PVA and glue guns

[Grahamshed]

Does anyone use glue guns ? are they any good ? any benefit or drawback compared to using it out of a bottle ?
The wife wants one for small craft work and I am wondering about getting one for the workshop glueing up furniture etc.

 

[MMUK]

From personal use I have found both an advantage and disadvantage in the same thing.

The setting time is virtually instant. Once the glue cools down (as soon as it leaves the nozzle and touches air or the material being glued) it sets rock hard.

Not really something I'd use for general assembly work as I can't work that quickly. At least with normal wood glue, you can disassemble and reassemble several times if you need to.

 

[flh801978]

I use them extensively for various jobs
The quick setting time is an advantage in some circumstances
Use on a lathe for glueing work onto a wood chuck is invaluable

there are sticks which stay open a bit longer
but i find let the gun warm up for a good 5 mins and that makes the glue stay open longer
I wouldnt say I use it in woodwork much though
but I wouldnt be without one for other jobs mainly repair work

Ian

 

[marcros]

would it work for gluing up box mitres and save having to use a band clamp?

 

[flh801978]

The glue line is thick
with almost no squash available because it sets so quick

 

[Grahamshed]

The glue line is thick
with almost no squash available because it sets so quick

Thats interesting. Thanks. Sounds like one in the house might be useful but maybe I won't bother with a second one in the workshop.

Thanks to all responders.

 

[Berncarpenter]

One of the jobs i use a hot melt glue gun for is templates heres a post from back in the summer from the other side.
Fitting upvc Windows this week and two of them require large internal window boards .Here is a few photos showing a quick and very easy way of getting a perfect fit first time.All that is needed is a hot melt glue gun and some scrap timber battens .I cut the battens roughly to size and using the glue gun patch over the joins with small overlapping pieces making sure to follow the outer edges.

Glue on some braces to stop it from moving out of shape.

Back to the work shop draw around template and cut out.

I used oak veneered mdf and made a nosing out of some white oak that was biscuited and pocket screwed and glued on.
Taken back to the job this morning and dropped into place ,perfect fit first time.

I hope this will be of some use to you all Bern.Ps good for kitchen worktops.

 

[Dangermouse]

I have used them, but its like, the use you would put a staple gun to, compared to solid brass screws.

 

[AES]

@Grahamshed:

I use one from time to time, mainly for "rough" work or disimilar materials and agree with everything said by all above. But one thing no one else has mentioned - if (like me) you're clumsy enough to get some on your fingers while still liquid, it makes a very serious burn (it's VERY hot, and being a glue, it sticks!). Obvious I know, and you feel remarkably stupid if that does happen (well I did anyway), but the result is a very nasty burn that takes a long time to heal.

BTW, my old (cheapo) gun packed up so I bought another which, as someone says above, needs about 5 minutes to warm up. It even says so in the instructions. I usually wait until a small trickle of molten glue starts to weep from the nozzle before using it.

HTH

AES

 

[rafezetter]

The glue line is thick
with almost no squash available because it sets so quick

I've used it a few times to place a drawer front onto a drawer for alignment in situ to a casing and I'd agree it has virtually no squash at all, no matter how quick you are, unless the joint was already in some sort of open clamped position and you could apply pressure immediately after running the glue bead, but even then you'd have to be fast and apply the bead thinly.