Heat gun

A heat gun is a device used to emit a stream of hot air, usually at temperatures between 100 and 550 °C (373 and 823 K; 212 and 1,022 °F), with some hotter models running around 760 °C (1,030 K; 1,400 °F), which can be held by hand.

Though it shares similarities to a hair dryer, it is not meant as a substitute for the latter, which safely spreads the heat out across its nozzle to prevent scalp burning and has a limited temperature range, while heat guns have a concentrated element and nozzle, along with higher temperatures, which can easily scald the scalp or catch the hair on fire.

Heat guns are used in physics, materials science, chemistry, engineering, and other laboratory and workshop settings.

Heat guns and lighter weight hair driers are sometimes used to remove paint splashes and wallpapers.

There are also heat gun form factors friendly for food purposes such as melting hard candies, searing meats, or to start a charcoal fire or grill.