Crafts Unleashed

Low Heat Hot Glue Gun

It’s been nearly 10 years since I last used a hot glue gun. Don’t get me wrong, I can see the value in using hot glue, but I really hated the side effects— burnt and blistered fingers, dripping hot glue sticking to objects it wasn’t meant to stick to, and the dreaded webbing.

When my children were little, we created many projects with the use of a hot glue gun—it was fast and easy to use. The problem is that I was scared to death to allow them to handle the glue gun themselves so they often sat idly by while I glued their masterpieces together—and watched as mommy once again found a way to glue her fingers!

Fast forward to today—things sure have changed in the hot glue department!

I received a low temp 6″ glue gun by Darice, to use in my Easter craft project and was surprised to find that I felt safe using it. So safe in fact, that were my kids little, I wouldn’t be afraid of them gluing their projects together themselves—under close supervision, of course.

Proper way to stand a hot glue gun.

Using a hot glue gun is simple:

1. Insert glue stick into the back of the glue gun and gently push the glue stick into the gun until it no longer moves.
2. Insert a second glue stick directly in back of the first. As you pull back on the trigger to release the melted glue, the glue stick will automatically feed itself through the glue gun.
3. Lower the metal stand, near the nozzle, to stand your glue gun up.
4. Plug your glue gun into the wall and wait for the glue to heat up.
5. To use the glue gun, gently pull back on the trigger and watch the glue ooze out of the nozzle and directly onto your surface. To spread the glue, use an artist’s spatula, popsicle stick, or the backend of a paint brush.
6. When you’re done with your project, unplug the glue gun, and leave the glue gun in an upright position until it has completely cooled.

There are a few things you should know, however, when it comes to using a hot glue gun:

• The glue gun must warm up, with the glue stick inside the cartridge area, for a minimum of 5 minutes—so set your timer.
• Each time a new glue stick is inserted, you need to allow the glue time to warm.
• To protect your workstation, place your glue gun on a non-stick glue pad—it’s also great for easy clean-up

Always glue in small sections. Never all at once.

• Work in small sections. Never, ever try to cover the entire surface with melted glue. The glue cools quickly and once cooled, won’t be useable. In other words, you won’t be able to glue things together if the glue hardens.
• Always keep your glue gun in an upright (standing) position. Do not allow your glue gun to lay on its side when plugged in because it will destroy the heating mechanism.
• Do not remove the glue sticks that have melted and lodged themselves in the cartridge area. Doing so could severely damage the glue gun and cause it to stop working.
• Make sure you use the correct sized glue stick; for instance, my 6″ glue gun needs a 7/16″ diameter hot melt glue stick. The wrong size could ruin the glue gun.
• Even low temp glue guns can cause burns and blisters so never leave them unattended; especially when small children and pets are present.
• Since the glue is hot, it could melt some surfaces, so make sure the materials you are working with can withstand the heat of the glue—ranging from 230˚ for low temp glue guns to 380˚ for high temp glue guns.
• Hot glue can “pop” off your project if it gets too cold and “melt” if it gets too hot, so avoid storing your hot glue gun crafts in attics, basements, or garages—where the temperature isn’t regulated.
• Hot glue is great for children’s projects because it is fast setting. However, if you’d like to make sure the object you’re gluing stays together permanently, you may want to use another glue. Or, consider using another glue in conjunction with the hot glue gun.

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