26 Handy Uses Of Heat Gun

Have you ever wondered why professional craftsmen or DIYers, or even novices own a heat gun? The heat gun is basically considered a versatile and well handy tool that is useful for most applications.

Basically, if you have a workshop, then it is extremely important for you to have a heat gun. It allows you to complete a plethora of task-related to home improvement, removing stickers or paint, or any other related activity.

Heat guns typically look like hairdryers but should never be used for drying hair. However, their way of operating is quite similar as both produce hot air, at temperatures between 100 degrees Celsius and 550 degrees celsius.

It offers warm heat in more quantities as compared to a hairdryer. There are basically two types of heat guns- one which is powered by gas and another one which is powered by electricity. Most people prefer electric heat guns as compared to gas as the former offer a lot of benefits.

Amazing Ways You Can Put Your Heat Gun to Use

We have listed for you some of the best possible uses of heat guns, and this will probably motivate you to invest in one.

Paint Stripping-

Stripping Paint with a heat gun

A heat gun is mostly used to strip old paint from various woodwork such as furniture. In fact, it was originally purchased to strip paint and therefore are often labeled as paint strippers on most retail sites.

Dried paint is challenging to remove and often requires tools and chemicals to get the job completed. However, heat can ensure that this task is done quickly. Hot air from the heat gun softens and melts the paint, making it easier to be removed or cleaned from the surface.

The best thing about this method is that it is completely environment friendly. Moreover, the heat guns are quite helpful to remove large paints from a whole wall. They are also good for cleaning drops of paint from the floor after the completion of a project.

It is quite common that after working on a painting task, there are some drops of paint on the floor, even if you take appropriate measures. A heat gun can come in handy over here.

Removing Stickers Or Wallpapers, Adhesives-

Stickers and wallpapers are both wonderful things to be pasted on the wall. They give your room a beautiful touch and enhance its overall aesthetic. However, after some time, you perhaps want to remove them so that you can place new ones.

A heat gun can be of great help over here as it would soften the stickers and wallpapers so that you can easily clean them from the surface. In fact, while removing wallpaper, they are well-handy as they melt the glue and burn the paper off.

This is useful for the highly textured type of paper or wood chips with layers of paint. Adhesives are designed to be ductile for a short duration of time, and then they dry to create a solid hold.

It is considered suitable when you want to secure two things together, but when the time comes for separation, the adhesive can become problematic. However, most adhesives or glue seems to melt from the heat, which makes a heat gun an easy solution to the problem.

Roasting Coffee Beans-

roasting coffee beans with a heat gun

A cup of coffee will taste even much better and flavorful if you roast your own coffee beans. It allows your coffee to have the rich aroma and taste of the natural beans.

If you have your own heat gun, then this process is quite simple for you- simply lay out the beans on a heat-resistant tray or pan and then use the gun in a circular motion. When you hear the first rupture, then you remove the heat gun. But if you enjoy a dark cup of coffee, you roast for a few minutes more.


If you live in a cold environment, where even pipes get frozen, then you should probably own a heat gun. Because when you are not able to thaw the frozen pipe on time, then your whole piping system and infrastructure can get damaged.

In some other cases, your frozen pipe may already be ruptured, and water is pouring onto the floor or into the walls. Ice can further make it problematic for you to clean the broken pieces.

The heat gun can basically thaw the frozen pipe, and then you can start the process of repairing it. However, you need to move it along the frozen area and not keep it in a single position for a long time. Lastly, you can use the heat gun on the deep freezer, gutter systems, or even on frozen trucks or cars.


molding plastic with a heat gun

Heat guns can be utilized to prepare substances that are required to be soothed before they are actually shaped, such as composites or plastics. These kinds of materials are found in most places, such as consumer shops, hobby shops, or industrial applications. Some of its examples are – Auto-body repair- Sooth out the scratched inside plastics and reshape the bumpers which are bent.

Composites- Mold, heat, and cure composite materials of different kinds DIY hobbies- Craft small things for the construction of drones or other things which require small pieces of plastics. Contracting- Shape and heat the PVC pipe for a particular requirement.

Drying Wood-

There are times when you have completed the wooden work and are waiting for it to dry, but suddenly there is a downpour. But don’t worry, we have a simple solution for this.

You can make use of the heat gun to dry the wooden work so that you can finish off the task. Also, remember when using the heat gun, make sure the temperature is low and not higher than 200 degrees. If you increase the temperature, you will end up with a pile of charred wood.

Addressing Nuts And Bolts Which Are Rusted-

Addressing Nuts And Bolts with a heat gun

In DIY, nothing is considered more frustrating than removing a rusted bolt. Not only does the process of oxidation act as a strong adhesive, but if you apply too much pressure while removing, then you will wreck the bolt head.

Here a heat gun is a good choice, as it will break the rust down and make it easier for you to expand it. This will enable you to replace the bolt.

Repairing Electrical Items, Especially Mobile phones-

Most of the electrical appliance consists of a one circuit board or one motherboard consisting of a set of instruction to operate the device. If any part of the circuit goes down, the whole machine becomes useless.

Here is when a heat gun comes to help you out. If you are a technician and you often repair mobile phones, having a heat gun is like a cherry on the top. Heat is one of the best tools for mobile repairing, especially when you have to remove the screen continually.

Heat gun softens the adhesive and makes it too easy to remove the phone’s display safely. Not only just the screen, but you can also even use this thing to remove damaged parts from the circuit board.


using heat for Crafting

A heat gun is a flexible yet reasonable apparatus that is ready to fill various parts, from crafting, heat embossing to normal art and craft. Despite the fact that most models appear to be comparative, the best heat gun stands separated in light of the fact that it carries more to the table than the opposition.

Remember that any heat gun is risky during (and after) use and should be dealt with cautiously until the spout has cooled to keep away from accidental fires or undesirable softening. They may look like hairdryers yet way more hotter.

Car Wrapping-

One of the most famous uses of a heat gun is car wrapping. Wrapping car is a part of pop culture. It’s more like an external covering of a thin layer of vinyl sheet.

Now with the help of a heat gun and vinyl sheet, you can change the color of your car at any time. So whenever you feel bored and want some change, grab a heat gun and go ahead.

Anyways let’s talk about the process. Applying vinyl sheets is not an easy task. You need to be more patience as well as skilled. You don’t want to damage your car due to access heat.

Heat Shrink Plastic Tubing-

using heat gun for Heat Shrink Plastic Tubing

Many plumbers use this helpful gadget to reshape or shrink plastic tubes and connectors. Most of this thing is used to bend the pipes and when you need to create a joint between two pipes.

With a little practice, you can use a heat gun to curl or twist a piece of PVC pipe at pretty much any point without utilizing any types of cement or elbow joints.

On the off chance that you get the hang of this, it can accelerate occupations since you don’t need to trust that sealant will dry or nip out to the handymen vendors for that connector you neglected to purchase!

Shrink Wrapping-

If we talk about shrink-wrapping, the first thing that will come to your mind is a heat gun. Using heat guns is the most effortless approach to shrink wrap.

Regardless of whether you’re wrapping up food, securing books during a move, or fixing up stock, a heat gun takes care of all these businesses quickly.

Shrink wrapping with a heat gun is so much easy and faster heat gun than utilizing a hairdryer. Be cautious; however, you will be astonished at exactly how rapidly it functions.

Drying Wood-

You can use a heat gun to dry many things. On the off chance that you need to paint or record wood that is somehow gotten wet or soggy, a heat gun is the quickest, most effortless approach to dry it.

Use a heat gun at a low temperature setting around 200 degrees F and gradually move it to and fro with the grain of the wood. In the event that you get excessively close or allowed the gun to get excessively hot, you could sear the wood, so be cautious.

Candle making or Melting Wax-

Each one of us knew this fact that how satisfying to see the wax melting through the candle. When you accidentally drip wax on the floor, the main problem pops up. How to remove it without damaging the floor?

Use a heat gun to melt the wax and then instantly wipe it down. Rather than discarding flame bumps that actually have an inch of wax left in the base. Now you can collect it and remelt it to form some more cool wax figures.

Repurpose Old Silverware-

You can really do a ton with old silverware. Use the heat gun to twist the center into whatever shape you need for your venture. Rings and armbands made of old spoons are quite famous.

Likewise, you can make divider snares for a fascinating method to hang up pictures or even to use as a coat snare.

Defrosting Freezers-

Ice develops inside your refrigerator, destroys its productivity, and exhausts the blower, which can ultimately prompt disappointment. Thus, when you see an overabundance of frozen water, you should immediately thaw out.

If you ever tried to remove the ice from the freezer, I bet you it was a time-devouring work, but you can quickly get rid of ice with the heat gun. A heat gun permits you to quickly liquefy the ice, empowering you to restore your steaks back into the machine before they corrupt.

Keep the hot air machine moving over the ice — and never leave it unattended or zeroed in on one position. It would be best to use a heat gun at a low-temperature setting because too high a temperature can damage the freezer.


These are some of the common 26 uses for a heat gun. So, basically, a heat gun is a must-have tool at home as it can make many things simpler for you.

If there is a tool that all contractors, hobbyists, repairmen, and homeowners can benefit from, it is the heat gun. I hope you like this article… if you like it please it with your friend, family, and DIYers circle.

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