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Ranger makes a heat gun that looks like a mini blow dryer. Tim Holtz uses it to dry his paints and watercolors. Stampin up sells a heat tool like you have but has 2 heat settings, low and high.
Ranger makes a heat gun that looks like a mini blow dryer. Tim Holtz uses it to dry his paints and watercolors. Stampin up sells a heat tool like you have but has 2 heat settings, low and high.
Thanks for responding. I ordered the Ranger tool like you described. If it's too hot, I'll return it.
Couldn't you use a blow dryer? The Ranger tool is hot, it just doesn't blow as hard as other heat guns.
I was going to suggest a hairdryer too, because that gives you a cooler setting option. When I worked in art supplies distribution, I attended quite a few demos by the Irish equivalent of Bob Ross, and when demonstrating, he always used a hairdryer to speed up the drying of his watercolours.
Ranger makes a heat gun that looks like a mini blow dryer. Tim Holtz uses it to dry his paints and watercolors. Stampin up sells a heat tool like you have but has 2 heat settings, low and high.
While my go-to heat tool is Wagner I have the Ranger "Heat It" tool that Stacey mentions, and like it a lot when I want not just lower heat but a gentle air stream so media - especially watercolor - isn't "pushed" around.
Caveat: I haven't used the Heat It for Gelli prints since I just lay out Gelli prints by the time I pull a bunch of prints, the first ones are dry. But it should work well.
I usually don't need to worry about drying my prints either they dry pretty quickly but if you feel the need I vote hairdryer too so you don't bubble the acrylic paint. I got a mini hairdryer for travel before they became a staple in hotel rooms. I now use it in my craft room or when I go to a friends to bible journal.
Reminder: do not use heat on or near your Gel Plate as some of the things in it are flammable.
I usually don't need to worry about drying my prints either they dry pretty quickly but if you feel the need I vote hairdryer too so you don't bubble the acrylic paint. I got a mini hairdryer for travel before they became a staple in hotel rooms. I now use it in my craft room or when I go to a friends to bible journal.
Reminder: do not use heat on or near your Gel Plate as some of the things in it are flammable.
Starting a fire or burning my gelli is my biggest concern.
Just to clarify, are you meaning to dry the paint while it's on the Gelli plate or to dry the prints after you've pulled them?
If the former, I would just leave well alone - tidy up a few supplies, water the houseplants, fetch a coffee from the kitchen, whatever - it doesn' take long for paint to dry on the surface of the plate. Applying heat to the Gelli is not a good idea, as Stacy said.
If the latter and you really can't wait the couple of minute it takes for the paint to dry once you've pulled a print I'd also opt for a hair dryer on cold or cool setting. Some pigments don't like heat all that much so your colours might not stay true if they get too hot.
Starting a fire or burning my gelli is my biggest concern.
FYI - I use the Ranger tool to melt embossing powder (when I'm being too lazy to get out my Marvy). It is NOT a low temp heat tool, just less "wind" volume.
Maybe someone you know has a mini that they would let you borrow to see if you like it. Plenty of people have them just sitting under the sink unused because we don't pack and take with anymore.
I like my hairdryer for drying prints because acrylic paint will bubble, then burn when too much heat is applied. That is the original, DH would say "real" use of a heat gun; to bubble and burn off old paint for removal.
I don't like the Ranger heat tool at all. I find that it takes forever to dry, and forever to melt embossing powder.
I only use the Wagner (aka Milwaukee) for heat embossing, agree would never use the Ranger but like it when watercoloring or other gentle drying or semi-drying with low air flow.
I didn't think the Gelli plate was flammable, and emailed them to double-check and let them know I'd post the response:
"Hello Beth, We checked with our chemist and the Gelli� plate is not considered flammable. A gel plate will deform if overheated with a heat gun or hair dryer. The first sign of the deformation is round of the edges. from Γ to[IMG]//www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/cid:[email protected][/IMG]. A 5x5 x .25 inch gel plate was set on a flat surface. The top surface of the gel plate was then heated for two minutes with a heat gun on low. The gel plate did not deform. I recommend allowing the gel plate to cool on a flat surface. Hope this is helpful. Lou Ann Gleason Co-Founder Gelli Arts LLC"
ETA: the second symbol (from ___ to ___) above isn't recognized on this message board, but the first shows two perpendicular lines, like a straight edged corner, and the second shows a rounded corner.
Last edited by bjeans; 08-11-2017 at 08:08 AM..
Reason: Trying to fix the corner symbols/illustraion
Heating/drying guns for mixed media & gelli plate
