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Last month I was wrapping Door Panels inside of my car and didn’t had a heat gun for the wrap to bend around I wondered well Can you use a hair dryer as a heat gun? so I started my research so yes for some tasks yes we can use but there are some details we need to get in before saying yes.
Heat Gun and its Uses
Heat gun is an automotive device that is an amazing and incredible tool used for cars in multiple ways. Many tasks are made easier by making use of this device as it is an extremely versatile tool for the auto-body shop vendors. It is used to release a gush of hot air, generally at temperatures between 200 and 1000 Degree-Fahrenheit (100 and 550 Degree-Celsius).
Hotter models of heat guns usually run around 1400 Degree-Fahrenheit (760 Degree-Celsius) that can be easily managed by hand. The body of a heat gun is elongated pointing towards what is to be heated. It has a handle fixed to it and a trigger, in the same design as a hair dryer.
This classic tool consists of an electric fan and a heating element. As compared to a hair dryer, a heat gun is more advanced and more expensive and poses more danger for the users. There are many different models of a heat gun that operate on different temperatures and the airflow is also different.
Many car owners use their vehicles not only for the sake of travelling, but also tend to keep them updated with the style by maintaining the appearance. It can be done by putting additional modifications to the body of the car or by streaking the windows.
A window tint can also be placed evenly using a heat gun and it may also be used to modify a vehicle by applying Vinyl car wrapping. The blemishes and dents on a car can also be fixed by applying heat-activated glue using a heat gun and old adhesives that are challenging to remove can also be removed easily.
Moreover, tasks such as shrink wrapping and stripping paint can also be performed using a heat gun.
Hair Dryer vs Heat Gun
Although the shape of a hairdryer and a heat gun is the same, there is a huge difference between the functioning of the two. An average hairdryer is able to produce heat ranging to a maximum of 100-degree C to 200-degree C. On the other hand, an automotive heat gun can produce heat to a maximum of 750-degree C.
Furthermore, a heat gun comprises of more heat setting options than an average hairdryer which usually has only three setting options. A hairdryer can be used instead of a heat gun, but not on all occasions. On a basic level, both hairdryer and heat gun work in the same way, but the huge difference in their temperature settings makes them function in distinct ways.
Technically, a hairdryer is able to work on the projects that require the heat of a maximum of 100 to 200-degree C such as molding the plastic glasses frames, drying paints, and removing the stickers and labels.
As the motor fixed inside a hairdryer is not meant to work continuously for the time that is required to perform the other tasks such as removal of rusted bolts, floor coverings, frozen locks, and removal of paint. For such tasks, a heat gun is preferable as the airflow is more concentrated than a hairdryer.
Another difference between the two is their ability to complete the tasks quickly. A heat gun produces much heat that finishes a task in one round, while a hairdryer requires two or more than two rounds to complete a job. As far as safety is concerned, a hair dryer is less harmful and dangerous than a heat gun due to its low temperature.
Heat guns are made as power tools and usually have lesser volume air flow as compared to a hair dryer and they normally have a much durable fan motor to allow the use of nozzle additions for particular uses such as heat-shrink wraps and fusing. For drying processes, a hair dryer will typically work well simply for higher air flow and lower risk of burning anything as they are not manufactured as power tools.
For all other procedures, the heat gun is ideal. Another reason for preferring a heat gun is the nozzle. The airflow of a heat gun is much more concentrated than that of a hair dryer. A heat gun is more efficient than a hair dryer as the air is not scattered. While using a hair dryer, the air gets scattered because hair dryers are mainly designed to produce a wide stream of air for drying hair, whereas the air produced by a heat gun is a narrow one.
Speed of the tools also depends on their functioning as heat guns tend to finish a job earlier than a hair dryer. A hair dryer will eventually finish the job, but the user will have to wait with patience to get the job done. One can’t really say that a hair dryer and a heat gun are interchangeable, but in some operations, a hair dryer can be used as an alternative for a heat gun.
The auto-body shop owners can serve their customers and clients with a heat gun in many different ways. However, before that, it is important that they select the appropriate automotive heat gun for the operations. Before using a hair dryer as an alternative to a heat gun, one should thoroughly go through the usage and functioning of both products so that it can be used confidently and correctly.