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HüE HANDYMANsSHþY HûE 7E

ĦNæR IJĤ ĥM ªCAUSEİ CAN

Throw yourself into productive activity.
Heatshrink beats a heated shrink

Ifyoucan’tgettheheatshrinkfarenough

awayfromtheheatwhensoldering,use

awetragorapairofneedle-nose

plierstoabsorbtheheat

TECH TIPS

HEATSHRINK

Heatshrink is great for insulating, bundling,

weatherproofing and protecting wiring and

joins. When cutting to length remember that

it will shrink (usually between 5 and 7 per

cent) in length when heated. Avoid sharp

points in solder as these can create holes

in the heatshrink, as it contracts over the

point. To assist the heatshrink to slide over

the job you can apply a small coat of silicone

lubricant. Avoid overheating as you can char

the heatshrink such that it loses its adhesive

qualities, as well as becoming brittle and

quickly failing.

To prevent the heatshrink from activating

if it can’t be slid far enough away from the

soldering job, try clamping the wire below the

heatshrink with a pair of needle-nose pliers

to absorb some of the excess heat, pre-tin the

wires to reduce dwell time in the soldering

process, employ a larger size heatshrink than

you might normally use, or place a piece of

wet paper towel or rag over the heat shrink to

absorb heat.

þ ÷

Use heat shrink to insulate

the base of electrical terminals

Fixing zippers can be fiddly and replacing them is

even worse. You can ease the strain on the zipper

by not expecting the slide to pull two pieces of

canvas together. Pull the canvas roughly together

with one hand, so that the two sides to be joined

are approximately parallel before easing the slide

along. To prolong its life, give it an occasional squirt

with a silicone lubricant.

TREATING YOUR ZIPS

WITH KINDNESS

It’s all about respect