A History of Heat and the Heat Gun: Uses and Applications

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It’s no surprise that heat has played a vital role in humanity’s development. For centuries, ancient peoples used the power of heat to create. Ancient humans in South Africa as far back as the Middle Stone Ages (65,000 years ago), for example, heated silcrete—a “strongly indurated rock composed mainly of inherited quartz grains and a siliceous cement”—in order to “more easily obtain blades from the core material.”

Researchers from the University of Bergen came to this discovery by implementing a non-destructive method to analyze artifacts from the Klipdrift Shelter, a recently discovered site dating back to the Middle Stone Age located in the Cape of South Africa. Although the image of an individual using heat to create something isn’t too far-fetched, this particular discovery uncovered the fact that humans had been using the power of heat for far longer than we first thought. In fact, according to the study, this intentional heat treatment has “no known contemporaneous equivalent elsewhere.”

How Heat Has Permeated Throughout Human History

The rest of human history will eventually catch up and begin using heat to further improve the livelihood and survival of ancient civilizations. In the Bronze Age, for example, civilizations smelted copper in order to alloy with other metals such as tin or arsenic. Heat has also been used to mold metals in order to create weapons, armor, and so much more.

Fast-forward to today and the importance of heat is as prevalent as ever. Whether you’re in the automotive industry or you’re simply taking on a home improvement project, you’ll eventually require the use of heat. But there’s a dilemma that many face when the need for heat arises. How do you manifest heat without using an open flame? Sure, there are instances in which an open flame is required to accomplish the task at hand (torch down roofing, for instance), but there are others where an open flame can lead to catastrophic results.

Harness the Power of Heat with Our Heat Guns

In order to satiate the risk of an open flame, you can consider using a heat gun. As their name suggests, heat guns are tools that blow consistent hot air. This is achieved in a flameless, electric manner. Just because these tools don’t use an open flame doesn’t mean they’re wimpy. In fact, most entry-level heat guns can produce temperatures of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Best of all, many heat guns give you the ability to adjust the temperature so you can accomplish your tasks without missing a step!

Here, at HST Cable Management Products, we understand the needs of our clients and, as such, we stock the best variable heat guns in our inventory to make your project go off without a hitch.

A Brief Rundown of Heat Guns

While heat guns may look like modified hair dryers, the former is much, much more powerful. They’re not too dissimilar from their hairdryer cousins, however. They both pull in air with a fan and drive it across a heating element. Once the air is properly heated, it is sent out through a nozzle. Although using a heat gun may seem rather self-explanatory, it’s still necessary to understand exactly how to use the device.

Heat Gun Safety

Paint stripping is of the most popular uses for heat guns so let’s go over the best, safest way to perform this task. First and foremost, make sure to wear long sleeves and work gloves whenever you operate the heat gun. Also, have a fire extinguisher nearby. Although heat guns are flameless, they still produce high levels of heat which can result in fires. It’s always best to be safe than sorry. You wouldn’t want to burn down a piece of the wall while paint stripping, after all.

Now that you’re all prepared, it’s time to get to work. Hold your heat gun at a 45-degree angle from wherever you’re working and make sure to never keep the gun in one place for too long. Make sure to pay close attention to the state of the paint. Once it starts bubbling, move the gun away and strip the paint with a scraper. Continue the process until all the paint is properly stripped off. Make sure to not burn the paint! Although this process tends to work incredibly well, there will be instances where paint removal will be difficult. Instead of risking burning the paint, simply sand these problem spots later on.

Contact HST Cable Management Products, Today!

It’s incredible to think about how far-reaching the benefits of heat application are. From improving the creation of blades from indurated rock in ancient times to simplifying the act of stripping paint in our modern day, the positives of heat seem neverending. It’s exciting to wonder about how we’ll continue to use heat applications in the future. For today, however, you can harness the power of heat in its most efficient form by arming yourself with a high-grade heat gun from HST Cable Management Products. Give us a call today to learn more!