How to choose a glue gun for needlework and domestic needs

Adhesive handguns are used in production and in everyday life. They are in demand by builders and needlewomen, home masters and professional designers. With their help, you can easily glue those materials that even modern glue compounds can not handle.

The gun is an indispensable assistant in the time-consuming process of decorating the surface using small parts. He will help to prepare an original gift for the holiday, attach a handbag strap or seal building seams. Knowing the basic parameters of a thermo-pistol, advantages and disadvantages will facilitate its choice.

Hersteller Melt - what fimru choose

Glue guns included in its range of many companies, specializing in the production of power tools for construction and repair.

The products of the following trade marks proved to be the best products:

1. Bosch

2. Steinel

3. Dremel

4. Bison

5. Kolner

Manufacturers have included in their assortment not only a tool designed for professional use,but also for use in everyday life.

The device of a hot-melt gun and the principle of its operation

The main structural elements and components of the tool:

1. Heating unit

It consists of a heat chamber and a heating element. The chamber is a metal reservoir of cylindrical shape, under which a heating element is placed. In the design of professional models used in the construction industry, several heaters are included to evenly heat the adhesive composition.

2. Housing

The housing is made of plastic, which reduces the transfer of heat from the heating chamber. In the front part of the body is a folding stand, on which the tool is placed during a break in work.

3. Feeder

This is a pusher that actuates the lever connected to a hammer of a carousel or a slider type.

4. Nozzle

It gives the molten glue a shape, serves for dispensing glue mass. The shut-off valve, which is located inside the nozzle, prevents leakage of the composition.

The pistol charge is a cylindrical glue rod. The pusher moves it to the heat chamber where the glue melts. When the trigger is pressed, the pressure in the chamber rises, the glue moves to the nozzle and flows to the working surface.

With the help of the tool, elements made of a wide range of materials are fixed to the surface:

• Paper and paperboard;
• Wood;
• Glass;
• Metal, which must be preheated;
• Plastics;
• Skin and fabrics( excluding fine synthetic fabrics);
• Linoleum and carpet.

It should be borne in mind that not all surfaces are fastened with molten glue effectively - it is not advisable to use the tool when performing work on concrete and plaster.

Types of hot-melt guns

The areas of application of the hot-melt gun are varied. It is used by builders, radio amateurs, designers, florists.

Depending on the type of activity in which it is used, its capacity and productivity, the tool is divided into:

• Professional( for repair and construction works);
• Amateur( for creativity, needlework and other uses in everyday life).

The amateur instrument is distinguished by a lower price, it is applied from time to time, therefore its working resource is inferior to a professional pistol.

Professional gun for construction work

A thermo gun designed for the professional work of specialists in the field of repair and construction, is designed for long-term use during the working day. It, as a rule, has an automatic feed of the glue rod. Automation of the feed is necessary when the tool is constantly working.

Advantages:

• Significant power( from 300 to 500 kW) and high productivity( 25-30 grams of adhesive melt per minute) allow to carry out large amounts of work in a short time;
• Versatile use - sealing of building joints in hard-to-reach places, fast gluing of hard surfaces, installation work;
• Most models are equipped with several types of nozzles for different types of work: universal, extra-long( for processing places with complex access), wide( for fast glue filling of large gaps and surfaces);
• Long service life due to the high quality of the components that make up the instrument.

Disadvantages:

• High price.

Accumulator thermo gun

Designed for use in everyday life, work in the home workshop, for creativity and needlework. The instrument is powered by batteries.

Advantages:

• The lack of a network cable makes it easier to work with small parts, makes it especially convenient to work with crystals, beads( the network cable can accidentally overturn the container with decorations);
• Ability to use the gun away from power supplies.

Disadvantages:

• The need for periodic recharging.

Pneumatic thermo gun

The tool inflicts molten polyurethane adhesive in the form of a spray due to pneumatic feed. Designed to work with materials that are sensitive to high temperatures, including foamed materials, whose surface is prone to deformation when exposed to high temperatures.

Advantages:

• The glue is supplied with tiny drops that do not harm the surface to be treated.

Disadvantages:

• More massive dimensions compared to conventional models.

Thermal gun for needlework

The tool is used in creative activities. The thermo gun is used for decorating and making souvenirs. Its peculiarity is a low temperature regime, which makes it possible to use the gun when working with materials that require delicate handling.

Advantages:

• Precise dosage of glue;
• Possibility to regulate the amount of adhesive composition for fixing small elements( crystals, beads);
• Fast glue feed.

Disadvantages:

• Low performance.

Selection parameters for the

adhesive gun When selecting the right tool for construction or handicrafts, you should pay attention to the main characteristics of the tool.

Power

The power consumption of the heating element determines the speed at which the glue in the heat chamber of the gun will melt. A professional tool has a power of 300 to 500 watts, a semi-professional - from 150 to 200 watts, a household one - from 30 to 150 watts. Models of known brands that can also be used in professional and construction activities have a power of about 200 watts.

Performance

The performance of a thermo-pistol is the mass of the adhesive melt that exits the nozzle per unit of time. It depends on the heating capacity of the TEN and the diameter of the glue rod used in the work. In a professional instrument, rods with a diameter of 11-12 mm are used, in amateur - 7-8 mm.

The performance of a professional model( up to 30 grams per minute) can at times exceed the performance of an amateur low-power pistol( 5-10 grams per minute).

Melt operating temperature

It is important to pay special attention to this indicator if it is intended to use the tool when working with materials that are sensitive to high temperatures. For them, use special low-temperature glue rods, the melting point of which is 105 ° C, and the glue gun should work in this mode.

For other materials, rods with a melting point of 170-200 ° C are used, and a suitable tool is used to work with them.

Some models can operate in several temperature modes, which allows them to be used for a wider range of materials.

Power

Manufacturers offer several types of thermo-guns with different power:

1. From the network.

2. Rechargeable battery.

3. Semi-autonomous - the design of some models allows you to remove the power cord after heating the thermal chamber, which allows the instrument to be used without a cord for 10-15 minutes while the heat in the chamber is stored. The use of a tool without a cord allows you to glue parts or seal seams in places remote from the power source and simplify the painstaking work that requires great accuracy.

Temperature control

This additional function, which is used by most models of leading manufacturers, it is convenient when using the gun continuously during the working day. A special switch puts the instrument in standby mode or turns it off for a long time.

Automatic temperature control

Some models use automatic temperature control. The thermal chamber is equipped with a temperature sensor, due to which the adjustment is carried out automatically. When the heater is switched on for a maximum, after heating and reaching the desired value, the standard mode for maintaining the temperature is switched on.

Diameter of glue rod

Professional and semi-professional models of known brands are designed for glue rods with a diameter of 7 and 11 mm. As a rule, manufacturers take into account the errors and in the technical documentation indicate the range of values, and not the exact value: 7-8 mm and 11-12 mm.

Viewing window

The inspection window in the gun case allows controlling the consumption of glue rods.

Stand included with

If the tool is purchased for regular use, you can consider the model, which includes a special stand. It is convenient to place the tool at those intervals when it is not used. It is comfortable and increases safety during operation.

Which adhesive thermo gun to choose

Before choosing a tool, you need to decide which purposes the gun is needed for and in which tasks it will be used.

Recommendations for selecting the tool depending on the tasks to be performed:

1. Professional gun with a power of 300 W and a capacity of 20 g / min - sealing of building joints, installation of building elements.

2. Rechargeable gun with power up to 200 W - for work away from power supplies.

3. Low-temperature tool( glue temperature up to 105 ° C) - for creativity using materials that are sensitive to high temperatures: paper, thin fabrics and others.

4. Pistol operating in several temperature modes - to perform work using a wide range of materials, including sensitive ones.

5. A gun with automatic power adjustment will be convenient in the operating mode, when the tool will be used from time to time, and between the application of glue on the material, certain pauses follow.

Cost of hot glue gun

The price of the gun depends on the brand, the country of the manufacturer and the technical specifications. The price range is quite significant, you can afford a budget option for 250-300 rubles, you can and a professional model, the price of which is more than 5 thousand rubles.

Prices for network glue guns of different capacities:

1. Up to 50 watts - from 230 to 950 rubles.

2. From 51 to 100 W - from 300 to 1900 rubles.

3. From 101 to 200 W - from 450 to 4600 rubles.

4. From 201 to 300 W - from 5400 to 6700 rubles.

5. From 301 to 500 W - 3300 to 7200 rubles.