Hot Glue Guns

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Ian_Rob

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I have never used a hot glue gun but I am wanting a way of quickly fixing a lot of wood blocks to a wood background to form a temporary alignment jig. They need to be firm but easily removable when I have finished. I guess there are alternative glue sticks. Would a glue gun be suitable?
 
Yes, provided the surface area you want to glue is small ie 50mm x 50 mm. Using one over larger area allows time for the first applied glue to cool and set preventing good bond.

I'd buy 300 mm long glue sticks if i had lots of pieces to do to save the need for constant changing.
Experint with different surfaces to bond to. The bond can be strong yet broken cleanly on some surfaces when wanting to remove the blocks. Ive glued to laminate which will allow clean removal when required.
 
Dave100456 said:
Using one over larger area allows time for the first applied glue to cool and set preventing good bond.
Click to expand...

Depends on the glue gun. Definitely true for the feeble little one I've had for years, but the big high-temperature one (still under £20) I bought recently will pump out loads of glue at a temperature that keeps it liquid for a considerable time. It would easily glue blocks much bigger than 2" square.

(Do be careful not to touch the glue if using a high-temperature gun, though.)

Pete
 
prv said:
Depends on the glue gun. Definitely true for the feeble little one I've had for years, but the big high-temperature one (still under £20) I bought recently will pump out loads of glue at a temperature that keeps it liquid for a considerable time. It would easily glue blocks much bigger than 2" square.

(Do be careful not to touch the glue if using a high-temperature gun, though.)

Pete
Click to expand...
Whilst I agree with what you say, I'd also add to the sentence yo put in brackets.

Low temperature glue gun is a relative term. I wouldn't want anyone thinking they are hazard free with low temperature glue as these still melt sticks at around 130 degrees celsius.
 
Ideal, and the easy way to get it apart leaving the bits intact (for another day) is a hot air gun, ownership of which lets you deal with the above mentioned of keeping larger areas melted.
 
The council put a nice sharp edged new sign right in front of the dingy racks just at head height (because they are clueless idiots) .
I pulled my dingy out of the rack and the new sign punctured my hull?.
As a temp fix iput a blob of hot glue inside and out. A year later and it's still keeping the water out ! Better than silicon .
 
Rappey said:
The council put a nice sharp edged new sign right in front of the dingy racks just at head height (because they are clueless idiots) .
I pulled my dingy out of the rack and the new sign punctured my hull?.
As a temp fix iput a blob of hot glue inside and out. A year later and it's still keeping the water out ! Better than silicon .
Click to expand...
I hope you put a claim for compensation in.
 
Sandy said:
hope you put a claim for compensation in.
Click to expand...
I did think about it, but the dingy rack is free and supplied by the council and if I complained they could just remove the rack altogether and get another paid parking space out of it.
 
Ian_Rob said:
I have never used a hot glue gun but I am wanting a way of quickly fixing a lot of wood blocks to a wood background to form a temporary alignment jig. They need to be firm but easily removable when I have finished. I guess there are alternative glue sticks. Would a glue gun be suitable?
Click to expand...
Sounds an ideal job for wood-screws.
 
Hot Glue Guns are common place amongst modellers / craft people.

I have three types :

10 - 11mm stick for large jobs and where high temp work best. This is 240v powered, 40W

7 - 8mm stick small gun for more delicate fine work - it has a longer brass nozzle for this. This is 240V powered, 10W

7 - 8mm stick small gun for field work - it has standard nozzle. This is 10 - 14V powered, 10W

I pick the sticks to suit the job as there are many different compositions ... but for most people - the General Purpose are fine. Buying branded or shops own etc. - never found any difference.

A trick to break open a HG joint ... is to use Rubbing Alcohol .... Get a putty knife and try to open the joint a bit ... dribble RA in and let it start to dissolve the glue .... you should if careful be able to separate the joint by working at it with the RA / Knife.
Use of a Heat Gun is OK - if the objects glued can suffer the heat .... and not get scorched.
 
I had to bond some wooden battens and blocks to the inside of the GRP hull .

A few blobs of glue from the glue gun held them in place whilst the epoxy set.

I've alsu used it to temporarily hold pieces of wood to the bench when routing them.
 
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