Propane torches for shrink wrap

Has anyone used the winterizing shrink wrap typically used on boats?

Like this - https://www.westmarine.com/dr.-shrink-shrink-wrap-14--x-128--7mil-white-16798076.html

The recommended tools for shrinking are pretty expensive - $400 and up - https://dr-shrink.com/product-category/all-products/heat-tools/heat-tools-heat-tools/

Would a cheaper propane torch do an acceptable job? Something like this - https://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-91033.html

I realize it wouldn't diffuse the heat so well so I'd probably have to be careful not to burn holes in the film but if I take my time would it work out ok? Looking at wrapping a harbor freight 10 x 20 canopy frame as it seems to hold up to UV better than the typical tarps and won't flap as much in the wind.

I was curious too, so I searched. Survey says yes:

Thanks! I should have read further down the reviews...

It's worth the $10 more to get the one that has a built in ignitor

I spent several years shrink wrapping boats for a yacht maintenance company when I was in college. I used the Shrinkfast gun that you linked above, and it works very, very well. I almost always used a 4-5 inch stainless wire guard clipped on to the end of the heat shield. I don't see that part in your links. It's not necessary, but helpful. 
 

I was considering starting my own business and would have absolutely have bought that gun.

I think that the cheap HF gun would probably work, but I don't think the results would be as smooth. And I think it would be a lot easier to accidentally blow through or burn a big hole through your material. We had a lot of high end clients, and I was pretty obsessive about the quality of my work. The material is also pretty expensive, and patches look sloppy. Invest in a roll or two of the color matched shrink tape if you haven't done a lot of boats before.

Try to avoid working from inside the boat, but make sure you have a fire extinguisher and CO detector nearby if you do. You're inside a big plastic bag and you're burning up all your oxygen. Always carry a Sheetrock knife in your back pocket.

I think it would be much easier to control your heat with the flame closer to your hand. That flattened cone shaped heat shield on the Shrinkfast is designed that way for a reason. And I think that the leverage from the long wand on the HF would result in a really sore hand/arm/shoulder.

Using the woven strapping and the proper tensioning tool around the lower edge makes a huge difference.

Setup can be a PITA and time consuming, but the actual shrinking is fun. Power boats take about one third the time that it takes to do a sailboat, and a whole lot less material.

A full roll of material is really, really heavy.

Don't try to do it on a windy day.

If you're shrink wrapping one 17 foot boat, I might consider trying the cheap one.

All the boats that we were working on were 27-45 feet.

Patrick said:

It's worth the $10 more to get the one that has a built in ignitor

Oh, you would absolutely need the ignitor. If it's burning constantly, you'll be running out of propane and burning holes through your material. Most of the time, the gun is off. 

If you're using the white stuff, you will get a sunburnt face, even on a cloudy day.
 

And wear sunglasses; your eyes will be shot by the end of the day. 

Thanks for the tips. I actually just got back from harbor freight so I'll be giving the cheap one a go. If I can't get on with it I'll rent a good heat gun. I'm only looking to do one job and have excess material so should be able to make it work one way or another

And... I just reread the original post and noticed that you're not actually wrapping a boat. 
 

D'oh!

I use one to burn weeds in the rocks.  Works well just have to watch and not get it too close to your legs when you pull the trigger....ask me how

I used this material to "wrap" the Bugatti body for the 2021 challenge car see below.

My method for shrinking was a heat gun an lots of time. The results were decent, but I did have some trouble with overheating and blowing thru in a few spots.

In reply to stafford1500 :

Thanks for the info - didn't realize the bodywork on that was shrink wrap!