OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS:
This Heat Weld Gun is designed for welding seams in solid
vinyl or linoleum sheet goods only. It is not designed for strip-
ping paint, or purposes not described in this manual.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:
Wear safety glasses, ear plugs, and a dust mask when using
this heat weld gun.
Do not operate this heat weld gun near flammable materials,
liquids or gasses.
Do not operate this heat weld gun in wet areas. It is designed
for indoor use, and should be stored indoors.
Do not leave this heat weld gun unattended at any time.
Unplug when not in use.
When changing the pencil-tip nozzle or welding tip, allow the
gun to fully cool.
Use only with 120VAC electricity.
Do not use this heat gun for stripping paint. See the back
panel for additional warnings related to paint removal.
In use this gun becomes very hot. Keep out of contact with
your body. Keep away from your body, and always direct the
nozzle away from your body and other people.
Improper assembly may result in the nozzle or tip falling off
the gun while hot. Keep the nozzle and tip away from your
body at all times.
Use caution when setting the gun down after making a seam.
Hot air continues blowing out of the gun until turned off. The
tip is very hot long after the gun is turned off, and can burn
the floor or skin.
Follow the flooring manufacturer’s recommendations for the
type of groove and depth of groove to be made in the seam,
and use only manufacturer recommended welding rod. Ab-
sent recommendations, a good guideline for groove depth is
to at least 1/2 to 2/3 of the material thickness.
A test seam is always advisable before welding the actual
floor. Slower welding speeds on lower heat are advisable
for beginners.
This heat gun has a motor with two layers of electrical insula-
tion. It does not need to be grounded. As a result, it has only
a two prong plug without a ground pole.
This heat gun is a high amperage device. Use only with
heavy gauge power cord. Be aware of the breaker capacity
of the plugs you are using.
JOBSITE PREPARATION:
Clean the seam area of all debris especially cuttings from
the groover prior to seaming. Check that the groove meets
manufacturer’s specifications for proper depth and shape.
ASSEMBLY – NOZZLE:
Fully cool the heat gun. Place the pencil tip nozzle (No. 963)
on the nozzle of the heat gun. Tighten the screw securely.
Failure to tighten the screw may result in the hot nozzle fall-
ing off the gun during use. This can cause a severe burn or
damage the floor.
ASSEMBLY – TIPS:
Fully cool the heat gun. This
heat gun comes with two
tips. The triangular tip (No.
961) has a triangular-shaped
channel for feeding triangular
or “half moon” (“half round”)
welding rod. When welding
this type of rod, the triangular
point must go down into the
groove, and the flat must
face up.
The round tip (No. 962) has a
round channel round welding
rod. This tip should be used
on round welding rod only.
Insert the proper tip into the
end of the pencil tip nozzle and press firmly into the nozzle.
Failure to press into position may result in the hot tip falling
out of the nozzle during use. This can cause a severe burn
or damage the floor.
TEMPERATURE AND AIRFLOW CONTROLS:
The heat gun has two sliding
controls, one for adjusting heat
(red), and the other for adjust-
ing airflow (blue). Each sliding
control has numbers from zero
to five, with zero being lowest
and five being highest.
TEST SEAM, SEAM SPEED, NOZZLE POSITION:
Many factors affect the performance of the heat gun, including
ambient air, flooring material, and subfloor temperature, floor
-
ing material and welding rod characteristics, extension cord
length, wire gauge, and supply amperage. A test seam before
each job is the only way to ensure proper performance.
Before making a test seam,
proper temperature can be
estimated by putting the weld-
ing rod in front of the speed
tip and watching the results.
The rod should start to liquefy
but should not burn. Once
you adjust for proper melting, it is easier to adjust for other
factors with the test seam.
Under normal conditions, with ambient air about 70º F, for
beginners, a heat setting of about 2 and airflow setting about
2 is good to start.
For a complete weld of the
seam area, the seam area must
be pre-heated by the opening
at the bottom of the tip, and the
welding rod must be pre-heated
while in the channel.
The hot air opening towards
the back of the tip should
be kept parallel with the
floor. This is pre-heating the
groove. If the opening is too close, it may burn. If it is too
far, it will not apply sufficient pre-heating to the groove. Keep
the opening centered over the groove to ensure both sides of
the groove are sufficiently pre-heated. Use the trailing foot
to press the melting rod into the groove. Keep the trailing
foot constantly on the back of the welding rod.
The correct combination of
temperature, welding speed,
and pressure will create a
weld that forms a tiny ridge
or curl on both sides of the
seam, caused by slight rod
material flow. Look for this at all times while seaming.
Cut a cross section of the test seam with a knife. If the
section is welded into a homogeneous single piece, with no
cracks, will withstand bending, and will not easily pull apart,
the weld is successful.
SEAM WELDING PROCEDURE:
Pre-cut the welding rod to an adequate length for the length of
your seam including coves, then lay it out along the seamline.
Make certain there is plenty of extension cord, and there's
nothing in the way.
Start the weld as close to the wall as possible, but at least
one inch from any coved area. Coved areas must be done
separately AFTER the floor area is welded.
At the start of the weld, the seam must be quickly pre-heated
with the open-end of the speed tip. Quickly thereafter, insert
the welding rod into the channel such that extends out of the
flat bottom of the tip. Follow the instructions above for seam
speed and nozzle position. Pull the heat gun down the seam
while constantly feeding the welding rod.
Stop the weld as close as possible to the wall, leaving at least
one inch of the floor unwelded at any cove area. Leave the
excess rod at the seam as you will need it to restart the weld
in the cove procedure (below).
COVE PROCEDURE:
To weld coves, a separate pressure roller (Crain No. 987)
is necessary. Allow the gun to fully cool, and then remove
the welding tip.
TIGHTEN PENCIL TIP SCREW
SECURELY AND SNUG FIT TIPS
kEEP OPENING PARALLEL WITH THE
GROOVE BOTTOM AND TRAILING
FOOT ON THE BACk OF THE ROD
HALF
MOON
OR TRIANGULAR
ROUND
AIR
FLOW
TRAILING
FOOT
HOT AIR
OPENING
HEAT
RIDGE
OR
CURL
HOMOGENEOUS
WELD AREA
HEAT
SHOULD
LIQUEFY BUT
NOT BURN!
