REALLY HOT Hot Air Guns - RF Cafe Forums

The original RF Cafe Forums were shut down in late 2012 due to maintenance issues - primarily having to spend time purging garbage posts from the board. At some point I might start the RF Cafe Forums again if the phpBB software gets better at filtering spam.

Below are the old forum threads, including responses to the original posts.

-- Amateur Radio
-- Anecdotes, Gripes & Humor
-- Antennas
-- CAE, CAD, & Software
-- Circuits & Components
-- Employment & Interviews
-- Miscellany
-- Swap Shop
-- Systems
-- Test & Measurement
-- Webmaster

maxwell
 Post subject: REALLY HOT Hot Air Guns
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:08 am 
 
General
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2003 6:59 pm
Posts: 53
Location: Boston
Don't know if this is more serious than funny, but a couple days ago we had a guy melt a hole in his lab notebook computer with one of the hot air torches we use for installing and removing surface mount ICs. Wasn't paying attention while holding the nozzle in one hand and fiddling with the PCB with the other. Computer sitting nearby - funny smell - too late! Nearly new $1,500 computer with a huge hole in it and for some reason it doesn't work any more. :roll:

I've always been leery of those hot air torches. I wonder how many eyeballs have been fried or hair and eyelashes set on fire with those things? I've got my share of soldering iron scars on my fingers from stupid tricks over the many years ( :cry: ), but man, I'd hate to screw up with that air torch.

Anyone else got a tale about those things? Please vote in my poll guys. Thanks!


 
   
 
Ralph Zappa
 Post subject:
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 8:46 am 
 
Colonel
User avatar

Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 6:43 pm
Posts: 28
Location: U.K.
After 30 years on the bench, I have done some pretty dumb things to myself with soldering irons, wire cutters, and have a shiny spot on my forefinger from using one of the heat guns that does the coax cable termination with the little blob of solder inside (terminates the shield).

One thing I have always worried a little about was all the flux vapor I have inhaled over the years. That can't be good for you, but I do not remember seeing any article about it. Gee, maybe I should do a Google Search now that I think about it. I shall report back later on that if I find anything.

Ralph




Posted  11/12/2012