How does glue gun work

There is no better and quicker adhesive than the hot glue gun since it works on almost all ranges of surfaces. You have successfully cast your vote Login to view result. Hot use a hot glue gun? Read Post a comment. Characters Remaining: Continue without login. Login from existing account Facebook Google Email. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. All Comments Your Activity. You may remember weird, cylindrical, solid-but-flexible, sticks of translucent glue that you placed into a small hot glue gun.

The gun would heat the glue, and you could use the hot glue to adhere pieces of fabric together or to make other craft projects. Indeed, what you may not know is that hot glue has many more uses than craft projects. Many industries use hot melt as part of the manufacturing and assembly process. In industrial settings, you are doing a lot more than sticking fabric together. Industrial hot glue is used for many different and sometimes precision jobs for various industries.

For these bigger jobs, companies require industrial glue guns and products. These are not your little, home-economics-style, glue guns. These are bigger, with more power and more capability. Hot melt or hot glue is designed to be melted with a glue gun. This glue is sometimes called thermoplastic adhesive. Hot glue guns use continuous heating elements to melt the adhesive. In industrial settings, industrial hot glue and industrial hot glue guns give many advantages over solvent-based adhesives or other fasteners.

Industrial hot glue can dry strong and quickly, reducing the time delay before the product is ready. Hot melt also cures quickly. Industrial hot melt has a long shelf-life, and after use, it can be disposed of without any special precautions.

Hot melt also has the advantage of not losing any thickness when drying. This makes it especially helpful in some commercial projects such as woodworking. There are many types of industrial hot melt and industrial hot melt guns to match different needs in various industries. There are even hot melt adhesives that can be applied by dipping or spraying. Industrial hot melt has properties that should be considered for the specific job you intend it for. One of these is the bond formation temperature, which is the minimum temperature at which the adhesive can create bonds.

In industrial settings, it is also important to consider the potential life stability, because the hot melt is often molten for longer time periods when working in industry. The term tack refers to the stickiness of the hot melt. When you are working with industrial hot glue, you have a certain amount of time during which the hot melt is tacky before it sets. The open time tells you how long you can work to set a bond. The set time tells you how long it takes for the bond to form to an acceptable strength.

Hot melt industrial glue can be used in all types of product assembly , such as small joint assembly, large surface lamination, mounting and trip attachment.

Product assembly that involves hot melt application can include appliances, mattresses, HVAC and many others. Hot melt industrial hot glue and industrial glue guns can be used in furniture assembly to adhere small joints, mounting and trim.

Large surface lamination on furniture and cabinetry is another application. In furniture assembly and woodworking, the nearly instant bonding strength of hot melt speeds up production.

Industrial hot glue also bonds well with the materials typically used in furniture assembly, such as wood, particle board, MDF, laminate, foam and fabrics. These hot melt glue sticks are specially formulated for the woodworking industry.

They offer a medium open time, so you can make adjustments in positioning your pieces. They also bond well with different surfaces, including vinyl, fabric, plastic, metals and sheet rock.

WoodTAC requires a standard temperature industrial glue gun. Hot melt or industrial hot glue has many uses in the building and construction industry. Hot melt can be used for all types of flooring and carpets. Using hot melt in this application improves the quality and aesthetics of new flooring compared to nails and staples.

Floor and wall tiles can be installed with hot melt. Specific adhesives are available for various tiling materials, such as stone and glass. Because hot melt can cure quickly, it is especially helpful when installing tile on vertical surfaces. Hot melt can also be used to build strong, secure doors quickly. Once cooled, it can then be safely packed away, part used glue stick included.

Before you can start using your glue gun you will first need to get it up to temperature so that when you pull the trigger the glue flows freely through the nozzle. To ensure this happens the glue gun needs to be plugged into the mains and switched on, if it has a power switch, some just rely on the mains supply. If you are using a low temperature cool melt glue gun it should take around 2 minutes to warm up and be ready to use.

If you are using a high temperature, hot melt gun or a heavy duty gun then this can take anywhere from 5 — 8 minutes. Working in a well ventilated area is also very important.

Under normal operating conditions both hot and cool melt glue should not be dangerous, but if overheated then toxic vapours can be released. Also, ensure that your work surface is flat and level. For this example we have used a scrap piece of thick cardboard. Before you turn it on, first check that there is a glue stick inserted and ready to use.

Gently push it down into the gun and then feather the trigger lightly to ensure that it butts up to the existing stick. As mentioned above, to turn on your glue gun this is normally just a matter of plugging it into the mains and leaving it to get up to temperature. In the case for the gun we are using in this example, the manufacturer states to leave the gun for 5 minutes, but as mentioned, refer to your manufactures user manual for specific times. Any and all surfaces being glued should be free from any grease, dust or other debris and also dry.

Additionally, if the surfaces you are gluing are polished or very shiny, gluing them together as-is may not be that effective as the glue will have very little to bond to. For surfaces of this type they will need to be roughed up first to provide a key for the glue to bond to. Use some — grit sandpaper and gently rub over the gluing area. This is also the case if you are gluing timber, give it a quick rub over with some sandpaper before applying any glue.

With the nozzle hovering over your drip mat, gently squeeze the trigger until glue starts to flow. The flow should be smooth and consistent, if not, there may be an issue with your gun. Lay your surfaces to be glued down flat on your work surface and position the nozzle of the gun at the start of your first surface.

Apply some gentle pressure to the trigger until the glue starts to flow freely, at which point move the gun along the length of the surface, easing the trigger off as you approach the end. With the first surface coated, move on to the next, using the techniques above to apply the glue to the surface. With the glue applied, position the surfaces together firmly making sure everything is lined up correctly. If needed, you can also clamp the items together.

This will prevent any movement and also ensure the surfaces are fully engaged with each other. Note : The temperature of your surroundings will play a part in the speed that the glue starts to dry. As we were working through this demo in our workshop at the end of October it was cold, which in turn cooled the glue and allowed it to set quicker. In this case we only had about 10 seconds before it started to go hard!

With the above in mind, your initial test squeeze will give you a good idea of how fast the glue will set. In terms of drying time, you might be asking yourself; How long does it take hot glue to dry? In answer, allow at least 5 minutes before moving anything to ensure the glue has time to set. After use, on some occasions, excess glue can collect on and around the nozzle.