Finally tried a heat gun vs. a hair dryer for peeling leatherette off a Minolta SRT

I always used a hair dryer on low, took forever and the glue still fought me. Picked up a cheap Wagner heat gun at a garage sale for 8 bucks and it peeled that fake leather off my SRT-101 in under 5 minutes without scorching the metal. Anyone else make the switch and notice a huge time difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

alexk6013d ago

Hair dryer on low is the slowest way to do it... I did the same thing on my first Minolta and it felt like an hour of just peeling little bits at a time. The heat gun really changes the whole game, especially on those old SRTs where the glue is basically fossilized by now. Did you notice if the heat gun made the leftover adhesive easier to clean off with alcohol, or did you still have to scrub like crazy? I'm wondering if I need to spend the money on one or if my wife's hair dryer on high would get me close enough.

ellis.leo13d ago

Man, did you have to scrub like crazy with yours too? I tried the hair dryer trick first and it was a nightmare. The heat gun made a huge difference. The glue came off way easier with alcohol after I hit it with the heat gun. I mean, I still had to work at it a little, but it wasn't that whole arm workout like before. Totally worth spending the money on a cheap heat gun.

elizabeths5113d ago

Nah, I gotta disagree honestly. I tried a heat gun on my SRT-102 and it actually made the leftover glue way harder to clean off, like it baked into a sticky tar mess. Hair dryer on high with a little patience and some lighter fluid worked way better for me without the risk of warping anything.