People love doing arts and crafts and for that purpose they those glue guns. You don’t have to have any hobby of this type to need to glue things with such glue gun.
This type of glue is used for various things and is quite a practical and ‘clean’ way to stick things together. The technical term for this glue is Hot Melt Adhesive (HMA), or as most people know it hot glue. People mainly use glue sticks in glue guns (the stick goes into the glue gun where it melts).
Glue sticks are made of thermoplastic polymer, which is combined with wax, tackifiers and stabilizers. Let’s check what you need to know about the use of hot glue sticks and guns.
Glue Sticks
Hot glue mainly comes in the form of sticks. They’re cylindrical and have various lengths and widths. When you place the glue sticks in a hot gun generally it melts from a solid-state to liquid within 30-45 seconds. The glue will return into its solid state once you stop using it (within a few seconds). This is why it's the ideal adhesive for various crafts and substrates. When using it, keep in mind that it’s extremely hot, so be very careful to avoid burns. Be sure to use it and keep away from small children and pets.
There are two types of these sticks – low temperature (with a low melting point of 120 Celsius degrees) and high temperature (with a high melting point of 193 Celsius degrees). The high melting point is used if you need a super-strong bond for materials such as metal or wood. The low melting point is needed for materials such as tin foil, ribbon, paper or Styrofoam (don’t use the high temperature for these materials, because you may destroy the material).
It has a high viscosity which lets it bond uneven materials and successfully filling gaps.
You can get clear, coloured or hot glue sticks with glitter. You can pick glow in the dark sticks as well, which can be super amazing for children.
Glue Gun Types
Glue guns are available in all sizes, starting from a mini-gun which is a few centimetres long to industrial pistol-grip models. You can find battery-powered glue guns on the market, but most models are plug-in units that can be powered by standard home power outlets.
Consider these options when choosing a glue gun.
- High-temperature or low-temperature gun
If you will use the hot glue gun for gluing delicate materials (or maybe you’re working with children) go for a low-temperature gun. High-temperature guns are better for bonding stronger materials like wood or metal and melt at a very high temperature. If you need both temperatures, go for dual-temperature guns (these are bit pricier).
- Trigger-feed or manual-feed gun
Slip the glue stick into the trigger feed (into the hole at the back of the gun). Manual models are simpler – you simply put the glue stick inside with your thumb.
Uses of Hot Glue Gun
There are a million ways you can use your hot glue gun. You can awaken your creativity and do numerous arts and crafts, not only for your home but also if you have such a business. You can glue decorations to any type of material such as brick, metal, ceramic, wood or glass. This way you can create some interesting vases, decorations, the artwork you can hang on your wall. It's excellent for gluing small things together which is handy if you're making jewellery.
You can use it to create Christmas decorations (glue rhinestones on your decorations, wrath, lights, just anything). Use it to glue pieces of clothes for costumes, or clothes you want to wear every day.
If you aren’t so much into arts and crafts, you can use it to glue things such as paper, woods, metal in any area around the house (shower, yard, kitchen).
Hot Glue for Crafting
Crafting is perhaps the most popular way to use hot glue guns. You can make jewellery, floral arrangements, decorations, school projects, you name it. It’s very practical and useful, hence its popularity in crafting. If you’re going to create an ornament, simply set the tip of the glue gun into the mould and fill (not too much). Keep in mind that the glue dries super-fast, so be sure what you want to do before you add the glue.
There are hot glues that are used for other things such as bonding metal, glass, and other difficult to bond materials. For this, you will need hot glue that is used in industrial applications. The pro here is the elimination of volatile organic compounds used in solvent-based adhesives.
Tips
It doesn’t matter if you’re going to use this glue with children, or by yourself. Please remember that you should not touch it until it cools down. No matter if you use a low melting point, it is still extremely hot (120 Celsius degrees). Make sure you wear silicone finger caps or gloves if you really must touch it.
It works best when it’s completely heated. Test it before you use it (for complete heating, wait about 4-5 minutes). When you use it, it should flow easily; if you need to put effort to squeeze it hard, then the glue is not ready yet. You ought to work fast; this is why it’s essential why you should know how you’ll use it in advance. Use it once it’s ready.
It takes about one minute to cool down or dry (it will become hard); if you’re using silicone moulds, it will take about ten minutes to dry.
If you want to remove the annoying strings on your decorations, use a heat embossing tool to melt them. Do it slowly and carefully, since you are only melting them, not the entire glue.
We hope that we gave you several important tips when it comes to using and buying your hot glue. Be careful when using it and work fast. You’d be surprised how practical and useful it is.
