heat gun - embossing gun any difference???

I'm planning on getting into embossing and it seems like everyone talks about using a heat gun for drying paint and other things.
Are the 2 guns the same?
What is a good brand to buy? I have a supplier for the Close to My Heart brand, anyone have one?

...and what about embossing powders, what brand do you all recommend??

I have a Darice Heat tool and I have really liked it. I'm sure a CTMH one would be good.

I like my CTMH powders and my TH distressing powders. I have yet to use a brand that wasn't good.

You can also use a hair dryer - just put it on a low setting. I have a Heat it Up heat gun but I think it gets to hot and my embossing powder bubbles even from a quite a distance away - there are others which are a cooler temp which give a more even heat.

• SuperAllyFan Said:

A hair dryer does NOT work for embossing (it blows the powder all over).

It may be okay for drying paint.

I have a darice heat tool/gun (the blue one from J's)

I use stampendous or joann's brand embossing powder and have good results. If you want detailed stuff be sure to get the powder that says DETAIL- I've only ever seen detail silver, detail gold, and detail black but I'm sure if you look there are more. I like to use the detail when I'm embossing words or intricate images.

I've never been able to use a hairdryer either. They didn't get hot enough to actually melt the powder before they blew the powder away.

Thanks for the tips.
I noticed CTMH has detailed clear embossing powder.

I have both a "Nicole Heat Tool" and a "Heat It Craft Tool" (the same one that Tim Holtz uses)

I find it's useful to have both. When I'm using Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel it's great to have the heat gun because it puts out a lot of concentrated heat very quickly. The trick with the heat gun is to keep it moving and not concentrate the shot of hot air in one place at all, because it will quickly overemboss and burn (and yes it can catch paper on fire.)

The heat it craft tool is useful in applications where I'm embossing on something delicate (like fabric) or when i want to dry paint or glue. It takes longer to heat up, and thus longer to emboss, but it is useful for when I want to be more careful in embossing.