heat guns, or hot air guns as they are known, are vital tools in projects requiring a heat source. But what if you don't have one? Can you use a hairdryer instead? If you compare a heat gun and an air dryer, you will realize they are similar. Surprisingly, they also sound the same – both are a source of heat. So, can you use a hairdryer instead of a hot air gun? Below, we will examine how these tools work and if you can use one in place of the other. What is a heat gun, and how does it work? Heat guns are used when you need to heat up materials or a surface. They are primarily used when a flame or heating fluid is not ideal. Typically, hot air guns feature a fan that draws in cool air into the gun's body. A heating element heats up the air, and then it is released using a nozzle to the desired subject. Most heat guns have an adjustable temperature setting to control the heat output. There are several types of hot air guns that you can find on the market. They include: Electric heat guns Electric hot air guns are the most common type of heat gun. They use an electric current to power the heating element. They can be corded (connecting directly to electric current) or cordless (utilizing a rechargeable battery). Gas heat guns Gas hot air guns use gas (propane or butane) instead of an electric heating element to heat air. Thus, they are ideal when electric supply is unavailable. However, they tend to be expensive and inconvenient to use (you must constantly top up the gas canisters). Industrial hot air guns Industrial heat guns can either be gas or electric powered (primarily electric). The only difference is their robust construction and higher heat and fan levels. A good example is the electric ceramic heat gun, which produces high heat levels. Laser heat guns Laser hot air guns use infrared light to heat up surfaces and materials instead of hot air. As a result, it can reach up very high temperatures compared to standard electric guns. What is a hairdryer, and how does it work? A hairdryer has a similar make and mechanism to a hot air gun. It features a fan at the base of the tool, which draws in cool air. A heating element is then used to heat the air, which is then directed towards the hair using a nozzle. Just like with the hot air gun, there are different types of hair dryers. They include: Ionic hair dryers Ionic hair dryers generate negative ions when the air is passed through the heating coil. The ions neutralized the positively charged water molecules, significantly reducing drying time. The shorter drying time also helps to mitigate the risk of hair damage. They use a metallic coil as the heating element – mostly a nichrome wire. Ceramic hair dryers Ceramic hair dryers use a ceramic or a porcelain element to heat up the air. The element heats up very quickly and distributes the heat evenly to the air passing through. As a result, it is fast and has a minimal risk of causing hair damage. Titanium hair dryers Titanium hair dryers use a titanium coil as a heating element. The coil heats up very quickly, making the dryer faster than a metallic or ceramic heating coil. However, it is also the most unsafe and can easily damage your hair. Tourmaline hair dryers Tourmaline hair dryers are a new technology that uses tourmaline, a gemstone, in the heating coil. When the air is passed through the gem, it produces negative ions and infrared heat. As a result, the hairdryer is very fast, and at the same time, safer than other options. What is the difference between a hairdryer and a heat gun? Looking at the mechanism of the hot air guns and hair dryers, you'll realize that they are very similar. They are both drawn in cool air using a fan, which gets heated by a heating element. The hot air is then distributed outwards towards the desired subject using a nozzle. So, what is the difference between the two? There are two main differences between hot air guns and hair dryers: 1. The temperatures of the hot air reached The temperature is one of the most significant differences between a heat gun and a hairdryer. Most hair dryers will reach maximum temperatures of about 1400 F - 1500 F. Hot air guns, on the other hand, can get to very high temperatures, from between 1000 F to 11000 F or more. As a result, a typical hot air gun will have a higher temperature compared to a hairdryer. 1. The distribution of the hot air The second difference between hot air guns and is how the hot air is distributed. The difference is brought about by the tip and nozzles used in both tools. For the hairdryer, the tip has a comprehensive design, which diffuses the air outwards and wide. The nozzle attachments also distribute the hot air over a wide area. The reason behind this is to increase the drying time while reducing the heat hitting specific parts of your hair. Therefore, your hair dries faster with a reduced risk of heat damage. However, when it comes to the hair gun, the design is the opposite. The hot air guns come with a smaller nozzle compared to hair dryers. As a result, it can concentrate the hot air over a small space, thus increasing heat intensity. Heat guns also come with several nozzle options to further control the heat distribution. For example, there is a reducer nozzle to concentrate the heat further. Alternatively, you can use the reflector nozzle to spread out the hot air. But even with these reflector nozzles, the heat intensity is still high compared to hair dryers. Can you use a hairdryer for shrink-wrapping? Shrinkwrapping is one of the top uses of heat guns. It involves covering an object with a plastic film, which is then sealed with heat. As the heat reaches the film, it shrinks, wrapping snugly around the thing. Shrinkwrapping requires hot air of around 80 degrees Celsius. Therefore, at the highest temperature settings, you could potentially use your hairdryer for the task. However, it is less efficient and much slower compared to a hot air gun. Can you use a hairdryer to dry paint? Heat guns are great for removing paint, with the hot air under high pressure forcing it to peel of the walls. However, peeling paint is not an easy task for the hairdryer unless it is already chipping. But what about drying the paint? DIYers usually use heat to increase the paint drying times. The hot air guns are the preferred tools for this task, but only in a low heat setting. As a result, a hairdryer can do an excellent job drying your paint and can even be a better tool than a heat gun. This is because the hairdryer is limited in the amount of heat it produces. As a result, there is a lower risk of the paint peeling off as you dry it. Can you use a hairdryer instead of a heat gun for epoxy resin? Epoxy resin is used in creating coatings and is mainly applied on floors, furniture, and other surfaces. One problem with the wax is that it can tend to cure too slowly. Several DIYers have thus resulted in using hot air guns, with the high heat temperatures helping to reduce the curing time. Unfortunately, the hairdryer cannot achieve high temperatures. As a result, it might not deliver great results when curing the epoxy resin. Also, the wide air distribution can move the epoxy resin too much or even blow dust all over the wet polish. Nonetheless, some DIYers looking for more movement and distribution in their epoxy resin tend to prefer the hairdryer. What is the ideal tool for crafts – a hairdryer or a heat gun? Arts and crafts is another area where hot air guns come in handy. They help perform tasks such as gluing. The hot air is also excellent at cleaning sticky substances off your surface after you are done. So, can you use a hairdryer as a heat gun during craft projects? Yes, you can. As long as the project doesn't require too much heat, the hairdryer will work perfectly. However, a heat gun might be a better alternative when working with hard materials such as plastic and acrylic. When can you use a hairdryer but not a heat gun? We have been looking at instances where you can use a hairdryer instead of a heat gun. But are there situations where the hairdryer is a better option than a hot air gun? Yes, there are a few cases. They include: Removing labels and stickers from objects or surfaces Removing candle wax and crayons from furniture and walls Removing wrinkles from clothes Drying vegetables after cleaning them Removing wallpapers, murals, and other sticky material from walls Heating up under the bed covers during the cold season Drying nail paint In each of these cases, the low heat from a hairdryer is ideal. However, a hot air gun set at a low temperature can also perform some of these tasks. When can you use a heat gun instead of a hairdryer? What about using a heat gun instead of a hairdryer? Can it dry out your hair? A hot air gun will have roughly the same temperature setting as the hairdryer at the lowest heat settings. Therefore, theoretically speaking, it could work. However, when it comes to practical applications, such a move is a bad idea. You have to remember that heat guns are designed to concentrate heat over a small area. On the other hand, Hairdryers distribute their heat widely, thus reducing the risk of heat damage. On top of that, hair dryers have mechanisms to evenly heat the air, thus allowing for slow and gentle drying. A heat gun lacks these mechanisms. Using a heat gun on your hair is most likely to guarantee hair damage. Even under the lowest settings, hot air guns are not safe to use. What are other excellent alternatives for a heat gun? The hairdryer can act as an ideal alternative to a heat gun in several scenarios. But are there other alternatives you can use? You can employ other excellent substitutes if you don't have both a hot air gun and a hairdryer. These include: A butane torch – the torch can be an excellent substitute when doing shrink wrapping. You can also use it for crafts, removing sticky items from surfaces, paint curing, etc. An alcohol burner can be equipped with a metal funnel to create hot air steam. This can serve as an excellent substitute for a hot air gun. However, to be on the safe side, you should not attempt to use it in place of a hairdryer. Making one is also a lot of work. A soldering iron can be a great source of heat for small surfaces that require precise heating. However, unlike a hot air gun, it works on direct heat contact. Laser engraver – laser engravers produce infrared heat that can be an excellent substitute for heat guns. However, the infrared beam is highly concentrated, so it will only work for small areas. Lighters and matches – Lighters and matches can be an excellent heat source for quick and minor projects. However, they also work on direct heating. Plus, you have to be extra careful with the material you are heating – and your fingers. Other alternative heat sources you can use in place of a heat gun include a cloth iron, hair curling iron, a light bulb (incandescent one), etc. Verdict – can you use a hairdryer in place of a heat gun? From the above information, it is pretty clear that you can use a hairdryer instead of a heat gun in specific scenarios. However, this will only work when you don't need high temperatures. Unfortunately, most heat gun projects require high temperatures, which the hairdryer rarely achieves. Therefore, even if it works in these cases, it will not be as efficient as a hot air gun.