: what type of heat gun or heat range? does the wood colour change enough to be
: concerned on appearance? will those areas have to be sanded a bit more?

: -mick

I have used several different ones, but the one I use the most is a Wegener heat gun/paint stripper. It has a high and low setting. I usually use the high setting. Just keep moving it. You want fairly even heat. I would guess that I usually have the gun between 6 to 10 inches away from the strip to avoid burning or scortching.

Yes the wood can change color, but if it does, you need to change your technique and move it more and back away more from the strip. Any light scorching will be planed off or sanded out. I have never really fried one up to see how it would clean up.

Once in awhile you get a strip that adding more heat just doesn't seem to allow it to bend any more. When this happens I wet the wood a little.

Also, when you are applying a bending and twisting force while heating, all of a sudden the strip will seem to become soft and just twist with much less force applied. Then remove the heat and hold the bend and twist for another 20 seconds or there abouts, then check the fit.

Tom