INSANELY HOT DIY Hot Air Soldering iron @ 15 Volts DC and 3.5 amps...PART II

Step 5 Find the ideal length of heating element

This picture shows a way too long heating element to run from 12 volts DC. Using a small 12 volt battery, I downsized the heating element until it started to glow red...this was to be my starting point and choice of length. This heating element was taken from the heat gun I butchered...I had some other elements, but in bending the wires, they snapped...no good, so I threw those ones out. This element had good ductile deformation properties...must have been a new hot air gun before it croaked it.