You guys are a laugh. I feel like I'm watching a voting process on how to install a light bulb.

Heh. Obsessed Anodized Aluminum Extrusion Man calls Kettle Black!

I've used 3M brand...

I Googled for "3M heat shrink" and lots of places selling on-line -- in the long lengths, too.

But my favoourite thing to use is a small torch (normally used to light cigars).

I used a butane mini-torch for a while. The good thing about a real heat gun like a Weller is that you can surround the work with heat and the tubing contracts evenly. I was using some fairly big diameters and lengths for a while (and the marine stuiff is loaded with glue), so it's possible to get trapped air pockets if the heating is spotty.

But would I bother with heat shrink for this project? Maybe. But maybe not. When working with thick gauge AC wiring, I use Marrettes. The plastic caps (copper on the inside) that you twist onto your wires. Very secure.

For stuff like the boat, it's not negotiable, but I like for car and whatnot because it protects and reinforces things if you are using terminals or lugs. Also, if you want the wire to lay a certain way, you can bend it, heat-shrink it, then hold it till it cools to help hold the shape.

Marrettes? Is that what i'd call wire nuts? Will those hold with stranded wire? Is this something different?

... and I'll be powering the empeg with a power supply from an old drive chassis.

I'll be interested to see that. I felt like using the OE brick with an extension cord stub was pretty cheesy. I went looking for a 12-13V power supply/transformer with terminal connectors, but didn't find any.

Back to fixing the black wire on that light bulb!