# Hot glue



## Rodbuster (Sep 11, 2013)

Is there a type of hot glue that is better than the other (for glue blocks)?

Same question for "hot glue guns".

Thank you
Dick


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## Bill Boehme (Feb 9, 2014)

As far as I know, all hot glue is the same or very close to being the same. I personally don't like hot melt glue for glue blocks. If you use one, get one that has the capacity to melt a lot of glue really fast.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

actually there are different temp glue sticks. I speculate that the high temp sticks will yield the strongest bond. THey arent all high temp because it materials melt at different temps so you use the hottest stick your medium will tolerate.

I have some high temp stanley GS500 sticks, I will warn that they have a yellow tint and your working time seems a little shorter. (I guess because they start to solidify sooner. my gun only has 1 temp so I cant choose a lower temp if I wanted to)


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## 9thousandfeet (Dec 28, 2014)

Specialty glue sticks formulated for high strength bonds specifically for wood do exist, but you'll likely need to go to a specialty supplier. 

Like these guys, for example. The good stuff ain't cheap, though, and you might have to buy enough of it to last for five lifetimes of occasional glue block use.

The stuff in the hardware stores and hobby shops is all about the same and is a general purpose formulation for hobby applications in a broad range of materials. Not something I'd personally be too comfortable depending on if my work was much bigger than chess pieces.


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## Bill Boehme (Feb 9, 2014)

I don't know any woodturners who use hot melt glue. The most commonly suggested methods of adhesion are CA (medium or thick), yellow wood glue with a layer of brown paper bag between the two pieces of wood, and double sided carpet tape (not the foam type tape, but the thin stuff that has incredible tackiness. All of those are easier and less costly than hot melt glue. With hot melt, I see two possibilities -- bond too weak or bond too strong. Much of the time, woodturners will turn wood that ranges from very wet to slightly wet and the only glue that works well on wood with moisture is CA. For small items using dry wood, the double sided tape can't be beat. The ideal glue should be something that will hold yet can be separated with a wood chisel or knife blade. The problems that I see with hot melt glue is the glue doesn't allow good working time to get things set up before it starts to get hard and it might not stick well enough to lots of things like oily tropical wood or wood that has very much moisture. Every type of adhesive has good and bad points so there isn't any one adhesive that will be ideal for all situations.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

It's not the glue itself but how you use it that's important. When you spread glue on a glue block it immediately starts to harden so if you don't get them together fairly quickly you don't get as good a bond. Some guys heat the wood and/or the faceplate so the glue stays fluid longer and can spread out and make a better bond. My friend uses a heat gun to heat up the wood before spreading the glue. It does take a little longer for the glue to dry or harden but you get a better bond.
I turned a bunch of offcenter pieces one year and used glue blocks to mount the piece off center. I found that gluing around the edge of the block was far superior to putting glue on the block and squishing the two together. I threw a few platters across the room until I discovered this. It also made it easier to remove the block afterwords to reposition it. I could sort of peel the glue away.


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## JodyS (Apr 1, 2015)

Where would you normally purchase the double sided carpet tape that Bill mentions above?


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Rodbuster said:


> Is there a type of hot glue that is better than the other (for glue blocks)?
> 
> Same question for "hot glue guns".
> 
> ...


Dick
All hot glues are not the same. There is hot glue for arts and crafts and then there are heavy duty industrial type glues. You will need to research the various types to make an informed decision. 
Any good woodworkers supply should carry a hot glue specifically for woodworking.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

JodyS said:


> Where would you normally purchase the double sided carpet tape that Bill mentions above?


A good hardware store or Big Box will have double sided tape. 
Or you might try a carpet/flooring store.


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## OkSixPack (Mar 24, 2015)

JodyS said:


> Where would you normally purchase the double sided carpet tape that Bill mentions above?


 I don't remember what it cost, I do remember it wasn't cheap, but I bought some from Woodcraft a while back. I haven't used any for turning yet, and there may not have been anything special about it either.
Jim


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## Bill Boehme (Feb 9, 2014)

JodyS said:


> Where would you normally purchase the double sided carpet tape that Bill mentions above?


There are two kinds -- plastic and cloth. I normally use the plastic and here is one example of *Scotch Carpet Tape*. Shop around because the prices are all over the place. Sears sells the same tape for about double the price of Amazon. Woodcraft prices aren't too great either.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I could kick myself for not paying attention to the product I used but about 40 years ago I worked for a company that had a hot melt glue system I would hold up against any adhesive. We were just gluing trim on raised panels but if you got one wrong you couldn't get the trim off even with a hammer and chisel. It stuck better than epoxy. The sticks were about 3/4" x4" and a dark brown in color. It's possible these sticks melted under a much higher temperature than OSHA will permit today as I've never seen anything like it advertised and I've looked for it.


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