Heat Gun Alternatives | Use 8 Effective Alternative Instead of a Heat Gun

Nowadays, heat gun uses in multi-purpose works like home improvement, phone rapier, DIY, and various other works. If you don’t have a heat gun, it’s okay. You can replace it with some options, and you can also make one of these heat gun alternatives on your own.

Alternative Tools Are:

• Hair Dryer
• Butane Torches and Propane Torches
• Alcohol Burner
• Soldering Iron
• Looft Lighter
• Lighter
• Clothing Iron
• Incandescent bulbs

No tools can fully replace by an alternative that’s as well goes for the heat gun. Either you have to adjust comfortability or heat temperature if you need options.

#8 Effective Heat Gun Alternatives

1. Hair Dryer

A hairdryer or blow dryer is definitely a handy substitute for a heat gun. However, the hairdryer doesn’t provide massive heat in a short time like a heat gun. A Hairdryer will generally work better for higher airflow and a lower risk of burning any materials for all other applications.

When you don’t need a vast heated area, a good quality hairdryer can do the job easily. The only disadvantage is if you aimed wrong, it could be blown pieces.

There is a vast difference between a heat gun vs. a hairdryer in the matter of producing temperatures. Standard heat guns emit 100°C to 550°C, and commercials can rich up to 760°C. On the other site, a hairdryer can only archive 100°C to 250°C maximum. You can see the difference in number. However, you can use it as an alternative.

You can use a hairdryer as an alternative for paint drying, plastic bending, embossing, and sometimes phone repairing. I suggest you use the old one for these works if you don’t want any risk.

2. Butane Torches and Propane Torches

Butane torches producing heat is up to 1430 °C, and propane torch can reach up to 2000 °C, which is an immense heat. At these temperatures, you can easily melt aluminum, copper, and other common metals.

It also produces enough heat to vaporize organic compounds. These torches often use for soldering, plumbing, brazing, and home repairs. So, you can easily use butane or propane torches as an alternative to a heat gun.

Yes, you can use a torch as an alternative, but there are some massive differences between a heat gun and torch. To know more about differences, you can click here to read the heat gun Vs torch article.

3. Alcohol Burner

Alcohol Burner stove can be a handy alternative because it produces a good number of heats. Specifically, it would be best to have an alcohol burner or a gas burner because it has only heat, not smoke or soot. You can buy these burner stoves online or make them on your own. It’s a simple but effective solution.

First, you need a fire-resistant surface; otherwise, if the alcohol drops into the surface and if it isn’t fire-resistant, you know the consequence. So, safety first. After that, pour some alcohol inside the stove. It’s okay if you spill alcohol drops around the stove.

Now light it up, and then you will see the flames come out of all the side opening. Then put a coin on the center so that the coin can prevent the fire from coming out of it.

Then, you need to install a metal funnel upside down on a burner stove. It will simplify your task and helps to come up with the heat in one direction.

Obviously, you won’t wish to see the flames coming out of the funnel head, so lift it slightly higher.

You can lift the funnel slightly up by adding two bars on both sides of the stove. For these bars, you can use wood, cement block, etc.

4. Soldering Iron

Soldering Iron is an excellent heat gun alternative for phone repairing. It usually uses for the motherboard and stuffs like these repairing. Soldering iron can reach 200°C to 480°C and melts at approximately 185°C temperature, which is a decent heat. 

Here I attached a video that shows how you can modify a Soldering Iron into a heat gun by following some easy steps, and you can get the alternative solution of a heat gun.

5. Looft Lighter

Looftlighter can be an effective choice. A good quality looft lighter can reach up to 1100°C. It mainly uses for light charcoals. Looftlighter is safe and easy to use, but the only problem is it’s expensive. The benefit of looft lighter is it doesn’t produce any flame, chemical, and gas just like a heat gun.

6. Lighter

Disposable butane lighters could potentially produce flames up to 2000°C, which is an immense heat. Not only butane lighters, but you can use any type of lighter. A heater lighter is a good option too, and it’s similar to butane torches. It’s an easy and handy substitute for a heat gun.

7. Clothing Iron

Clothing Iron can produce good heat, but there is a uses limitation. Clothing iron has enough heat to emboss, and you can use it as a substitute for embossing. Plug the iron wait for heat up, and uses it slowly and comfortably on your object.

You can’t use it in most cases. But if there is any chance of use, you can definitely use it.

8. Incandescent bulbs

Incandescent bulbs produce 90% of their energy as heat, and it is approximately 4000°F. A fully heated light bulb can produce heat, but you have to wait for a long time to heat it fully. It will take time to produce heat. Also, there is a uses limitation.

Make a homemade alcohol burner in 6 easy steps

Step-1. Always go for larger diameter cans. The bigger the cans are, the more space you have, and the aluminum will be slightly thicker. So use two large and thick cans.

Step-2. Use a pushpin to make wholes, don’t use a large pin or other big tools. Otherwise, the hole will be big, and the flame will come out vastly, and it will be fast wastages of fuel.

Step-3. Put a hole right in the center of the can with the pushpin. You can use a little woodblock as a hammer. Make 5 holes in the center and use any tools to make the first center hole bigger after making 16 holes outside the edge.

Step-4. Now you have a can with holes, and the other one doesn’t. It would be best if you cut them both to the straight, clean, and same size. After cutting the cans into two same-size pieces, use others to modify and attach to make one. Use a needle nose to tweak it up an inch on the same depth down on the bite.

Step-5. Now take some fiberglass insulation and pack this down inside of this bottom can. Fit in up to soak the liquid up. Now put the upper part with the vents right on top and attach it. Now, if you have a little bit of excess metal, just rotate it over with your thumb or some tools so that the edges can be smooth and well attached.

Step-6. The final step is filling your burner with alcohol. Slowly fill it up, don’t rush because you don’t want to see the alcohol comes out of the burner and drop into your table. Now light it up, and there you go, your alcohol burner is ready.

I also add a third-party video in case you fill any problems.

FAQs

Conclusion:

Here I try to present a few alternatives or solutions that can fulfill your requirement but not in all the cases and purposes. Sometimes the alternative performs well, and sometimes they don’t.

For small DIY projects, an alcohol burner is excellent, and an embossing purpose iron and hairdryer is suitable. By modifying soldering iron, you can make a heat gun, and this alternative can really help you if you can make it right. You can use other options according to their heat temperature and uses conditions.

I strongly recommend you Instead of any alternative you should buy a heat gun. If your working purpose is limited, go for a mini heat gun because they are cheap. You can find a good quality heat gun in 20 dollars only for smaller jobs or less than that. I have written an article about the mini heat gun reviews that are good for smaller works and best for embossing.

Thank you!