The glue gun is beyond doubt handy for households. The glue gun is often considered imperative when it comes to mending or binding things. Glues are messy and hard to remove if you are not careful with them especially super glue. The glue gun however, has some amazing attributes. It is a high performance sophisticated tool used by industries and households. They are coveted mostly because they allow a controlled flow of adhesives through the nozzle. Tubes and sticks are hardly as effective as these glue guns.
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Glue Gun-Types and Their Purposes
There are various kinds of glue guns and not every glue gun is suitable for your purpose. You must exercise prudence here, because if you need a glue gun for binding metals then you should choose one, which is high caliber. An advanced glue gun, which melts adhesives at 380 degrees, is apt for the purpose. Similarly, to fix or repair small items you will require a standard glue gun, which is neither high end nor technically sophisticated. The good news is that you will come across guns, which can perform both these tasks; however, they might be a bit more on the expensive side. In addition, you will find both battery powered glue guns and guns, which run on electricity.
Here are a few tips on using a glue gun for school projects and for heavy-duty repair work. Firstly, for school projects and minor household repairs try to get a basic model that has a manual push system. This means that once you feed the gun with the glue stick you will have to keep pushing it manually into the compartment as it melts. For trivial tasks, a mini gun will suit you perfectly. To bond heavy metal together you must use a gun, which is sufficiently powerful to hold the metals together. You will have to go through the gun specifications carefully before making a purchase. Also for industrial use, you need an automated trigger version because the trigger pushes the stick into the dispenser department as it heats and melts. As industrial guns are huge in size, manual operation is out of the question.
Both the size and power of the guns vary greatly. In addition, the corresponding glue sticks vary in strength and adhesive power. Some glue sticks are manufactured specially with robust industrial adhesives and they are highly unsuitable for household use. This is one handy product, which you must not buy on a whim. In general, the cheap glue guns are for simple household projects.
Safety Precautions While Working With Glue Guns…
Accidents happen with glue guns. However, if you are watchful they can be averted. Remind your children that glue guns are not for playing and there will be dire consequences if they spray hot glue playfully on someone. Kids must be cautioned that the glue can burn them if they touch the nozzle or the glue that has made its way through the nozzle. Tell kids never to touch the blistering glue before it solidifies. Each time they use the glue, they must rinse their hands thoroughly as adhesives have harsh chemicals that can harm the skin and eyes causing irritations and allergies. If it gets into the eye, immediately try to wash it out with water. If you sense persistent irritations consult a doctor immediately.
The virtues of the glue gun…
With a glue gun, you can perform a number of activities with ease. You can glue paper, beads, wood, glass, cloth, conch shells, tiles, even lightweight bricks and stone. You can also bind together some heavy metals; just make sure you have a heavy-duty glue gun for these sorts of projects.
Step-by-Step guidance on How to use a glue gun
- First, remove any inflammable material which might be lying around and find a secure heatproof place to set your hot glue gun, make sure your glue gun is off and plug the gun in.
- Put a glue stick in the glue stick compartment and keep another one handy incase you run out of glue before you are finished your project.
- To see if the glue gun is ready to be used see if the glue has started melting by pressing the trigger slightly. A small portion of glue should appear.
- With the gun, apply glue along the sides of the material by gently pressing the trigger.
- Then place the item to be fused on top of the glued material and hold it in position firmly for a minimum of 15 seconds.
- You will find that the two materials are now joined together.
To sum it up, a glue gun is a classic item, which has extensive uses. This indispensable item is also inexpensive and almost anyone can afford this coveted piece of equipment. You can spot these at any hardware store near you.
References
eHow: Glue Gun
Home Repair: Glue Gun
