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Hmmm, I was just a wonderin', can a lil propane torch be used to manlipulate vinyl. Many times I wind up outside, far away from an electrical outlet (holes).
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3816 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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I've got a little Butane torch for those instances where there is no power available. It's pretty small and will sit upright. It's also self igniting.
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
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I've used a propane torch many times in that situation. With a little practice, it works just as good as a heat gun. Make sure you have the self igniting feature George mentioned, and be extra careful where you set it down.
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i use little lighters.. they are like a tiny blow torch and are perfect for that..
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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Alicia, many of the people I talk to who do a lot of big semi work, or wraps, say a torch is better than a heat gun. But I'd have to say it could be a learning experience. It could do a lot of irreparable damage very quickly.
Like George said, use the self-igniting one that shuts off automatically when you let go of the button. I've been burned more times than I care to admit on one of those damn invisible flames.
You might want to do a search....surely there is someone on this board who does this kind of work and has shared information about the do's and don'ts of 'torchmanship'. Good luck.
-------------------- Dale Feicke Grafix 714 East St. Mendenhall, MS 39114
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Posts: 2963 | From: Mendenhall, MS | Registered: Apr 1999
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Gee, what's dat smell? Smells like, like,,,ahhh it's my hair!!!!AHHHHH!!!! And then she flings the propane touch at the Catapilar engine and KABOOM!!!
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3816 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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I also have one of those small butane torches..works great when I need it for something..never thought of using it for vinyl apps..but now that I AM thinking of it...
I watched Rob Ivers do a demo last year..he used a torch..but it had the "fan" attachment on it.
Wonder if there is a fan attachment for the small ones??
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
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I use a torch almost exclusively for vinyl. Its a more concentrated heat and much hotter than a heat gun which makes it ideal for rivets. The concentrated heat softens the vinyl quickly without heating the rivets so much which allows it to cool faster and stay conformed to the shape. You must always keep the flame moving or it will damage vinyl ....really quickly. A torch is much handier for large truck work because there are no cords to worry about.Cords can get real filthy in truck shops and are always a pain to drag around.. KEEP ER MOVIN! And dont forget.....keep the torch moving!!
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About 10 years ago as I was driving I noticed a Guy at the Phone Company remarking all the vans, Frontier had bought them out. He was an installer traveling the state doing all the trucks. He was taking off the old graphics with a propane weed burner, I thought he was nuts, but he said he just keep the flame turned low and never stopped moving, he quickly heated up stripes and logos and had the side of the van clean in no time. I have never been brave enough to use a weed burner but I use a portable camping heater that runs on a small propane bottle so you can hold it in you hand their is no direct flame but the gas burns in a screen and generates a lot of heat. I also use a propane Mr. Heater to do truck doors outside when its below freezing have done one at 15 below zero. I stand the heater on a ladder and direct it at the door, within minutes the door is toasty and ready for vinyl.
-------------------- Silver Creek Signworks Dick Bohrer Two Harbors, MN Posts: 236 | From: Two Harbors, MN USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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I use a propane torch for vinyl all the time. I refer to it as my "cordless heat gun".
I did a job several years ago that involved re-marking a fleet of vans all at once (the company had been sold and changed names - 38 vans and trucks in 4 days!). I was at the customer's location and had been using my torch to heat the vinyl on the doors and it was going well.
Apparently one of the employees saw me and decided to grab his propane torch and "help me out" by stripping the old decals off his van, which led to a spot of blistered paint on the door.
I asked him to make sure his manager knew that it wasn't me that burned the paint off his door...
-------------------- Frank Sanborn Sanborn Signcrafters Charlotte, Michigan Posts: 10 | From: Charlotte, MI | Registered: Aug 2006
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I use one too. it is a small self-standing model that I bought at Home Depot, although I buy my Butane at Walgreens(carry a spare). This is a great little tool. It can get hot at the tip and the advise as above to "keep it movin" is very sound. It may take a little while to get use to handling it, but is well worth the effort.
-------------------- Rich Stebbing RichSigns Rohnert Park CA 707-795-5588 Posts: 755 | From: Rohnert Park, CA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I have one of these handy lil buggers! Lenk manufactured a small, unique torch that had two tanks, about .75 inch in diameter and about five inches long. The miniature of miniatures. On one tank there is the orifice head with a small wick. On the other, there was a rather large wick at the top of it. This wick is huge compared to the wick in a quart tank! It has a much different purpose in the miniature than it has in the quart blow torch. In this miniature, there is no baffle, so there is no way to self sustain the flame. The wick is positioned such that it is directly under the orifice head and it is then lit on fire. The heat produced by the burning wick heats up the orifice head and also conducts down to the tank, heating it up as well. This heating effect causes the fuel to expand which causes a buildup of pressure, thus causing evaporated fuel to escape from the orifice head. The escaping fuel has considerable velocity. Obviously, this escaping fuel will catch on fire in the presence of the burning wick. You must realize that the wick must remain burning for the torch to burn.
The wick is creating the pressure that causes the fuel to escape as well as the heat to keep the torch nurning. The problems with this style miniature are few. Either the orifice gets plugged up or the wick INSIDE the orifice tube deteriorates and rots. A pipe cleaner is an ideal wick for this torch. When removing the old wick, it is common for the old wick to break off inside the orifice head! Fortunately, the orifice head screws off of the orifice tube, thus simplifying the removal of the obstruction.
-------------------- AirbrushBobby.com Clearwater, FL The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.1Cor1:18 “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord”Rom6:23 Posts: 505 | From: Clearwater Florida USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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