Shopsmith Forums

Never mind this post is no longer about the subject.......

Ed, I dont use it for turning but I went to Stanleys site and the duel temp guns seem to be for faster melt/speed, not for temp of the glue, and the glue sticks for wood working say nothing as far as requirements for a gun, so I would think you could use your old ones it the stick size matches.

Hi Ed,
So, do you want the good news or the bad??

I currently use the Arrow TR400 it's cheap and works. The 550 is a bit more and works. The bad is that they all leak!

I've bought the inexpensive (aka cheap) versions of Stanley, Arrow and Surebonder. They all leak, all get danged hot when used for anything over a few minutes (but then again they are supposed to melt stuff) and have a shelf life of a season. I've not had one last more a couple years before it fails. Generally the high low temp switch screws up first and only works on the low setting (high temp seems to screw it up!) High is usually the temp you will use. Why do I not just buy one with high heat, you ask??? Frankly I don't know. Maybe the next one will be. Anything over 85 watts is okay, with 100 and over being better. Less than that for high heat takes much longer to heat up and the bond is not very reliable.

As I understand it, there are great ones on the market that start in the $200 range. I'd rather buy one for <$20 every year or so.

I have the 400 because Arrow was running a special with it and their electric staple gun for about $25.

Do NOT buy the mini versions unless you really really like burning hot sticky glue adhering to you fingers!! They do however break well when you angrily toss them across the garage into a cinder block wall! They firmly let you find out just how well hot melt glue tenaciously sticks to human flesh!

With all that said, there are some high heat guns for less then $100 that might work well. They have big finger pulls, what appear to be more space around the shaft and the nozzle, which should make it a cooler gun and an off switch, which would be something I would probably like rather than unplugging and plugging back in.

If you get a cheaper one, make yourself some sort of nearly horizontal holder. It will lessen the drops coming from the nozzle or always put something under the nozzle to catch the drips lest you have unwanted glue drops on everything you did not want glued.

Sorry I could not give you a "go to" model or brand. I guess if I were to splurge it might be on one of the more expensive Surebonder model.

Congrats on getting the Stanley sticks. They will HOLD what ever you stick together. Just a word of caution, not much repositioning is possible once you touch the two surfaces similar to CA glue with an accelerator.

Be well,
Ben

Wow!!!!!!!! I mean WOW!!!!! Ben sure has some bad experiences with Hot Glue Guns. 200$ I never saw one like that most is about 20ish on the high end at the BBS. Mine is 20+ years old it is Blue so maybe a Blue Arrow.
Yes they do trip a bit but I have one of those can openers that cut from the side, not the top, so I get really nice flat, non wavy can lids with the rim on them and use them for my glue gun drip tray, among other things. Nice for mixing epoxy.

Nothing here to read.

ERLover wrote:Wow!!!!!!!! I mean WOW!!!!! Ben sure has some bad experiences with Hot Glue Guns. 200$ I never saw one like that most is about 20ish on the high end at the BBS. Mine is 20+ years old it is Blue so maybe a Blue Arrow.
Yes they do trip a bit but I have one of those can openers that cut from the side, not the top, so I get really nice flat, non wavy can lids with the rim on them and use them for my glue gun drip tray, among other things. Nice for mixing epoxy.

Me to a Rosle. I have always wanted something in the shop to mix epoxy and other things. Your idea is great. I don't use much canned goods in my cooking but I will start saving the can lids. Great idea.

John, I know we are on the same page on many things.
I dont use many can things either, but I use alot of tomatoes in my cooking, so many of them are Golds caned except when the garden is pushing them out, and I do freeze some. They are a good anti oxidant.
I dont buy red sauces for my Italian recipes, just tomatoes, run thru my emulsion blender, simmer to thicken, and herbs and garlic, bulk Italian sausage, out of the casing, more garlic, never cant have too much, grow my own, Purple Stripe, add noodle of your choice.

ERLover wrote:John, I know we are on the same page on many things.
I dont use many can things either, but I use alot of tomatoes in my cooking, so many of them are Golds caned except when the garden is pushing them out, and I do freeze some. They are a good anti oxidant.
I dont buy red sauces for my Italian recipes, just tomatoes, run thru my emulsion blender, simmer to thicken, and herbs and garlic, bulk Italian sausage, out of the casing, more garlic, never cant have too much, grow my own, Purple Stripe, add noodle of your choice.

Lots of tomatoes here too. I make my own pasta sauce/tomato sauce for any dish that requires it. Hooper is famous locally for their tomatoes. I can local tomatoes every year so I don't buy canned tomatoes other than paste and sauce. The only other thing I buy semi regularly when I don't have home made is chicken and beef broth. Besides that there is Thai curry and coconut milk. That is about it for canned goods. Oh, there is always a can of pineapple rings for when my wife wants a pineapple upside down cake. Fresh vegetables year round and locally grown in the summer. Should be getting wild asparagus next month. No processed food in this house.

nothing here either

John if you garden here is where to get your garlic from this fall to plant, if not put in a order for gloves in august, the stuff in the stores is white, called Silver Skin, Purple Stripe melts in your mouth but does not have the shelf life of the PS so thats why the store does not sell it.
http://www.filareefarm.com/