The Basics of Home Maintenance for the Novice

Heat shrink tubing is an amazing material because it will shrink in size after heat is applied to it. This design makes this tubing great for electrical projects where wires need to be bundled together. If you need to cut this material for a project, here are some insights to remember.

Figure Out How Small the Tubing Gets After Heat Is Applied

In order to know just how much of this tubing to cut for a project, make sure you figure out just how much the tubing will shrink once heat is applied to it. This can vary considerably for heat shrink tubing, but fortunately, there should be shrink ratios listed by the suppliers you buy from.

You may even want to heat different varieties of tubing and see them shrink down in size right in front of you. Then you can make a note of these details and have a better idea of how much tubing you'll need to where your cuts are refined. 

Decide Between Manual and Automated Cutting

Cutting can happen in one of two ways for heat shrink tubing: manual and automated cutting. The former option is probably best if you only need to cut a couple of heat shrink tubes for a project. You can use scissors or a utility knife to have success with manual cutting.

If you need to cut a lot of heat shrink tubes, it's probably best to use automated cutting tools that are designed for high-volume tube cutting. You'll probably need to work with a professional company to access these cutting tools.

Mark Your Cuts For Added Precision

So that you don't cut more heat shrink tubing than you need, it's a good idea to mark off areas where you need to cut. Then you can be precise and thus not waste any tubing.

Fortunately, this tubing is easy to write on for marking. You just need to figure out how much tubing you'll need for each project and then you can mark your cuts accordingly. Then it's just a matter of using a refined cutting tool that can leave behind optimal results.

Heat shrink tubing is a versatile material you may want to use for an electrical project, whether it's to insulate or combine wires together. If you ever need to cut said materials, make sure you use the right tools and techniques to get optimal results. 

For more information, contact a local company, like Tef-Cap Industries.