A hot glue gun is an important tool for hobbyists and professionals alike. It enables you to apply melted glue that may bind to almost any material. Its adhesive works on plastic, wood, paper, metal, fabric, stone, you name it! While glue guns had been initially used for bonding shoe soles, their versatility has made them a preferred tool for DIY projects, house improvement, upholstery work and arts & crafts.
In this article I will educate you the best way to get one of the best results out of your hot glue gun, and clarify how to use it safely. I will additionally show which glue sticks are finest to use, as a way to create lengthy lasting bonds on virtually any objects and materials.
What is a glue gun?
A hot glue gun is a handheld system that lets you melt and apply hot melt adhesive. This adhesive comes in the form of strong sticks and can be merely known as hot glue. The sticks are fed in through the back of the glue gun, whereas the melted glue comes out by the nozzle in the front.
The advantage of hot glue weapons is that they’re easy to make use of and that they let you create robust bonds between many alternative supplies, particularly when used with the appropriate type of glue stick.
There are a few important steps and safety measures it’s a must to keep in mind however. This article will clarify them to you.
What’s hot glue?
Hot glue is the adhesive that gets melted in a glue gun. It is also referred to as hot melt adhesive or thermoplastic adhesive. When it comes out of the nozzle it has a tacky, slightly sticky really feel to it. After it cools down, it solidifies.
Probably the most commonly used form of hot glue (for us DIY folk not less than) is glue sticks. But hot melt adhesives additionally are available in different forms, like ones that you may apply by spraying or dipping. Dipping in a hot glue dipping pot is a technique that’s often used for flower arrangements and different floristry.
Benefits of hot glue
Hot glue has several benefits compared to other adhesives. For example, it dries fast. This helps you to keep working on your projects without having to wait a very long time for glue to dry. As a result, utilizing a glue gun is very time efficient.
Hot glue also has a high viscosity. Because of this, it does an important job filling gaps and bonding rough surfaces together.
One other big advantage of hot glue is that it has a long shelf life. I am sure you’re acquainted with tubes of glue drying out by themselves. With hot glue sticks, this is not an issue.
If you store glue sticks in a clean, dry place, at room temperature and outside of sunlight, you may basically store them indefinitely.
Additional advantages of hot glue are:
There isn’t a lack of thickness when it cures.
Hot glue guns are affordable because they’re such simple devices.
It works well with colour additives. You may even use colored glue sticks. These are great for crafting or for matching the colour of the glue to the color of the thing that you simply apply it to.
There may be little to no waste.
It does not comprise risky organic compounds (VOCs) which might be dangerous to your health.
It could possibly often be disposed of without having to take additional environmental precautions.