Looking for Alternative to expensive Shrink-wrap torch/gun

crazy charlie

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May 22, 2003
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5,352
Anyone ever used anything other than a $500-1000 shrink-wrap gun to shrink ?? Bought some shrink-wrap on clearance but Im not looking to spend big bucks on a gun.Was told the cheapie torch sold at Harbor freight worked well but it was from an unreliable source.Anyone??
 

crazy charlie

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May 22, 2003
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5,352
The heat gun wont work when wrapping a boat or it just wont work the boat cover type of shrink-wrap.I tried a while back to just tighten up a small section with no luch at all.Needs a torch to do it right.
 

crazy charlie

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May 22, 2003
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Yep dingbat,thats the cheapie I was referencing. Just dont know if thats gonna shrink or burn up my boat
 

ahicks

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Sep 16, 2013
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When messing with a flame like you're going to need to shrink as much film as you're talking about to do a boat, I would say your boat is going to be at risk. That said, I used a Harbor Freight torch to do my first one this season after having watched it done a couple times by guys that were pretty good at it. They burned holes/overheated the film just like I did! Job went well for the most part. My best advice would be to not try doing it in anything but near calm conditions. Wind makes things too unpredictable, will test your patience, and that's when you overheat the material.....
 

crazy charlie

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May 22, 2003
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Thats the gun I was referring to,so if you say it works.....for $35 I will give it a shot
 

roscoe

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Oct 30, 2002
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21,657
I would suggest you practice.

Try it on a couple of old bikes, a wagon, or a couple metal garbage cans.

Do NOT try wrapping the wooden picnic table, or the wife car.
 

roffey

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Nov 22, 2012
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doesn't the wife get hot under all that heat and plastic?
 

roffey

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Nov 22, 2012
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2,187
Me, I find the wife keeps much fresher when shrinked wrapped. Only problem is the neighbor seems to gossip a bit about it.
 

Old Ironmaker

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Dec 28, 2015
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For the price a pro charges here, 15 bucks CDN a foot for my 19'6" StarCraft it's not worth the money I need to spend for materials that I would probably ruin as I would only do it once a year. Sometimes it's worth it to pay the pro's. This is one of those times.
 
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