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I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

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Dollpimp2018
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I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by Dollpimp2018 »

I purchased a heat gun, I want to make a tongue for my doll. I tried melting TPE and it was very smokey and the TPE didnt melt, it burned. see attached pics :(

how do I set the gun? do I need to put something on the tpe, like baby oil or vaseline? thanks :)
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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by Tybalt »

What is the lowest setting?

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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by Dollpimp2018 »

Tybalt wrote:What is the lowest setting?
200C or 293F and it was taking too long to do anything, so I made it 350C or 662F when it burned. is it an issue of getting the right temp and waiting a long time for it to melt?
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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by amytyl »

Coat it with baby oil, then heat it with the heat gun, using a digital thermometer to monitor the temperature. It gets really soft around 260 F and starts to smoke around 310. Be really careful and keep it wet with mineral oil.
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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by matt gloss »

Hi, sorry but....DO NOT BREATHE THE FUMES AND USE PLENTY OF VENTILATION.
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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by Dollpimp2018 »

amytyl wrote:Coat it with baby oil, then heat it with the heat gun, using a digital thermometer to monitor the temperature. It gets really soft around 260 F and starts to smoke around 310. Be really careful and keep it wet with mineral oil.

Okay, I’ll give this a try. Thanks.
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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by Dollpimp2018 »

matt gloss wrote:Hi, sorry but....DO NOT BREATHE THE FUMES AND USE PLENTY OF VENTILATION.
Matt

Why? Are they very dangerous? :(
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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by Arthur1960 »

Dollpimp2018 wrote:
matt gloss wrote:Hi, sorry but....DO NOT BREATHE THE FUMES AND USE PLENTY OF VENTILATION.
Matt

Why? Are they very dangerous? :(
Hi, it's important that you wear a mask that's rated for toxic fumes when heating tpe to that temperature, you can get disposable ones on eBay quite cheap, also keep room ventilated and maybe have a fan behind you to blow any fumes away. I do all that when I'm doing minor skin repairs with tpe and I'm working at temps just below 100c so the tpe isn't quite molten, just very soft.

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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by amytyl »

matt gloss wrote:Hi, sorry but....DO NOT BREATHE THE FUMES AND USE PLENTY OF VENTILATION.
Matt
I did assume that, but safety is best. If you are in a hurry then you can make do without as long as you don't overheat it (you'll be breathing in mineral oil vapor which is... not ideal, but a little won't kill you.) If you get it smoking or worse then you're breathing really nasty stuff and the exposed areas will smell of it for days, so the mask and proper ventilation is best. Good luck!
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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by MIGuy1740 »

Have you ever seen a "Clone a Willy" kit? Search for it on eBay, it's pretty inexpensive. It's a mold kit for making a dildo.

After you get it, you can do one of 2 things, you can make a tongue out of clay and make the mold out of the clay tongue OR, take the more direct route and use your own tongue instead of the clay tongue.

It might be the answer to all your issues!
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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by LDF »

I'd ask Anung since he's an expert and has posted on the topic before.

I have a hot air station as well and use a respirator.

IMHO: when you heat the TPE, it can break down into its component monomers and other breakdown products.

Breathing in styrene, butadiene, ethylene, etc., is really bad for you.

https://www.dollforum.com/forum/viewtop ... 14&t=98041
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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by Bobbay »

The "Clone a Willy" kit would be a problem. It uses silicone. Silicone and TPE don't play nice. As I recall, one melts / deforms the other. I witnessed this when I stored two sets of doll parts in a sack and they touched. I think it was some of the TPE on a doll head that was messed up from touching silicone.

I think a similar kit could be made for TPE. There are TPE patch kits offered via at least one TDF approved vendor, I think Passion Dolls. Perhaps that material could be used to mold or finish existing items. As patch kits become more common, it would neat if more complete TPE doll cosmetic surgery kits could become available. I'd love to be able to modify my dolls, as long as the process is simple.

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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by secretagentman »

Just want to point out to NOT just get a "mask". You need a respirator with properly rated cartridges and adequate exhaust ventilation with some decent cfm - or do it outside. Like LDF noted, this is something you don't want to mess with. Be especially conscious if you have pets or neighbors that share a wall with your space.

Also, the thermostats for these cheaper air stations can be very inaccurate but a good benchmark to start is 100C. If you can't get down that low, investing in a decent infrared thermometer will give you much more control over surface temps. Look here viewtopic.php?f=7&t=101220 for very good instructions.

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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by curiousswede »

Melted TPE seems to be highly toxic from what I have been reading, so follow all needed security measures such as ventilation (or do it outside), wearing a high quality mask, and so on, BEFORE you even begin.

You can think of this like how plastic is pretty normal but when it melts and its fumes start to appear, it becomes highly toxic (and I believe melted TPE is even more toxic than melted plastic?).

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Re: I got a heat gun, how do I set it to melt TPE?

Post by Dollpimp2018 »

Thanks everyone for the input, I had no idea the fumes were toxic, I was under the impression that it was easy to melt TPE and to make repairs on dolls easily with a heat gun, ^^;
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