Is it possible to use a a regular iron or soldering gun instead of a heat gun to seal plastic foils?

Answer 1

No a soldering gun or a regular iron will only be effective if you touch it to the plastic and the metal will be too hot the and plastic will only melt.

I've used hair dryers and they work...for heat shrinking packages. If you use a hair dryer you have to put it closer to the plastic than a heat gun and move it quickly or the plastic will shrink too quickly and split.

If you are trying to seal plastic then one uses a hot wire similar to those used on a shrink wrap machine.

They use a similar system on those little machines for sealing plastic bags for food. If you can find one of those machines used (I see them all the time at places like Salvation Army or Goodwill), then you should be able to figure a way to seal the plastic.

Heat guns are used to shrink the plastic..as in shrink wrap packaging....hot wires are use to actually bond the plastic. Timing is critical: to little time and plastic will not seal to much and plastic just melts (no seal) and also am out of heat. The hotter the wire the less time in sealing the cooler the wire the more time needed to seal plastic.

I made my own shrink wrap machine..if you have any questions you can E-mail me.

Good luck

Master Quark

Answer 2

I assume you intend to seal plastic foil in the thickness of typical polyethylene bags...? In this case, a soldering iron would be too hot and burn right through, using a pressing iron is messy - plastic will stick to it, and a hair dryer may not be hot enough.
And why use a heat gun? There are devices especially for sealing plastic foil, and they are not too expensive.
See
http://www.clevelandequipment.com/index.php?id=6&gclid=CJvizYO2oIYCFQ--Pgodmj45tw
....or go to people who sell small kitchen appliances and get one of those freezer bag sealers.

Answer 3

Not knowing the need or design intended I suggest that any DIRECT heat source will cause the material to adhere to that heat source. Indirect heat seems to be proper, and may be accomplished with a hair dryer if the temp needed to do the job is adequate. A Heat Gun usually has multiple heat settings, focuses its radiance or forced air heat directly, requires caution, and should give the proper, satisfactory results.


Rev. Steven