Heat Gun vs Paint: What Temp is Safe?

**Scorpion** · 06-22-2005, 03:00 PM

I have a heat gun and I want to apply heat to remove the rest of the badging on my truck. I`m kind of afraid to hold the gun on the paint too long for fear of burning the paint. If I set the gun on low(450`) can I hold it there for ~5 minutes w/o damaging the paint?

Has anyone ever heard of someone burning their paint with a heat gun? Pictures?

**imported_themightytimmah** · 06-22-2005, 04:51 PM

Keep it moving at all times. If you can`t touch the paint comfortably, thats not a good sign.

**Scorpion** · 06-22-2005, 05:45 PM

Thanks for the response. So basically, I just want to get the surface temp up to about 120F degrees?

**josephclemente** · 06-22-2005, 06:34 PM

Have you tried using dental floss and WD-40? That has worked flawlessly for me. Some use fishing line.

I have used "Stretch Magic" (clear, elastic cord) from Michaels for this purpose and it works very easily.

**foxtrapper** · 06-23-2005, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by deezr

Has anyone ever heard of someone burning their paint with a heat gun?

Old house restoration folks intentionally burn paint off with heat guns all the time. I use mine for that. Shoot, I can start wood on fire with my heat gun.

300 degrees is about the limit for most paints. Above that, and they start to fail.

For working on a car, I wouldn`t use a heat gun, I`d use a blow drier. The temperature is lower and you`re less likely to do damage.

Keep the gun always moving. Start out too far away, and work your way in until it`s just effective.

**schoi** · 06-23-2005, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by foxtrapper

Old house restoration folks intentionally burn paint off with heat guns all the time. I use mine for that. Shoot, I can start wood on fire with my heat gun.

300 degrees is about the limit for most paints. Above that, and they start to fail.

For working on a car, I wouldn`t use a heat gun, I`d use a blow drier. The temperature is lower and you`re less likely to do damage.

Keep the gun always moving. Start out too far away, and work your way in until it`s just effective.

Yup. Blow drier and dental floss - that`s what I`ve done before.

**the other pc** · 06-23-2005, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by foxtrapper

...Shoot, I can start wood on fire with my heat gun...

Back before they banned smoking in workplaces we had a guy who always came into our lab to light cigarettes with the heat guns.

I`ve used heat guns to sweat solder onto copper pipes.

PC.

**Accumulator** · 06-23-2005, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by Veri

Yup. Blow drier and dental floss - that`s what I`ve done before.

I *have* overheated the hairdryer before doing that though... a little 3M Adhesive Remover will make the job easier.

But it`s not like you`ll need to heat the adhesive for five minutes to soften it, emblems have always come off rather easily for me.

**Bill D** · 06-23-2005, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

I *have* overheated the hairdryer before doing that though

Yep, same here

Luckily, the hair dryer did "resurrect" and that was using it to soften a new vinyl hood mask at the time.

**Tasty** · 06-23-2005, 06:11 PM

Here`s another vote for dental floss or fishing line. That`s exactly how I removed the badging on my truck. I didn`t want to risk damage with heat gun.

**Scorpion** · 06-24-2005, 10:21 AM

Thanks guys. Before posting this thread I had done both side letterings. I used a heat gun very carefully, dental floss, and Goof Off TM. The problem is that everything I used only lossened the chrome letters from the adhesive padding underneath and left 99.99% of the padding. The padding is the hardest thing to get off. Goof Off TM works good but I used the entire aerosol can just to do the sides. I was hoping that there was a safe way to heat only the metal under the adhesive padding to bypass all the tedious labor. I keep forgetting that boiling water may be an option. I will try that on the back letters and let you all know how it turns out. Again, thanks.

**Scorpion** · 06-24-2005, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Bill D

Yep, same here

Luckily, the hair dryer did "resurrect" and that was using it to soften a new vinyl hood mask at the time.

Re: Overheated Hairdryer

Most late model hairdryers have built in thermal protection. They will turn off automatically and reset once the unit cools sufficiently.

**salty** · 06-25-2005, 09:36 AM

I use a heat gun on paint everyday. 5min is way too long. The decal or emblem will soften before you have paint damage.

I take a plastic knife or plastic razor blade and heat until the vinyl of the emblem peels with the blade and then give it a one second blast of heat, peel with blade then one second blast and peel and so on. When the lettering is off , let it cool a little and use a mild solvent like Varsol to remove the glue.