Maker Tip: Invest in a Hot Glue Gun

Posted: October 27, 2016 in Maker Tips
Tags: , , ,

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Hot glue is a maker’s best friend. Regardless if you’re creating a costume for Dragon Con or mounting some electronics, hot glue is an essential tool. Recently my hot glue gun died and it was time to get a new one. I found this inexpensive glue gun on amazon for around 20 USD and it arrived today!

My old hot glue gun was a simple low temperature model that took small glue sticks. However, it came in handing in securing cables (FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition  teams know what I’m talking about!) and holding electronics in place. This time I decided to upgrade to a variable temperature model that can take larger glue sticks.

There is something to be said for high temperature glue guns. Experimenting with this new tool, I discovered that higher-temperature glue seems to be more durable and hold better. I am really interested to see how this affects attaching electronics to 3D printed parts. The glue temperature is not warm enough to melt ABS or PETG plastic. More experimentation is needed to fully understand how I can best utilize my new hot glue gun. I am far from an expert in hot glue, but it is an important to have a hot glue gun handy when making. You never know when it might come in handy!

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