What glues a hot gun. hot glue gun

What can be glued with a glue gun? At home, it can be useful for gluing a broken vase, a broken children's toy, or repairing shoes. You can glue wallpaper or torn furniture trim. Often used in needlework, with a glue gun you can glue parts made of wood, ceramics, plastic, fabric.

Application of the glue gun

A glue gun for a florist will be a good helper when forming bouquets. In construction, the gun can be useful for various installation work and repairs. Advantages and disadvantages of the glue gun Different versions of the tool have their own characteristics, here are the general properties:

The disadvantages include poor adhesion of the adhesive to concrete or cement coatings, including plasters, and the adhesive gun is not used for parts or surfaces that will heat up during operation. That is, before use, it is necessary to clarify what can be glued with a glue gun, only after that apply.

The principle of operation of the glue gun in any glue gun, regardless of the network or battery, the glue sticks are heated. Outwardly, the gun looks like a drill or a screwdriver, it has a cylindrical body with a handle (photo). In the rear part there is a receiving device for installing a polyurethane adhesive rod. The rod enters a receiving chamber made of plastic or tubular rubber. To start work, the rod must be sent to the heating chamber, where it is heated to a plastic state under the action of electricity, and squeezed onto the parts to be glued. The duration of the heating of the rod is 3-5 minutes, after which you can press the feed piston. The pressure on the rod is adjustable, the thickness of the applied layer can also be adjusted using special nozzles (video).

Glue gun device

In order to properly use the hot glue gun to keep it working for a long time, consider how this tool works. The gun consists of several nodes:

Pistol selection

The possibility of using a pistol and the correct choice depends on its characteristics. Main characteristics:

For homework, you can purchase a household appliance, it is believed that it is simpler, lighter and has a simple package. But this is not so, there are household models with almost professional equipment and having an appropriate cost. The most important feature is the automatic feed, which makes it much easier to work with large volumes. What materials can be glued The glue gun can be used to glue various materials, you just need to choose the right glue.

For different types of materials, glue for a glue gun is offered, in the form of special rods, including two-component mixtures. If you plan to work with different materials, you can choose a universal rod (photo). It is also necessary to take into account the operating temperature of the device, because. heating of various rods occurs at different temperatures, the higher the operating mode, the greater the choice of rods is possible.

There are many ways to connect parts and assemblies made of various materials. Often there is a need to connect metal and rubber or wood and glass. In this case, gluing comes to the rescue. One method is to use a glue gun.

By the way, this method of connecting parts to each other provides a higher quality connection in terms of strength and tightness.

What is glued with a thermal gun

The main task that this tool must solve is the connection of parts using heated glue. The hardening of this material occurs after a few minutes. Its advantage with instant adhesive joints is that the worker has a small margin of time to correct mistakes. The use of a glue gun and compositions specially produced for these devices allows you to connect different materials together, for example:

• wood;
• metallic materials;
• concrete;
• polymers;
• glass;
• natural and artificial stone and many others.

Using a glue gun

Before using a glue gun in practice, it is advisable to understand how it works and what needs to be prepared for it to work effectively.

This device resembles a real, combat pistol. In its manufacture, heat-resistant polymeric materials are used - this makes it possible to reduce the weight of this equipment and the strength of the case. The product has a handle for which a person holds the device during operation. Some models have recesses for fingers. Most of the models of thermal guns operate on AC power, with a voltage of 220 V. There are also models that operate on a replaceable battery.

Glue, made in the form of a rod, is installed in a hole located in the aft part of the device. To melt the glue stick, a heater is used, which heats it up to the required condition. The time to bring the rod into working condition can be from three to seven minutes.

Of course, before starting work, it is necessary to carefully study the instruction manual and safety rules for working with an electric tool of this class.

The heat gun is powered by electricity and is a device of increased danger. That is, it is necessary to follow some rules, so there should be no cracks and damage on the case. In addition, you must make sure that the gun nozzle is not clogged with adhesive residue. If this still happens, then you need to clean it up. Otherwise, the passage of the melt will be difficult and bonding will take longer.

By the way, when choosing a glue stick, you must be guided by the capabilities of the thermal gun. In addition, when choosing an adhesive material, it is necessary to focus on the color of the parts to be glued.

Direct operation of the glue gun

The glue stick is inserted into the hole, which is located in the back of the device. After that, the device can be turned on. As a rule, using the switch, you can adjust the temperature of the adhesive heating. Before the glue comes into working condition, you need to wait for some time, depending on the model, it can take from 3 to minutes. As soon as the device enters the operating mode, the signal lamp on the case will light up. In addition, as soon as the adhesive is ready to be applied to the prepared surface, droplets of molten adhesive form at the nozzle exit.

The surface to be bonded must be suitably prepared. In particular, dirt, traces of oils and grease must be removed from the surface.

The amount of glue can be adjusted by pressing the trigger with different force. For bonding, it is necessary to use a metered amount of melted adhesive.

It should be remembered that excess adhesive, after it has cooled, will be difficult to remove. When heated, the glue retains its plasticity for about 10 seconds.

After applying the glue, it is necessary to compress the parts together. By the way, the more glue, the more time it will take for it to solidify.

If you have to take breaks during work, then it is advisable to install the gun on a special stand. It is designed in such a way that the gun is in an inclined state.

One more. Professional devices can be operated for no more than 2-2 hours continuously, and household ones for no more than 20 minutes, after which the device should rest for a while.

At the end of the work, it is necessary to clean the nozzle from traces of glue. To do this, you can use paper or soft material.

In fact, using a thermal gun is quite simple, simple, you must carefully follow the instructions from the instruction manual and follow the safety rules.

How can you work with glue sticks without a gun

How to properly use the glue gun is described in detail in the instruction manual. But sometimes, there is a need for gluing parts in places where a gun simply cannot be reached. In this case, you can use a glue stick without a gun.

The melting point of the adhesive lies within 80 °C. This temperature can be obtained using a soldering iron, building hair dryer, candles, etc.

Power when choosing an electric heat gun

When choosing a glue gun, it is advisable to be guided by its power characteristics. It must be understood that the higher the power of the heating element, the faster the glue will reach the working state.

Equipment used by professionals consumes from 300 watts, devices intended for household use consume from 30 to 150 watts.

There are frequent cases when the power developed by the device is not enough to solve the tasks. In this case, there is a need for pauses necessary to create the required amount of melt. Based on the foregoing, a simple conclusion can be drawn that power consumption is an important parameter, but it is advisable to choose a device based on performance.

Some manufacturers are marketing variable power equipment. That is, to obtain a melt, a heater mounted in a gun consumes 200 W, and as it enters the operating mode, it reduces it and consumes, for example, 35-40 W. The device, in standby mode, consumes only 10-16 watts.

Another subtlety regarding the technical parameters of glue guns is the operating temperature of the adhesive composition. We must always remember that not materials endure the action of high temperatures. For example, to work with fabrics, paper and a number of polymers, it is necessary to use low-temperature compositions. Or the equipment must be equipped with the ability to select the temperature. On the market you can find equipment that can operate in two ranges of 105-165 ° C. Such an engineering solution allows expanding the scope of application of the adhesive thermal gun.

The principle of operation of the glue gun

Gluing with a heat gun is quite simple. It includes a heating device. A rod made of adhesive material enters the zone of its action. It is sometimes called a patron. The gun is powered by 220 V electric current.

When the device is connected to the network, the heater is activated. The heating temperature reaches 100-210 °C. The glue melts and enters the junction of the parts. Hot glue enters this place through the nozzle.

Problems and solutions

Important: some difficulties may arise when gluing foam, various substances containing polyethylene, and any objects with concrete or plaster.

How to change the color of the rod

The use of a glue gun that works with polymer rods is in demand in many areas of activity. The gun is a versatile tool that can securely fix various objects and parts.

Glue gun sticks are consumables. As a rule, polymer rods with a thickness of 11 mm and 7 mm are most in demand. The length is determined by the technical capabilities of the device.

Parts of different colors can be subjected to gluing. Therefore, rods of various colors can be purchased on the market. For example, black is used in order to achieve the utmost similarity of the seam and the surface to be glued.

As usual, opaque compositions are classified as universal, and they are used most often. By the way, in companies supplying such materials, you can pick up rods made of translucent materials with the addition of certain color pigments.

The rods used in the work of the glue gun are made in different colors, not only in order to be able to choose the optimal color of the seam. The color also shows for what purposes this or that composition can be used. So, an opaque white rod can be used to work with metal or glass. The yellow rod can be used for gluing paper, cardboard. Black rods are used to eliminate cracks and voids.

Among the permanent connections, the most common in our daily life is gluing. This procedure must have been performed at least once by every person. The need to glue all kinds of things at home arises quite often, and causes additional troubles associated with finding the most suitable glue. A universal tool in this regard is a glue gun, which makes it possible to facilitate and automate the gluing procedure. This small, electrically powered device will help in many situations where you need to glue different materials.

The device and principle of operation of the adhesive thermal gun

Of the wide variety of electric tools presented on the modern construction market, the adhesive thermal gun stands out for its originality. With a fairly simple and uncomplicated design, it helps to cope with gluing a wide variety of materials using an adhesive composition melted to a liquid state.

In appearance, the hot glue gun resembles its prototype - a hand weapon, from the resemblance to which it got its name. It consists of the following main elements:

The main structural elements of the hot glue gun

• housing made of heat-resistant plastic with a pistol grip and a viewing window;
• a thermoelement used to heat up the adhesive composition;
• a thermal chamber, which includes an adhesive cartridge, and its melting occurs;
• a nozzle used for metered supply of molten glue;
• guide sleeve;
• hinged rod feed mechanism with trigger and pusher;
• supports, for installing the tool in a vertical plane during technological breaks or for cooling.

Some modern models of glue guns can be additionally equipped with a switch and operation indicator, built-in backlight and temperature control. They can be powered both from a 220 V household electrical network through a power cord, and from batteries.

This model of glue gun is convenient for working in places where there is no way to connect to the mains.

Naturally, battery models will cost much more.

The principle of operation of the thermal gun is also quite simple:

A polymer hot melt stick is inserted into the hole on the back side of the glue gun, getting through the pusher and the guide sleeve into the heating chamber.

When electricity is supplied from a network or battery, the thermoelement heats up and the rod melts. In different models of glue guns, this will take 5 - 8 minutes;

When the trigger is pressed, the pusher presses on the rod and delivers the adhesive melt into the nozzle, which simply needs to be directed to the surfaces to be glued. They must first be cleaned of dirt and degreased, as is always done when gluing.

How to choose a device for needlework and other needs

A hot glue gun may be needed for gluing a wide variety of materials. To choose the most suitable model of such a device, you need to know what operating parameters and other characteristics you should pay attention to when buying a thermal gun. The main criteria for choosing this tool are:

In addition to the main ones, there are also a number of additional criteria that may affect the choice of a suitable glue gun model. Among these options are:

On sale you can find a wide variety of models of hot glue guns from inexpensive Chinese-made devices of the simplest design to sophisticated devices manufactured by well-known manufacturers of electric tools like Metabo, Steinel or Bosch. According to customer reviews, the rating of hot glue guns can be represented by the following models.

Bosch PKP 18 E

It has a long and narrow nozzle with glue leakage control

Power 100 W and output 20 g/min. Equipped with a thin and long nozzle and a valve against glue leakage. Ideal for bonding all materials and sealing voids.

Personally, I have known him for almost 4 years, but the thermal gun itself is already about 7 years old ... because it is a worker and, accordingly, was purchased before I appeared in this company. The gripping and feeding of the glue stick is organized very firmly and reliably. There are no backlashes or meetings. The main thing is to work out the old rod completely before you "charge" the new one ... The gun has a fairly strong rest-stand, fixed in two positions, which provides fairly good stability. I think that in its history this glue gun has worked out more than one hundred glue sticks 😉

Iluxa1988

1. http://otzovik.com/review_4243054.html

Steinel Gluematic 3002

Has a power of 200 W and a productivity of 16 g / min

The power of the model is 200 W and the productivity is 16 g/min. Designed to work with rods with a diameter of 11 mm, it can be used for construction and repair work, as well as for applied art.

The daughter is engaged in the arts and can no longer do without him in her applied art (glues rhinestones to fabric, etc.). I resort to his help when it is necessary to glue the joints of linoleum, glue the fallen off tiles (quickly and reliably), seal a hole in a metal or plastic dish, glue a broken ceramic vase, etc., etc. In general, the scope this tool is very wide, it can be listed for a long time ...

seniorforeman

http://otzovik.com/review_4559773.html

Metabo KE 3000

Ideal tool for construction, repair work and handicrafts

It has a heating temperature of up to 200 degrees and a glue supply rate of 18 g / min, designed for the use of rods with a diameter of 11 mm. Such a heat gun is ideal for small home repairs that require gluing various materials, as well as for needlework.

An irreplaceable thing! The parquet falls out, the decorations on the sandal come off, the handle of your favorite cup breaks off, the water coupling leaks - a gun will help you. It sticks tightly, you can't tear it off with your teeth. It costs about 1000 rubles, "cartridges" (plastic rods) - 200 rubles ... By the way, when you buy, pay attention to the shape of the spout - sometimes it is elongated, and sometimes it is short.

http://otzovik.com/review_232529.html

Dremel Glue Gun 910

Has two operating temperatures

Ideal for light crafts, with 7mm diameter rods up to 165 degrees, it features two temperature settings, anti-drip control and a detachable cord for when you need to tape something away from an electrical outlet.

Adhesive "melt" does not spontaneously flow out. The supply of glue is done by pressing the trigger and gives out as much as necessary. The glue hardens very quickly, which makes it possible to continue working and not wait several hours to continue. I glued glass, wood with a gun ...

gennady r

http://otzovik.com/review_2997390.html

Bison 06850–60–12 ZO1

Ideal tool for crafts and creativity

A thermal gun with a working temperature of 195 degrees and a power of 60 W is a good helper for needlework. Uses glue sticks with a diameter of 11 mm.

I liked everything about this device: lightweight, comfortable to hold, small, stable, heats up and cools down quickly. It heats up for 5 minutes to a temperature of 193 degrees. I picked it up right away and started using it right away. I can say that it is safe. Even if it falls from the handle on which it stands, it will not leave any burn on the surface, since the spout is located higher and does not come into contact with the work surface.

berezaPK

http://otzovik.com/review_3170645.html

Glue sticks for hot air gun, selection criteria

To work with a glue gun, a special thermoplastic glue is used, which is available in the form of rods (sticks) of various colors. As a rule, the composition of such an adhesive includes polymeric materials that are capable of repeatedly changing from a liquid state to a solid state, and vice versa. The basis of most adhesive sticks is a substance such as ethylene vinyl acetate. Hardening in 40 - 120 seconds, this adhesive provides almost instantaneous adhesion of the surfaces to be glued to each other. It can bond a wide variety of materials except plaster, concrete, PVC and some fabrics.

The main criteria for choosing glue sticks for a thermal gun are:

1. Rod diameter. Most of the glue guns produced today are designed to use sticks with a diameter of 7 and 11 mm, but there are models of this tool and under slightly different sizes, rods - 8 and 12 mm. You should choose glue cartridges for the diameter of which your gun is designed;
2. Stick length. It can be from 4 to 20 cm, and does not really matter when choosing. The main thing is that it should not be less than the minimum length recommended by the glue gun manufacturer.
3. Melting temperature. This is one of the important parameters that you need to pay attention to in the first place. The composition of the glue stick can be different, and it can melt at a higher or lower temperature. Choose sticks whose melting point is no higher than the working temperature of your glue gun.
4. Color of glue sticks. This parameter is not strictly regulated, but there is still some regularity in the dependence of the color of the rod on the type of materials for which it is intended to be glued.

Very often, a glue stick of its color corresponds to a certain type of work. This does not mean that other materials cannot be glued with sticks of this key. It's just that the best quality and adhesion of parts will be if they are glued together with sticks of the appropriate color. The most common are glue sticks of the following colors:

• white transparent sticks are universal, they can glue a variety of materials - glass and porcelain, ceramic tiles and metal, leather and plastic, fabrics, rubber and other materials in any combination with each other;

  Designed for bonding any materials

• white opaque rods can be universal, as well as designed for gluing white parts or glass and metal;

  The main purpose is the bonding of glass and metal. Can be just universal for white parts

• colored rods of an opaque structure, in addition to black and gray, most often also contain universal hot-melt adhesive, designed for gluing parts of the corresponding color or creating crafts (for arts and crafts, glitter can be added to the glue);

  Relate to universal adhesive

• opaque black and gray rods are used to fill voids, seal joints and electrically insulate conductive elements, they are used in electrical, construction and plumbing work;

  Used as a sealant and for insulation

• yellow transparent hot melt adhesive is designed for gluing wood, paper and cardboard.

Among the wide variety of adhesive rods, the most popular are products from brands such as Matrix, Master Hand, Fit or Best Price. Of course, it is best to use cartridges of the same brand as the heat gun. But it is not always possible and time to look for sticks on sale. The hot-melt adhesive of the listed brands, according to consumer reviews, is in no way inferior to branded cartridges.

Naturally, when buying a pistol, they immediately began to look for suitable rods on the shelves. We bought Matrix glue sticks. There are 12 of them in the package, diameter 11 mm. Just what we needed. They themselves are quite long - 20 cm. You can glue a lot of things with them - fabric, wood, plastic, glass, leather, paper, and probably what else you can think of yourself. My daughter used them to glue coffee beans and cotton pads to cardboard. Everything is holding up well.

SsvetlankaS

http://otzovik.com/review_2731189.html

These rods quickly begin to melt, adhere well, and therefore are economically consumed. I recommend to buy a set of Master Hand glue sticks and put a solid five, they never let me down.

Katerina Lis

http://otzovik.com/review_4316420.html

How to set up a hot glue gun

Usually, in more sophisticated models of the glue gun, a switch is already provided that allows you to turn off the electricity supply to the heating element after the glue stick is fully heated, and a temperature regulator, and even the ability to automatically turn off the tool when the thermal chamber overheats above a certain temperature. You will not find any such excesses in the simplest and cheapest models.

It is quite possible to set up some functions and operation parameters of an inexpensive model of a glue gun with your own hands by slightly modifying the design of this power tool, especially since it has enough free space inside.

Extending the Power Cord and Installing the Switch

Most often, cheap models of glue guns come with a short cord (about 80 cm) and do not have a switch. This creates inconvenience in work, and often leads to overheating of the tool. To fix this manufacturer's defect, you must:

1. Disassemble the heat gun by unscrewing a few screws.
2. Cut off the wires of the power cord and strip their ends.
3. Take a new cord of the required length, which you can make yourself by buying a cable of the required diameter and a plug on the market, or use a cord from another non-working electrical device.
4. Solder one of the wires in the heat gun with one strand of a new power cord. The remaining free ends of the wires must be connected through a switch. First you need to choose a compact and convenient switch that could freely fit in the handle of the heat gun.
5. Drill a neat hole in the tool handle for the switch output, and install it on the glue. You can use hot glue sticks for this.
6. Assemble the glue gun by setting the trigger and pusher in the desired position and twisting both parts with screws.

Installing a switch on a thermal gun (video)

How to increase the power of the heat gun

It often happens in inexpensive and simplest design glue guns, especially from unknown manufacturers, that the declared power of the tool does not correspond to reality. As a result, the rod warms up for a long time, and a lot of extra time is spent preparing for work. You can correct the situation by increasing the power of the gun.

In hot melt guns, a ceramic heating element (3) is used to heat the heat chamber, similar to that used in modern soldering irons. The ceramic plate is located between two conductive plates (1 and 2) to which electricity is supplied. The whole structure is wrapped with a heat-resistant film (5) and is held under the thermal chamber with a clamp.

The main elements of the heat gun heater: 1 and 2 - conductive plates, 3 - ceramic heater, 4 - 4 and 6 - aluminum plates, which are a radiator, 5 - heat-resistant film

There are two ways to increase the power of the thermal gun - by replacing the ceramic thermoelement with a new, higher power one, or by installing a nichrome spiral instead of a ceramic heater. In the first case, everything is solved quite simply. All you need is:

To replace a ceramic thermoelement with a nichrome spiral, you must:

1. Remove the gun cover by unscrewing the screws.
2. Disconnect the ceramic heater with current-carrying plates;
3. File the seat under the ceramic heater with a file so that only the tube of the thermal chamber remains;
4. Wrap the tube with a heat-resistant film from the baking sleeve, and wind a nichrome spiral around it. You can take it from an old soldering iron or buy it.
5. Attach one outlet of the supply wire to one end of the nichrome thread, and the other to the second, soldering a capacitor with a capacity of 1 microfarad, designed for a voltage of at least 250 volts, into the circuit in series. The capacitor will protect the coil and heat gun from overheating.
6. After placing the capacitor in the gun body, assemble the entire device in reverse order.

Replacing a ceramic thermoelement with a spiral to increase the power of the glue gun (video)

The hot glue gun has a fairly simple design and a minimum number of parts, which makes it a fairly reliable device. And yet, as a tool operating in a high temperature zone, it is subject to some characteristic breakdowns. The main ones are the following:

• burnout of current-carrying wires;
• failure of the mechanism that feeds the glue rod;
• burning of thermoelement contacts.

The weakest part of this tool is the pusher plate in the hinged glue stick feed mechanism. It is located between the trigger and the pusher itself, and transfers force from the first to the second. To fix such a malfunction, it is not at all necessary to contact the workshop, since, as a rule, such a breakdown is inherent in cheap models of pistols, and it will be much more profitable to buy a new tool of the same kind than to give money for its repair. But to repair such a breakdown with your own hands will be free. For this you need:

1. Disassemble the heat gun by unscrewing all the screws on it.
2. Disconnect the broken plate from the hinge mechanism.
3. There are two options to restore the operability of the stick feed mechanism - to make a similar part from a durable material, or to glue a broken plate with glue.
4. Putting the plate in place, you need to assemble the thermal gun.

Repair of the pusher plate in the hinge mechanism of the glue gun (video)

In the case of wire burnout and burning of the thermoelement contacts, it will be necessary to restore the integrity of the network by stripping the contacts and soldering.

Restoring burnt thermoelement contacts (video)

Instrument care

A hot glue gun is a very necessary and useful tool for home use. In order for it to work without failures, it requires some care, which is as follows. When working, you need to ensure that the body of the gun does not overheat. It is ideal for this purpose to install a switch if it is not provided for by the design.

Bonding must be carried out in accordance with the instructions attached to the gun, maintaining the recommended temperature. After work, the tool must be allowed to cool, and wipe it with a dry cloth. If there are frozen drops of glue on the body of the heat gun, you need to carefully remove them by heating them with a soldering iron through the foil. It is not recommended to clean the nozzle from hardened glue. When reheated, it will melt and flow out by itself..

Today, more and more people are coming to understand the need to have a glue gun at home. Such a device will not be superfluous in the household, where there is a constant need for repairs, in which something needs to be glued together. With the help of a thermal gun, any bonding is easy and neat. Such a tool is useful for both men and women who love to do needlework.

The objects around us, constructions consist of parts that are connected into one whole in one way or another. You can fix them with fasteners, but in many cases it is much more convenient to do this if you have a glue gun. What can be glued to them?

What are the criteria for choosing a device for solving a given problem? Answering these questions is easy if you know what types of devices are on the market, what consumables are used and how to use them correctly.

Glue gun device

The circuit diagram of all models is the same. In the process of evolution, the optimal design of the device was determined. One glue gun can differ from another only in the quality of the material from which it is made, power and a set of additional functions. The device consists of:

• corps;

• guide sleeve;

• mechanism for advancing the glue rod;

• thermal camera;

• nozzles.

Power can be supplied from the network, or autonomously, from the battery. With the device at hand, repair of broken items at home can be done within a few minutes.

In terms of time, the operation takes much less time than with traditional adhesives. The device is reliable and does not consume much energy. You need to know, having an electric glue gun, what can be glued and how to choose the right model.

Professional and household hot glue guns

The first thing potential buyers pay attention to is the price. Why is there such a significant difference with the same design? The answer is simple - professional equipment is designed for uninterrupted operation, so a power reserve is laid in the production.

The trigger and the rod feed mechanism are made of a more durable, wear-resistant material. For more precise adjustment to the special rods used, a temperature controller can be built into the professional glue gun. What can be glued and what is the difference in comparison with the household counterpart? Basically none. The list of materials is the same.

Household models usually have power from 40 W to 150 W. This is quite enough for home use, making crafts, doing your favorite hobby. Industrial designs may have power up to 500 W.

This is necessary for the rapid melting of glue, when it is important to constantly maintain its high consumption, for example, when assembling boxes, fixing tags on the packaging. For a home user, this performance is not needed.

Application area

To solve some problems, rods are produced both in a wide range of shades and transparent. It is very convenient for those who love needlework. By choosing the right color, the product will look solid, traces of glue will not be visible. There were models of rods with filling.

For example, glitter, mother-of-pearl are added to the mass. Glue itself becomes a decorative element of the product, part of the composition. You can use a thermal gun in construction and repair. However, it is worth remembering that the setting time is limited. After application, it is desirable to fix the part in place in the first few seconds.

There are also some restrictions. For example, where heavy loads are expected, the use of hot-melt adhesive is not recommended, it is not designed for this.

You can glue decorative elements on shoes, but the sole will not last long. Power structures are not fixed with a gun during construction and repair. It is not recommended to apply glue on plasters, fillers without pre-treatment with primers and paints and varnishes.

Sealing and insulating seams

During operation, cracks and gaps appear in various structures. They appear in window, door systems, openings, shafts. Often a similar defect is formed in finishing materials. In addition to an untidy appearance, there are also undesirable consequences in the form of drafts, further destruction of the structure.

If there are no building mixtures, sealants at home, but there is a glue gun, then this problem can be quickly solved. With it, you can easily make the desired connection and sealing seams. It is recommended to purchase special black or gray rods for this work. But first you need to clarify whether the gun is able to maintain the desired temperature.

Video: Glue gun - why and how

The edges of the crack are cleaned from debris, foreign matter, and degreased. Then, heating the gun for the time set according to the instructions, fill the seam. It turns out reliable, durable insulation.

After cooling, you can cut off excess glue with a knife. The connection is not afraid of moisture, is not subject to corrosion, does not emit substances harmful to health, so it can be used both in utility rooms, and in kitchens and children's rooms.

Tile

What to do when the tiles fell off at home? You can get to the nearest hardware store and buy the right mixture. But it is usually sold in large packages and for sure most of it will simply disappear. Repairs can be done with a glue gun.

Before starting work, you need to remove all remnants of the mixture from the tile and seat. It is advisable to do this even with a small margin, so that the tile falls through with a small gap, no more than 1 mm.

Furniture

The interior will lose a lot if any element is broken or missing altogether. Facade parts of furniture often fail during operation. Decorative ornaments, overlays, can be restored with hot melt adhesive. It is not necessary to fix the glass with a gun.

Adhesive working temperature from 105 °C to 200 °C. These are critical values ​​for glass, it can crack or break. The wooden surface easily transfers this temperature.

Excess glue can be easily removed from it. It is not recommended to glue load-bearing structures and functional mechanisms of furniture. The loads are too high and the glue cannot withstand them.

What can be glued with a hot glue gun?

The steadily growing popularity of the device is due to ease of use, availability of consumables. You can find out what can be glued with a glue gun with rods by reading with a list of materials with which you can work with this tool:

• paper, cardboard;

• metal;

• leather;

• plastics;

• the cloth;

• ceramics;

• a rock;

• tree.

The manufacturer usually indicates what can be glued with a glue gun. The instruction for use, in addition to the list of materials, offers the optimal modes of operation of the device when performing certain operations.

Features of choosing a tool

Having decided to purchase the tool you need on the farm, you should follow some rules when choosing. What to pay attention to first of all? For size. Will it be suitable for the intended work? For construction. The weak point of the device is the trigger and the mechanism for advancing the rod.

It breaks down most often and its repair becomes impossible in most cases. If the device is bought for needlework, then the best choice is a model with a set of nozzles. It is necessary to check with the seller the characteristics that the glue gun has, what can be glued with it, and what rods to use.

The competition in this segment is high, so the prices are reasonable. The difference in cost between models from little-known companies and products from leading manufacturers is not great. Therefore, there is no point in saving.

Don't have a glue gun? In vain - a useful thing! Let's see what it has inside, learn how to use this small but very powerful tool, figure out the technical characteristics of different models, and decide on the main selection criteria.

There is such an instrument, which, without exaggeration and any reservations, can be called folk. The glue gun is just from that series. There is no need to campaign for it, it does not need intrusive advertising and cunning marketing tricks, since many masters have long appreciated all its advantages and have prescribed this device in their arsenal. Despite the fact that it is not an essential tool, has a simple design and a relatively low price, the hot glue gun does an excellent job of performing a wide range of tasks, in most cases it cannot be replaced with something else.

With the help of a glue gun, builders fix engineering communications, fill the seams, seal, glue. This tool was especially fond of designers, florists, as well as craftsmen of the popular “hand-made” direction, who regularly make all kinds of souvenirs, piece items, decor elements. Radio amateurs, model designers, ordinary home craftsmen did not stand aside. Even by itself, polyurethane melt can be of some decorative value - artists use it to create frame mesh structures, paint with glue mass on objects, get original fractions from colored or metallized drops (balls, beads ...), form stylized seals for decorating postcards, invitations tickets and festive bottles, create three-dimensional pictures.

The main advantages of the glue gun

The glue gun allows you to glue various elements almost instantly, since the heated polymer hardens in just a few minutes (from 1 to 3), after which the seam acquires almost maximum strength. There is no need to wait for hours to set, as when working with glue such as "Liquid Nails", "Moment".

The melt interacts well with most materials - wood, plastics, PVC, glass, leather, metal, ceramics, paper, rubber, fabrics ... The hot glue gun is not friendly only with some mineral bases, for example, concrete and plaster. Certain difficulties arise when working with polyethylene parts. As with any other adhesive, when using a heat gun, the surfaces to be treated must be free of dirt, moisture, and oil stains.

The connection is very reliable, not inferior in strength to mechanical fastening. It can only be disassembled by heating, and on many surfaces it does not leave marks after removal (useful if drilling / drilling / hammering is impossible). There is an interesting technology for paintless removal of dents on a car body, when a fungus (piston) is glued to the front surface of the stamped part in the “crater”, and then a special device (mini-lifter) clings to the piston and pulls out the dent on the metal, then the fungus is removed by heating.

The temperature factor is also a kind of limitation - you should not use a gun in the manufacture of parts that will be exposed to high temperatures. If you need to glue metal elements, you will have to heat them up (for example, with a hairdryer), because due to the high thermal conductivity of the base, the melt cools too quickly and instantly solidifies.

Glue very well fills voids, seals, impregnates. Unlike most sealants, the melt, even with large layers, hardens completely, to the full depth, and in a short time (10-15 minutes), although not as quickly as small strokes (1-3 minutes).

The glue of such a gun is non-toxic even in a hot, fluid state. The only thing to be careful about is burns and damage to heat-sensitive materials.

The finished seam resists moisture well. Spare rods can be stored for a long time without losing their performance.

The gluing process turns out to be quite economical, since spare wheels are relatively inexpensive (50-75% less than liquid glue of a comparable volume), and the mass is dosed very accurately, with a small amount of waste.

This tool is relatively safe, easy to use and very ergonomic, it is suitable even for children's arts and crafts.

The device and principle of operation of the hot glue gun

A hot gun is a hand tool in which polyurethane glue is heated to a fluid state, visually it strongly resembles a well-known type of weapon (hence the common name). The unit is charged from the back, the “cartridges” for it are cylindrical rods of various diameters (most often 7 or 11 mm). The spare wheel passes the pusher bushing and enters the tubular rubber receiver, after which we drive the rod into the heating chamber, where the material melts, acquiring an adhesive and penetrating ability. The initial heating of the tool lasts an average of 3-5 minutes. By pressing the trigger, the reserve, acting on the principle of a piston, creates pressure in the heated reservoir and pushes the melt through the nozzle onto the surface to be treated.

Heating unit. The thermal chamber is located in the barrel - this is a metal reservoir, near which (usually from below) there is a heating element, a heating element. In some models, several heaters are used, which allows for more uniform, stepped heating (BOSCH GKP 200 CE). The amount of mass ready for work and the melting rate depend on the size of the chamber and the power of the heating element - in other words, the performance of the tool. The thermal unit, therefore, can be considered the main one, while it is the most reliable, and its resource is usually enough for the entire life of the tool.

feed mechanism. This assembly is a ring pusher (sometimes with a hooking tooth), which is actuated by a lever connected to a carousel type trigger (moves around its axis) or a slide type (moves along the barrel - STANLEY GR 90C). This is a relatively capricious design, serious breakdowns sometimes occur here, especially if you apply too much effort, wanting to get a lot of glue at the exit. Often the feed mechanism is too clearly “sharpened” for a specific rod size, and even small deviations in its diameter cause malfunctions (difficulty feeding a large one or slipping a thin spare wheel).

Separately, it is worth mentioning the thrust guide sleeve - this is a tubular receiver located directly in front of the thermal chamber. It is he who seals the "reverse direction", prevents the melt from entering the cavity of the gun. In fact, this element turns out to be the weakest - the rubber ages and cracks, with frequent overheating of the melt, material begins to pass through, which stops moving parts, destroys the insulation of the wires and causes a short circuit. Often the clutch is damaged when trying to spin the charged rod or pull it back, say, for replacement. It is better to cut off the rod and pass its rest through the nozzle.

Nozzle (nozzle, nozzle) The thermal gun serves to give the adhesive mass a certain shape, to dose the flow and to block the outgoing channel. A shut-off valve (spring-loaded ball, nipple) is usually located in the nozzle, which prevents unauthorized leakage of the melt. It is worth noting that it does not completely block the nozzle, this was done intentionally to relieve excess pressure when the mass overheats, so you need to put a piece of cardboard under the spout in any case. Direct-flow nozzles are also used, but the loss of material through them is greater.

The nozzles are made of metal (like the thermal unit), and are covered with a rubber or silicone casing on top to prevent burns. Many models are equipped with several nozzles of different shapes and lengths. They have a thread for connecting to a thermal camera and slots for an open-end wrench, however, they can only be changed when heated, otherwise everything is firmly fixed with hardened glue.

At the end of the work, the nozzle must always be cleaned of glue by passing it several times over a piece of cardboard.

Body of the heat gun they are made of hard plastics, which allows to reduce the transfer of heat from the heating chamber, to ensure the product is light in weight - 300 grams for a network pistol is considered an average. The handle is often equipped with anti-slip inserts, as a rule, it is empty inside - wires pass there, and the carousel trigger moves. All the most important is in the trunk.

An important option of the body is the presence of a viewing window through which you can check the rest of the rod or the appearance of leakage from the side of the guide sleeve.

Almost all products have a folding stand in the front of the case, on which you can rest the tool with the spout down; a special penny is provided at the end of the handle for this purpose. During a break in work, putting the gun on its side is not recommended, since the body (and the inside) in this case overheats greatly, and the surface on which the tool was left may also be damaged.

Choosing the technical characteristics of the glue gun

The power of a glue gun is the power consumption of its heating element. It is clear that the more watts under the hood, the faster the glue melts, but speed is not the main thing for performance. You will also need to take into account the capacity of the melting tank. If the heating element can provide the required operating temperature, and there is the right amount of glue in the thermal chamber, then the issue of its power can not be considered at all. In general, pro-class pistols take 300 or more watts, while products for amateur use are content with power from 30 to 150 watts.

However, if the maximum power turns out to be insufficient (for our needs), then we will have to make forced pauses for the preparation of the melt. How do you know if it's enough or not? No way! Do not choose by power, this indicator is “for a passport”. Choose by performance.

Interestingly, some companies offer tools with automatically adjustable power. For example, for the initial melting, the device consumes 200 watts, then it switches to a standard operating power of 40 watts, and in standby mode about 14-16 watts.

Operating temperature of the melt. Not all materials are equally resistant to high temperatures, some of them are very sensitive. To work with paper, textiles, some types of polymers, low-temperature glue sticks are used, with a melting point of 105 ° C, special guns have been developed for them that operate in this mode, or devices with controlled temperature. For example, the Dremel 920 produces 105 degrees, while the Dremel 930 is dual-mode (105 and 165 degrees).

Traditional, average pistols heat the glue up to 170-200 degrees. Interestingly, almost all rods flow at 105 degrees, and high temperature simply speeds up the process.

If you don't intend to work with a pistol regularly, then it may not make sense to buy an expensive model. We decided to save money - do not purchase a tool with a maximum operating temperature, because due to the high internal pressure, durability issues may arise. Give preference to the unit, designed for 165-170 degrees.

Advanced models allow you to adjust the temperature in a wide range, even a special microcircuit can monitor its maintenance.

Pistol speed is not quite the correct term, although it is quite common. It is more correct to speak of productivity, the data on which indicate the mass of the melt emanating from the nozzle per unit time. In the passport for the product, you can almost always find such information. As a rule, this parameter is in the range of 5-30 grams per minute. A lot of glue is needed for construction work, so rods with a diameter of 11 millimeters will be the most suitable, but they will also need appropriate performance. Moreover, the mass flow time is limited, and relatively large areas have to be coated. For amateur creativity, where point gluing is relevant, you can pay attention to something simpler, paying several times less. If you look at it, it is performance that will form the basis for the division of glue guns into “professional / household”.

The power supply of the glue gun is implemented in different ways. The most widely used network devices with a permanently fixed wire. Pistols have become a step forward, in which the power cable is unfastened, and the operator has the opportunity to move away from the outlet and work autonomously for 10-15 minutes (Dremel 940). Here the thermal camera works as a heat accumulator. The logical continuation of this topic was the cars that are in standby mode in a special charger, glass, dock stand, which also collects drops. For example, Steinel GLUEMATIC 5000 works according to this principle, by the way, the cord can be connected to it directly.

Almost complete freedom of action will give a rechargeable thermal gun. Steinel Neo 3 has the following characteristics: 45 minutes on a single charge of a compact lithium-ion battery, which is restored in an hour and a half, heats up a 7 mm rod to 190 degrees in 15 seconds, and at the same time weighs only 786 grams (including battery). The BOSCH PKP 7.2 Li pistol has almost identical performance - only it has a two-hour charger. Interestingly, the price of such (wireless) devices has dropped significantly, it is no longer exorbitant - it is in the region of $100.

Select by additional criteria

If you have decided on the appropriate technical characteristics of the glue gun, then it makes sense to take a look at the additional options that make our work more comfortable and productive:

1. Switchable temperature mode allows you to use the tool to work with materials with special properties, including heat-sensitive ones. If the preset is carried out not only “minimum and maximum”, but in a wide range, then you have the most versatile device in front of you.
2. There is electronic temperature control in automatic mode, which means that you do not have to be afraid of overheating of the tool, large losses of the melt. The machine itself goes into various heating phases - initial melting / working phase / standby mode. Many experienced users have noticed that if there is no smart electronics, then during breaks in work it is better to turn off the device from the network in order to avoid premature failure of the gun.
3. Ready state indication. The LED indicates that the chamber has reached the desired temperature, and the user can safely press the trigger without fear for the integrity of the feed mechanism and the receiving sleeve.
4. A push-button switch on the housing serves to conveniently turn off the power during long breaks in operation (especially important in the absence of control electronics).
5. Illumination of the working area with the help of a LED - built-in flashlight. It seems to be a trifle, but in some cases our brother helps out a lot, especially when we work "in place", in hard-to-reach places.
6. Replaceable nozzles. Significantly expand the capabilities of the tool, as they allow you to get a different amount of melt at the outlet, change the size of the adhesive strip, and reach blind areas with long nozzles.
7. The presence of a nipple in the nozzle - significantly reduces the number of drops of glue released in standby mode (Metabo KE 3000).
8. Viewing window - allows you to control the balance of the charged rod, helps to monitor the integrity of the receiving sleeve.
9. Leg-stand. It is not always sufficiently stable and practical, it is not always securely fixed in the assembled state. The best examples of hot glue guns have a very wide footprint, which can include a hoof on the handle, and even a trigger (Dremel F0131200KA).
10. The construction of the cock. The vast majority of users note that the swivel trigger mechanism is the most convenient option, as it is easier for them to control dosing and less effort needs to be applied. It is very difficult to work with a pistol without a trigger, where the rod is fed by hand, but such a system is already a rarity. Some models have a screw-type trigger stop that is designed to adjust the maximum dose of material (ELMOS EGG 400).
11. Cord detachment function - significantly improves the ergonomics of the product, makes it possible to work offline for 10-20 minutes.
12. The complete set of the device may include a case, a set of rods for various purposes, a heat-resistant mat that can be easily cleaned from glue.

A little about glue sticks

A spare for a glue gun is also called stickers. They differ in diameter (usually 7 and 11 mm), length, color, operating temperature.

With the cross-sectional indicators, everything is more or less clear, it is difficult to get under the regrading, however, some pistols are very sensitive to the diameter, therefore it is recommended to use only "native" rods. By the way, there are pistols that work on oval rods.

As for the length of the spare wheel, there can be options from 4 to 20 cm, this will not affect the workflow in any way, just if you use longer stickers, you will have to change them less often.

The color of the rod may vary for various reasons. Firstly, a colored sticker can be designed to mask the seam (for a blue object, we take blue glue, for a yellow object, yellow), or for a decorative effect (split rods, multi-colored). Secondly, tinting manufacturers indicate the different purpose of the rods, for example, a transparent sticker is universal, black is for sealing, and yellow is for glass. Note that there are no uniform standards, each company labels rods with different chemical composition in its own way, so you should carefully study the instructions before buying.

The melting temperature for most stickers is approximately the same and equals 100-105 degrees, do not worry that your thermal gun heats up to two hundred - the glue does not lose its characteristics, it just melts faster. True, there are also high-temperature rods that will need 150 ° C and above. Obviously, not every pistol will pull such a spare.

The range of glue guns is huge, but now we are well versed in theory and can easily make the right choice. As you noticed, this tool has a fairly simple design, so even for little money ($7-10) you can buy a fully combat-ready device, just not burdened with optional options. This is the rare case when even a purely Chinese product will be worth its money, the main thing is to learn how to correctly use a glue gun. For $40-50, you can become the owner of an already branded tool from European manufacturers with advanced features and a good margin of safety.