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Old timer at my first shop showed me a trick with heat shrink that stuck with me
Back when I was starting out at a little shop in Phoenix, about 8 years ago, this crusty old avionics guy named Dave grabbed my hand while I was about to crimp a pin on a D-sub. He said 'slow down, kid, you're rushing the part that matters most.' Then he showed me how he heats his heat shrink from the middle out toward the ends, not just blasting the whole thing at once with the gun. I always figured hot is hot, but doing it that way stops air bubbles from getting trapped under the tubing. That one tip has saved me from re-doing hundreds of connections over the years. Any of you guys have a weird little technique a mentor showed you that you still use every day?
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gavin2281mo ago
Man that middle out trick is gold. I've seen guys melt all kinds of stuff by just blasting the whole thing at once. Simple stuff like that really sticks with you.
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drewr151mo ago
Wait, you just blast the whole thing at once? I thought that was like a guaranteed way to mess it up.
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ben_lewis1mo ago
That middle out method is a lifesaver. A guy I worked with back in the day taught me the same thing, and I've never had an air bubble problem since.
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