You read it right! Recon-it Right Products is LIVE! Viper Products and The Interior Guy, LLC. have teamed up to bring you the New Midwest Distribution Center located right here in the heart of the Midwest, Springfield, Missouri.

This will give all you guys located in or around me the ability to get your products faster, more efficiently, and for some cheaper by knocking down on the shipping costs. You can visit us right here right now online at ReconitRight.com .

I’ve been putting this together now since the Mobile Tech Expo, when a fire was lit under my butt and I decided I wanted to tackle this little monster. Well it’s been kinda slow going with a few road bumps along the way but I’m pretty confident I’m up and ready for operation now.

After the expo one big snag I ran into was the huge influx of business Tom got hit with at Viper Products. Which is an incredibly good thing, but wow it blew us away! Viper Products business all but tripled in volume and Tom literally ran out of product for me.

So after time and patients on my part, (which if you know me I have none, I guess its that OCD in me or something, but hey I get it done lol )I’ve got most of the product I need to get started with most small orders and a few larger ones and as you all keep trickling in I’ll just keep adding on and getting bigger and better.

I’m here to tell ya guys I’m pretty excited about this little adventure here. I have got so much to bring you and so many great products. Not only am I going to have Interior Restoration Products but Exterior Detailing Supplies as well. Now the Exterior Detailing Supplies wont be widely available at first but just hang on cause this rides gonna get wild I’m telling you.

I want to bring you guys everything that I can get my hands on that is top of line product, officially tested and proven to work top notch. I want you guys to have the best of the best. I’ve spent years in this business doing my research and after many trials and errors, I’m here to try to eliminate all doubt about this industry.

So don’t hesitate to jump on over to ReconitRight.com and SIGN UP and take a look around at the products and get familiar with all thats there. Now when you register I have to approve you before you can order so give me just a few. I check in several times a day so it won’t be long before your ordering from one the largest suppliers of Automotive Restoration Products in the nationRecon-it Right Products, Viper Products NEW Midwest Distributor!

An increasing number of accidents on the road are due to people focusing more on their cell phone than their driving. Five states and the District of Columbia have banned the use of hand-held phones while driving. A NYPD officer trying to enforce the cell phone use law told NPR that every second car has a person holding a phone while driving. A study by the insurance industry found that while phone use dipped by about half right after New York’s law went into effect in 2001, within a year, it had bounced back to pre-restriction levels, despite a $100 fine.

Not only for legal reasons, but also safety, convenience and allowing yourself a greater ability to multi-task, there are a few interior car accessories, aside from buying a Bluetooth and throwing your phone on the passenger seat, that ought to be considered in making driving and talking more efficient.

Non-Slip Pads. Can be easily stuck on top of the dash or any convenient place within reach. Allows for quick placement of phones as well as keys, iPods, iPad and anything that needs to be nearby.

Power Outlet/Charger/USB Adapter. Most versions will plug easily into the car cigarette lighter and some will fit into a cup holder. Various options will convert a single outlet to multiple power sources allowing you to charge your phone, computer and other accessories on the go.

Phone Holder Mounts. Most on the market are easily attachable and are adjustable to fit any phone. Some options include mounting to horizontal or vertical vents, on the glove box door or window channel. Using either a Bluetooth or simply the phone speaker, you can easily talk while driving. Numbers you have access to via voice command can be dialed, but manual dialing, no matter how close the phone is to you, is not recommended while driving.

Speaker Steering Wheel. One of the more recent interior car accessories to hit the market, it is Bluetooth compatible and totally hands-free. The device clips to the steering wheel and allows you to make, answer, end and reject calls safely and easily while focusing on the road. With features such as built-in speakers, voice dialing, call rejection, last number redial, call holding and call waiting it is very handy for people using their phone a great deal in the car. The built-in rechargeable lithium battery allows up to 5 hours of talk time or 250 hours of standby time.

Well to start out with I want to welcome a couple of new peeps to the list of Automotive Interior Trainees I’ve had the honor to train. First is a gentleman from Virginia Beach, Virginia…Reuel Atkinson,  he’s already a tech down there but just needed a little refresher and learn some new techniques to give him more guaranteed repairs. He spent 3 days with me and we covered a lot of material thru those days for sure but I know when he left he had a whole new outlook on his repairs. He’s an extremely picky guy like me so we got along great, lol.

Secondly but not least for sure is my guys from Delta Sonic, and a big shout out to my yankee buds, John and Scott…what a hoot of a time we had as well as a lot of learning and hard work. John and Scott spent the full 2 week session with me and are taking there excelled skills back to the Chicago and Buffalo, New York areas. I have to say I was extremely proud of these guys when we got done. I had them in la la land for the first couple of days with all the information I had thrown at them, but by the third and forth days they were itching to get in there and work. In my program I ease these guys into the repairs so when they do the repair they are knowledgeable enough with the products and how they work that they can do a repair with ease from start to finish, so I understand their itch, lol, but like I’ve always said…patience, patience, patience, that is probably the most important thing in this business. By the last days of training with John and Scott they were champs for sure. In fact they probably didn’t even need me there for some of the repairs at the end…

Well now that we’ve gotten the intros out of the way, lets get down to business…

Cracked Leather Repair and Conditioning the leather with Fatliquor before you repair.  Ok first I want to talk a bit about cracked leather repair and then the application of the fatliquor because they kinda go in congruent steps so…

I’ve struggled for years with cracked leather and how to sand and eliminate as much of a crack as possible. The reason is to have not to add too much filler or even none at all. I’ve come up with a pretty good trick I want to share with you today that i think will save you time and your customers leather as well.

It’s a lot like the previous posts of wet sanding leather with my prepping solution, which by the way I’ve kinda eliminated in the prepping of leather due to pH problems and I’ll explain that here in a minute.

Now cracks in the leather start in the top layer of urethane and migrate thru to the leather and thats where we’re gonna start is breaking through that top layer and expose the leather underneath. The reason for this is to eliminate the cracked coating and to soften the edges of the cracks in the leather making them look more like a creases then a cracks.

To do this I use a mixture of 60-40 Acetone and Denatured Alcohol with a piece of 120 grit sandpaper.  One thing to I will say when doing this is to be careful not to drip the solution onto other parts of the vehicle because it will leave a spot or remove the finish, so take a towel and hold it close and be careful!

Now take your sandpaper and a squeeze bottle of your mixed solution and pore a little of the solution onto the cracks and immediately start sanding, you’ll notice the coating smearing around and as the solution dissipates the coating will smooth down into the cracks and ball up and sand away. Do this until the coating is all but gone. Leaving a little in the cracks to lessen the need for filler. You’ll now be left with a raw spot on the seat and probably if the cracking isn’t to severe, no cracks at all. Otherwise the cracks will be smoother on the edges. I’ve found that in a lot of cases that just a light sanding with the solution is all it takes to rid the seat of cracks. But of course there are those really bad cracks, and those you need to be a little more delicate with due to there’s usually not much leather left. Just don’t sand to far with it and bust through. I’ve found folding the sandpaper into a roll and sanding the cracks helps to smooth them out even further and sometimes out all the way.

Once you’ve gone over your cracked areas with your solution and 120 grit, you might go back over the area with a 240 or even 400 grit sandpaper to smooth it out even more, making a nice area to start your repairs and coating of the leather.

Once you’ve sanded your cracks down and before you even do any repairs to the leather how bout conditioning the leather and making it nice and soft again?

The solution we used has dried the leather even more then it was before and really we’ve kinda untanned it as well. So by adding a fatliquor to the leather we replenish what we have lost and gain the nice supple feel back into the leather again and yes conditioning the leather prior to repairs can make a world of difference to your finished product.

Something I was never taught and I’m sure not many of you have heard of this either. What I’m talking about here is adding a fatliquor to the leather before you coat the leather or even do repairs.

Fatliquor is a softening solution added to the hides after the tanning process to make the hide more supple, soft and flexible. Since we’ve stripped some of these oils away we need to put them back.

All I do is pore a little on to the cracked area, rub it in with my finger or even a towel if I’m working in a larger area and let the leather just soak it up. I’ll usually go mix my colors or do another repair while that soaks in, it doesn’t take long depending on the humidity, but I can also speed up the drying time a bit with a hair dryer.

The fatliquor will not compromise any of your coatings as long as it is dry to the touch.

I was taught this by Pamela Delegomez with Leather Solutions. She’s an IICRC Leather Trainer and although I haven’t had the honor of meeting and training with her yet I did get a chance to talk with her over the phone about this and she recommended I do this with all leather repairs. It will not only soften the leather but also help with the repair process by adding moisture back into the hide hence giving you a better ending product.

Once you’ve fatliquored the seat your now ready to seal the area off and proceed with your leather fillers if need be. A lot of times after the sanding process with the Acetone and Denatured Alcohol solution I won’t need to fill at all, this solution will basically melt many of the smaller cracks away and all that is needed is a coating of color and I’m done. It really has saved me time and made my repairs look a lot better and last longer.

Always keeping in mind cleaning the area from any sanding debris  before proceeding with sealing, filling, and coating, will assure the best of adhesion with any job.

Remember me saying earlier that I’ve eliminated my prepping solution in my leather repair process. Well I’ve done this for a couple of reasons, one the pH was just to high and I think was messing with my coatings and I found the process I use now is just yielding me a better result.

I’m using a pH balanced cleaner now to clean the leather first which I highly recommend you check this stuff out. I get it from the Chemical Guys, its their Extreme Leather Cleaner and it does clean extremely well which I was impressed with and does not harm the leather nor hamper with any of my leather repair process.

So by using this cleaner I’ve eliminated my pH problem, which now I don’t have to neutralize before repairs, and helping the customer down the road by not using a harsh cleaner on their leather. I still do recommend you neutralize after using any high pH cleaner though.

One aspect of my prepping solution was opening the pores to the leather so the coatings would bite better, well I’ve gone to the Acetone and Denatured Alcohol to do that now with amazing results. The Acetone opens the pores like in my solution, but quicker and better, and the Denatured Alcohol melts the surface a bit giving me a better adhesion for my coatings as well as the Acetone, both tack the surface up very nicely. You can also use, which I also recommend, is Viper Products Leather Prep, works a lot the same.

I do this right before I spray and wipe my coatings in. Then proceed as I normally do finishing the seat off with my color and a nice topcoat of clear to give that nice finish feel.

Just like anything in this business, less is always better, this goes for the Acetone and Denatured Alcohol mixture as well as the fatliquor. Adding too much of either can cause damage to the underneath glues, seat heaters, foams, as well as the leather. So don’t go hog wild with your Leather Crack Repair and fatliquoring and end up damaging what your trying to repair.  Use very little fatliquor to moisturize because remember there already is fatliquor in the leather, actually water will soften better, but again watch how much due to mold and your repairs. It’s all a balancing act when it comes to Leather Repair for sure and with all the factors taken into aspect its hard sometimes to find that fine line of perfection.

Good luck with all your Leather Repairs guys and feel free to comment or email me with any questions you may have. I’ve temporarily deactivated my forum due to an incredible amount of spam. So its emails and comments for now. Thanks everyone for all your support…

My next adventure is the Mobile Tech Expo in Tampa, Fl. in January so hope to see y’all there!!!

Randy Singh from Viper joined me on this little adventure of mine. He of course had everything all set up for me so all I had to concentrate on was the training.

We went down to get a ” Getready” Detail company with over 500 employee’s and over a hundred stores to service throughout the DFW area and the Houston area as well. We had 4 guys to train which were basically their top guys, 2 from Dallas 2 from Houston.

We flew in Thursday afternoon and met up with the guys for a little dinner and greet n meet then back to the hotel for some rest. Friday we kicked off the training, first things first was going over their kit that they had gotten prior from Viper Products.

This is always a crucial part of my training to show each person what each product is, what its used for, and how to use it. Your only as good as your product and knowledge of your supplies is crucial.

Next we moved onto color matching, which is the hardest and one of the most important things in Auto Interior Repair. You can have the best product, make the best looking repair in the world, but if your color is not right then you might as well have not have done the repair at all.

The kit that they had purchased was the pigment scale method, which if you all know me you know I only mix by eye so this was a learning experience for me too. Now I had experience with a scale system from my exterior touch-up days so picking it up for me wasn’t a problem. Its a good system for someone who has never mixed colors before but there is still a need for an eye for color. This pigment system is designed to get you close but not necessarily an exact match, you still have to tweak your color. This is something that takes a bit to get but once you get it, its second nature.

Once we worked on the colors for a bit we moved into doing some repairs and showing these guys what can and can’t be done with the supplies they had.  After a few repairs they jumped right in a were doing repairs like mad, which really I hadn’t planned on that till Saturday but what the heck the only way to learn is to do it. So off we went and lots of things were learned for sure, some mistakes but mostly success. These guys picked it right up and just soaked up the information. Its really nice to work with eager to learn people, makes my job easier for sure.

Saturday was our last day of learning and we started the day off by refreshing what we had done the day prior and then off to work we went. Repair, repair, repair! This was a good day for some good repairs. We went over the Velour kit first which didnt take a lot of time and did a few burn hole repairs and also did a blind stitch repair. Not to many blind stitching repairs are done these days with the nylon interiors, mostly seams and such, but it was good to show them how being able to hand sew is a definite benefit in the Auto Interior business.

After the Velour part of the training we packed up and went to one of the dealers they serviced and found a cracked leather repair on an Escalade which was great teaching tool for these guys. I was not only able to show off my skills with the repair of the seats, but was able show them a few other repairs that could be done that they will run into in the future.

We finished the day off with some dinner and great entertainment to wind down and finish the training. Relaxing and getting comfortable with each other is the best training of all, that way a long time relationship is built with the client and you.

I’m so glad I was able to do this type of training for these guys, its something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and I finally got the opportunity and I’m definitely looking forward to many more like this to come.

Plastic is one component that makes up most of the inside of a vehicle and can be one of most difficult to repair and paint. That is if you don’t replace the piece first. To be really honest when it comes to some of the plastic trim pieces, door panels, and kick panels its cheaper to replace the pieces then to repair them. But I do mean some, there are many instances where a little heat in the right spot or some dye applied to the surface can hide or repair an imperfection and save from replacement and that’s what I’m here today to talk about repairing and painting those cosmetic repairs on plastic interior panels.

Let’s say we have a scratch down the door panel and it’s deep enough to feel with your finger nail. This type of cosmetic repair can be fixed with a heat gun, a matching grain pad, dye, and some finesse. The finesse is a big thing too. You can make a bad thing a really bad thing really quick if your not careful.

When heating plastic to repair a scratch you have to melt it to almost the liquid stage and press your grain pad into the plastic very gently but firmly to achieve the right effect. If you press to hard you will make a dent in the panel and not enough you won’t get the grain imprint in the plastic like you want and you won’t melt the scratch together either. You melt the plastic like I said almost to the liquid stage.

First things first don’t sand the fuzzy’s off or try to sand the scratch down prior to melting, use the plastic that’s there to melt back into the scratch where it came from.

I will usually heat and press a few times, basically melting a little at a time. It also helps to cool the plastic with a chill bar after a couple of attempts so not to stretch or dent the plastic. Learned that one the hard way on a rear quarter of an Expedition. When there is nothing behind the plastic to support your melt then the plastic will push in if you don’t take your time and cool things down between attempts.

Cooling also helps to set the imprint so when you go to remove the shinny spot, which I’ll talk about in a minute. you won’t distort or even loose your grain because the plastic is still to warm.

When you press the grain into plastic try to remember not to use your thumb if you can, use the grain pad laid in your palm, this will help also to cut down on denting the plastic panel. I have a little rubber squeegee I use at times to lay on the back of the grain pad to give me a level surface to press on.

Now once you have melted the scratch back into the plastic you’ll be left with a shinny spot in the plastic where you have melted it. To get rid of this take a scotch brite pad and scuff lightly over the area, not to much or you’ll distort your fix. Once you have scuffed the area a little extra and the area’s around it, it will need to be cleaned thoroughly before dye is applied.

Painting plastic is just that applying a coat of paint over the top, some think you can actually “DYE” plastic. Well unless you have a way to penetrate the surface of the plastic then your only painting the surface and I don’t know of any penetrating paint for plastic. But just out of habit you’ll hear me say dyeing plastic too here and there.

So… you have to get the plastic as oil and dirt free as you can or the paint won’t stick, period. When your prepping plastic use only a fine grade sand paper or a scotch brite pad to scuff the surface. If you use anything heavier in grit then you will see the sand marks or scuff marks guaranteed. I use my special prepping solution for all my prepping but I have used wax and grease remover and lacquer thinner but be very careful with lacquer thinner and plastic, if you let it set to long it will melt the plastic or even distort the grain so really wax and grease remover or my prepping solution is all that is needed. If that’s not handy then dish soap and warm water.

Applying your paint can be done by either spraying or wiping it on. I usually spray everything except for my primer. I use a wet paper towel to apply my sticky primer or grip base, whichever you may use with your water based paint. Always apply a primer or adhesion promoter prior to painting plastic. It will make your repair last a lot longer I promise.

If all was done right your scratch should disappear right before your eyes when the dye is applied.

Now as part of repairing plastic you may come across a piece that is broken slightly and an actual plastic repair can be done to save a piece without replacement. This is accomplished by what you call a plastic welder. Some of you guys probably already have one and use one on a daily basis to repair bumpers and such. This is one tool that is a must when repairing a broken piece of plastic. Super glue won’t hold and epoxies can be a mess and probably won’t hold either and that’s where a plastic welder comes in. It does exactly what you think it welds the plastic back together by melting new and existing plastic into the crack.

I’ve used mine a few times and have had great success.

Now like I said before mending a cracked piece of plastic needs to be cost effective. If the piece can be replaced for cheaper then you can fix it for, then replace it, don’t spend all afternoon fixing a crack in a piece of plastic that someone could have bought at a junk yard or new for cheaper. Heck there have been times when I still get the job because a replacement part needs to match, so I paint it to match. A lot more cost effective.

One other thing not all plastic pieces can be repaired and look right, it’s just the nature of the repair. Your not going to make every plastic repair look absolutely prefect. Sometimes it’s the grain pattern in the plastic or just the plastic itself. If you can hide it well then go with it but if it just looks as bad as it did when you started you probably need to replace the piece.

Leather repair compounds that I have found that really don’t work that well are the low heat compounds that look a lot like the vinyl repair compounds. I’ve yet to have one hold up, it just peels off. Not all low heat leather repair compounds are like this though, I use a couple of low heat compounds that hold very well. It just seems to only be the ones that are more like vinyl, they seem to well for seats but try to avoid the wheel with this stuff.

Water based leather repair compounds work well but it really depends what you use. Some of the deep crack fillers are almost to thick to use and there are a few that just peel right off while sanding. The thinner the compound the better. I find by layering the thinner compounds just seem to get the job done better. I apply all my compounds with my finger, a lot easier then using a palette knife and paper towels just seem to waist product. You can just smooth it better with your finger. There a couple I use mostly and one is Leather Corrector from New Life and another is from Viper Products called Extreme Leather Fill, both are a light compounds and easily applied with your finger.

There is one old stand by that I use and always have success with and that’s the gray stuff, Leather Crack Filler. You can apply it with your finger, smooth it out, sand it and it just looks great. I use it a lot for larger damage. In fact I used it just today on a GMC Denali leather wheel and here’s one off a Dodge I did yesterday, this one turned out really nice considering the damage I had to work with.

Pictures not that great but you can see the damage along the top and lower left. This one was frayed all along the top. The best way to tackle this is by sanding the frayed leather then apply your filler. Start with a 240 grit then move to a 400 then 800. I usually will start out wet then go dry as the leather starts to smooth out. I’ll use my prepping solution to do the wet sanding, it seems to cut through the dye and smear it, actually filling too. You want it to be as smooth as you can get it before you apply your compounds. There’s even times you won’t even need a compound after sanding with the prepping solution, just depends on the amount of fraying going on.

After you get it smooth, apply your compound with your finger, dry, then sand with 800 grit, then prime and dye. Leather Crack Filler works with both solvent and water based dyes where as water based works only with water based, also be careful applying it over an already dyed area with water based, just use lighter coats, it will peel if you not careful, it is a solvent. I’ve also used Leather Crack Filler as a filler on other things too other then leather, kinda like a primer surfacer, works great. Dash repairs and even vinyl repairs, I’ve used it on many applications, it’s just a good all around filler to keep on hand for us automotive interior professionals.

Glues on leather steering wheels, well it depends. I’ve tried water based glues to lay down the frayed leather but never really had any luck with it, it peels. Never fails I try it thinking maybe things will be different but when I apply a filler over the top, and then go to sand it and it peels every time. About the only glue I’ve found that works well on a leather steering wheel is super glue. The trick works great, but after a while it will spider crack so only use this for quick fixes or holes in the steering wheel. The best way to eliminate fraying is like I said, sanding it smooth. I have had luck with the water based for snags or small chunks where you still have the leather peice and all you need is to lay it back down with a little glue.

Well we all have our favorite leather repair compounds for each job and I’d love to hear which ones you use to get the job done. Steering wheel repair can be difficult because of the normal everyday abuse, but if done right, the right leather repair compounds are used and the right leather dye, one can make a steering look new and last for years to come.

Talk to ya soon,

Mike “TIG”

Painting in temperatures less then 40 degrees makes it almost impossible to yield a perfect repair without a little preparation first.

The first and foremost thing is to heat up the area where the repair is being made. Now the best way to do this is with a hairdryer, not your heat gun. This will heat the area just enough to make it easier to work with and not damage the area any further (like a hole in vinyl getting larger due to to much heat being put to it). Heating the area will also help your compounds work like their supposed to along with giving you a warmer surface for the dye to stick to helping in curing time.

Here’s probably the biggest tip I can give you in helping your water based dyes to dry faster. Add a little rubbing alcohol, otherwise known as isopropyl alcohol, to your dye mixer. Now not too much, just a little squirt or two from your squeeze bottle will do. It makes a huge difference. The alcohol evaporates the water from the dye faster which in turn dries your dye faster. When buying it though make sure you get the 90% or better mixer, it’s more of a pure mixer. Here’s a link to a 99% isopropyl alcohol.

I usually start adding alcohol to my mixer at about 50 degrees or so especially if there’s a lot of moisture in the air. We have some pretty high humidity here in the mid west so when I have a blustery moist day I add a little rubbing alcohol to my dye and it cuts my drying time to almost nil. One thing too by using a hairdryer rather then a heat gun they blow harder which with the alcohol mixer, airflow is the trick. It seems like with more air blowing on the dye with the alcohol the faster it drys too.

With the prices of gas going down we can also get a little leeway on being able to run a vehicle with the heat on. If you can, run your vehicles when doing your repairs with the heat blasted. This will not only help warm the inside up but will also save the battery and blow a few of the lot rot cobweb’s that occur when some of the lot cars sit. It’s still a waste of gas but when you have a cold day and a repair is needed to be made then a warm car can improve the result immensely.

Well I hope all is well out there in your automotive world. Stay warm and make sure to keep your water based dyes warm too. Frozen dyes are ruined dyes.

Talk to you soon,

Mike “TIG”

If a heat gun breaks down while your doing a repair it can cost you time and money in the long run. So buying a cheap heat gun and thinking your saving money is a bad move believe me. I went through that phase of thinking buying a cheap gun just to get me by would work, well after running back and forth to the hardware store every other week or even sooner I figured it was not saving me anything, all it was doing was causing me frustration and more money each time I was down. So I figured it was time to break down and get with the big boys and buy the right equipment for the right job.

There are so many options out there to choose from. I’m going to try to give you a few pointers in the use of your heat guns and give you some choices to choose from.

First and foremost there is something that I’ve learned that will save your heat gun and make your heating element last ten times longer, now this is a feature that is not available on most of the less expensive models, its what is called the “cool down” time. The cool down time is crucial in cooling the element gradually so not to burn it out. What this is is when you turn the heat off on the gun, you can switch it to where cool air blows through cooling the element slowly. This little trick will make your heat gun last a lot longer, believe me. In fact I won’t buy a gun unless it can be switched to cool air. I used to go through elements like crazy and then being the man I was didn’t think to look at the manual, but one day in the shop going through some paper work I happen to read a little about the heat gun I was using and came across a part that talked about the cool down stage and how when you get done with the unit to let it sit and run on the cool air cycle for about a minute before it’s to be shut down. They gave no real reason for this, you know most instruction manuals, anyways it made since. You know how if things that are really hot and don’t get a chance to cool down right, then they sometimes take on a different shape, form or even molecular structure. So I tried it and it really worked, really it was kinda a “duh” thing but just one more thing to help from having down time. No more buying elements on a regular basis.

Depending on the heat gun you use and really this can go for all the guns is to be careful not to drop it. On the inside if you haven’t ever seen the heating element, is a coil of wire wrapped around a ceramic piece and this stuff is kinda delicate. If you break the ceramic too bad then the gun will burn itself up. It has to do with the heat transfer or something like that, but they will break if you drop them to many times. We all get in a hurry sometimes and tools get to fly’n but this one is just a little more delicate then most so you gotta be a little more delicate with this one.

Laying your heat gun down while doing a repair can be a challenge, because you can’t really keep turning your heat gun off and on just to lay it down for a second to get more compound on the repair or shoot a little dye on the repair area. So finding a gun that either stands up on it’s own or finding something to lay the gun on without burning something else and creating another repair. I do a lot of new limo’s and when I’m inside there’s no room for error, and if my gun falls over onto a seat or burns a spot in the carpet then I’m….well let’s just not go there. I use a piece of cardboard to set my gun on and really pay attention to where the blast is going. I’ll even hold the gun between my legs so I don’t have to set it down if needed. Just anything to keep a very bad thing happening.

I’ve used both types of heat guns that either stand up on there own or not. The ones that have the stand, well they’re handy but I see why they have the stands because they’re so big and heavy. One thing to keep in mind is the weight of a gun too, it’s kinda hard holding a heavy heat gun up to doing a repair. But I like my big gun the elements are easy to change and I like the way I can set it down easily. It heats well and does have a cool down mode. But like I said it is heavy and a lot of times I will use my lighter weight heat gun. It’s easier to handle and the one I have has a digital read out so I know what temp I’m at for each job.

The digital read out is nice, I have total control of temperature. There’s a couple of heat guns I would recommend if your looking for control with your heat. One is the Steinel IntelliTemp and the other is the Wagner Digital heat guns. Both are great guns, the Steinel is of course a more commercial grade type of gun, made to last in extreme work environments. The Wagner I’d say is more lower end commercial model but probably won’t last as long. I’m using the Wagner right now, I’m still kinda in that cheap a@# mode but the gun works pretty good. I bought it in a pinch when my big gun went down and I couldn’t get a part right away and happen to find it on the damaged shelf, the only thing wrong with it was the spout had a dent in it, yes I know I’m a cheap a@#. The read out isn’t exactly a LCD read out but you do have control over your temperature range. The Steinel will probably be my next purchase due to the durability and the LCD read out is nice, but so far so good the Wagners doin the trick.

Now one other little device you do need to go along from with your heat gun for doing a vinyl repair and even leather repairs is a reducer tip. What this will do will concentrate the heat to a smaller area giving you more control in your smaller repairs and reducing the “halo effect”. That is one thing that I didn’t like with the Wagner is that it did not come with a reducer tip. Luckily I had one made for my other gun. It’s a long 1/4″ tube welded to a piece that slides down over the end of the heat gun. But I will tell you if you use one of these make sure it is on there before you start your repair, if it falls off in the car when it’s hot it will burn the car and You when you go to grab it in a frantic, been there, it hurts.

One last little tip when using your heat gun. If your dyeing an entire seat don’t use your heat gun to dry the dye. Buy a hairdryer! This will save time and your gun too. When your dyeing a lot of over spray is floating around and gets recirculated back through the gun. It will clog the gun up and ruin it. Using a hairdryer will save your gun from this and they blow harder anyway which dries the dyes quicker. You don’t run the risk of melting or bubbling your dyes like with a heat gun.

So the biggest things to look for when purchasing your next heat gun is variable heat settings, a cool down mode, accessibility to parts like elements, and really in my opinion is weight, the lighter guns are just a little easier to use. Don’t forget your reducer tip too, it will come in handy.

Hope this helps in your repairs with the few tips on the use of your heat gun and heating your repairs.

Heres you a few choices for heat guns and accessories:

Steinel SNL34850 IntelliTemp Heat Gun with LCD Temperature Display – 2010ESTEINEL heat guns have built a reputation for using state of the art technology to maximize precision and durability. Our new generation of heat guns incorporates exciting new features responding directly to ever increasing global requirements for rigorous, formalized quality control. Microprocessor controlled heat gun with LCD display enabling temperature selection in 10 degrees Fahrenheit increments. STEINEL’s exclusive DuraTherm heating element ensures long life and even heat. Temperature: Continuously variable 120 – 1150 degrees Fahrenheit Airflow: 3.6 / 10.6 / 17.6 CFM Switch: 1) Cool Air (120 degrees Fahrenheit / 3.6 CFM), 2) Var Temp/10.6 CFM, 3) Var Temp/17.6 CFM Output: 1500 watts Voltage: 120 VAC / 60 Hz Weight: 30 oz Warranty: Full One Year Accessories Accepts a full range of nozzles and accessories.

Wagner Digital Heat Gun, Model# HT3500Digital touchpad with LED indicators. Great for paint removal, loosening rusted bolts, thawing pipes and more. Watts: 1,500, BTU Output: 5,100, Heat Settings: 12, Temperature Capacity (F): 250 – 1,350 2 fan speeds Cool setting cools down gun and automatically shuts off Ergonomic handle with hanging eyelet

Milwaukee Variable Temperature Heat Gun with Digital Temp Display, Model# 8988-20Required CFM: 7.06, 8.83, 15.89, Heat Settings: Variable, Temperature Capacity (F): 90 – 1,100 Independent controls for temperature and air flows Digiatal display for temperature settings Three controlled air volumes allow you to match the air speed to your application Removable air filter keeps debris out Ceramic encapsulated heating element for maximum tool life One hand operation with lightweight and easy grip handle Upright stationary use with pads on back cap and lower handle

9Mm Reduction Nozzle For Steinel Electronic Heat Guns? Provides a precisely concentrated stream of hot air. Used for welding or soldering. ? Can be used as a base for specialized attachments such as the SNL07091 Plastic Welding Attachement. ? Precision formed from high-grade, polished stainless steel for superior performance and reliability. ? Note: For use on Steinel electronic heat guns only.By Steinel.

Master Appliance 750-1000deg Heavy Duty Heat Gun 120v 14.5am (Sold Individually)CASE PACK: Sold Individually DETAILS: Powerful high speed universal motor Sturdy die cast housing Adjustable non-slip stand Use to bend plastics, cure adhesives, dry parts, heat parts, shrink tubing and packaging, strip paint and more *Operating Temp. = 750 deg F Min , 1000 deg F Max *Voltage = 120.00 VAC *Frequency = 60.0 Hz *Amps = 14.50 A *Watts = 1740.00 W *Flow = 23.0 CFM *Velocity = 3000 ft/min *Fan Speed = Single *Length = 9 in *Width = 5.200 in *Height = 10.100 in *Outlet Size = 1 in *Cord Length = 6 ft *Control Type = Variable Temperature, Switch (3 Pos-Off/On/Heat) *Handle Type = Pistol Grip *Type = Heat Gun *Wt. = 3.70 lb UL listed UPC: 635705101099

Bosch 1942 Heat GunThe Bosch Heat Gun features: *14.3 Amps, 750-1000F *Powerful blower Provides a high volume of air needed for industrial applications *Air intake regulator Adjusts the temperature to the requirements of the job *Cool air setting For cooling tool and for no-heat applications, adds versatility *Insulated nozzle Protects operator, provides a cool exterior temperature *Padded, adjustable stand Allows stationary use with multi-position holder *Multiple uses Strip paint, shrink tubing or packaging, heat liquids, loosen fittings, soften caulking and surface finishes, thaw pipes *Range of accessories Adapts tool for specific uses in building trades, industrial applications, and laboratory work Includes: *Heat Gun – 1942

JD Buckridge – The Branding Specialist

Later…Mike”TIG”

I get into so many autos that the buttons on the radio are peeling off and what your left with are white buttons that just look awful. At night it can be at the least distracting. Have you seen one of those? Well Viper Products has done it again and has come up with a fix for those peeling buttons. Its a two part film. A translucent film and a black film with cut outs for the lettering. All you do is sand the peeling radio button to give you a smooth surface to put the film onto. Prep, then lay the film over the radio button and heat it to reform the coating to button. The lights from the radio still shine through the lettering and the finished product looks, as Viper Products always does, factory. I’m waiting on a video that I can put on here for all to see, but I just couldn’t wait to tell you all about it until then. You can view the video here – Viper Products – and don’t forget your discount code when you order – IG1100 – Guys you just can’t go wrong with this one. Like I said I see a lot of vehicles with the radio buttons peeling and I get a lot of requests to fix them. Up until now I’ve had to tell them to replace the radio, or try to buy new knobs, or just live with it. I’ve even dyed a few of them to to cover up the ugly, but the letters are gone and they won’t light up. So this system is a must add to your automotive interior repair business. Some of those radio’s can get pretty pricey, so being able to fix the peeling radio buttons without having to replace the radio can be a huge asset to your business and your customers. Go check the video out and come back and shoot me a comment on what you think of How To Fix Radio Buttons Peeling.