Hot glue gun - useful or not?

[Johnny Barr]

I've been using CA glue and accelerator for years when I want to quickly join things together for jigs/fixtures and small parts as well as the odd repair. Does a hot glue gun serve a different purpose? I know they don't set as quickly and I don't think they're as strong as CA glue and I know they're inexpensive. I've seen them used for planer sleds temporarily fastening shims.
For those that use CA glue and have a hot glue gun what's a typical use of the glue gun?

[Zachary Hoyt]

I use it for one thing-to glue banjo rims to particle board faceplates for turning. I prefer to use aluminum faceplates and screws, but for custom rims where the customer doesn't want to add a rim cap which would hide the screw holes this is a fairly good way to do it. For general use I don't find it as useful since the glue line is thicker for larger pieces, though it can be quite thin for small pieces which can be stuck in place faster after the glue is applied.

[Mitch schiffer]

I use one occasionally for a temporary hold. I do use a polyurethane hot melt glue gun quite often.

[Bob Falk]

Given the small investment, they are a very useful tool.

[Michael Schuch]

I have one. Other than entertaining my daughter for hours when she was younger I have hardly used mine at all. I have no recollection of the last time I used it or what I used it for.

[Andrew Seemann]

I've got one in a drawer with a lifetime supply of glue. I use it occasionally for temporary things or to hold things until I get the real fasteners in place. It is handy, small, and cheap enough to earn its keep.

[Greg Quenneville]

When the stone mason came to measure up our bathrooms for vanity tops etc he hot glued 4” wide strips of 6mm MDF to make a template. Whatever glue he used was strong enough to hold the strips together to get back to his shop to cut the stone.

[Tom Bain]

I use it for “tacking” things in place, sort of like a spot weld with glue. The glue is easily removed with a utility knife. One trick I learned years ago for leveling chair legs was to tack the chair down to a known flat surface with hot melt glue and then you can saw the legs even with small riser block and flush trim saw (or an oscillating tool).

[Gordon Dale]

Ha! This reminded me I have one somewhere, still in the package, unopened, probably hidden in the drawer where I keep "things I read about in a woodworking magazine, bought, and then never used". I'm addicted to double-sided tape and I imagine I use that where others might use hot glue. But, as Bob pointed out, a hot glue gun is a modest investment. Now that I've been reminded that I own one, I'll have to look around for a use for it.

[roger wiegand]

Temporary holding of things that you don't want stuck together very tightly, building foam mock-ups of furniture designs. Holding the router templates for pewa inserts on turned objects. Use it maybe three times a year, but find it convenient on those occasions.

[Mark Wooden]

I use it to glue the bottoms of drawers in from underneath.
Not so much to glue them in as they're already captured in the grooves, but more for anti-rattle.

[Curt Harms]

Ha! This reminded me I have one somewhere, still in the package, unopened, probably hidden in the drawer where I keep "things I read about in a woodworking magazine, bought, and then never used". I'm addicted to double-sided tape and I imagine I use that where others might use hot glue. But, as Bob pointed out, a hot glue gun is a modest investment. Now that I've been reminded that I own one, I'll have to look around for a use for it.

I use both hot melt and double-sided tape. I learned the hard way that double sided tape doesn't work well if one surface is somewhat rough. Hot melt glue isn't fussy. One trick I learned I think on This Old House. They were doing a solid surface or stone counter top. They used hot melt glue to secure clamping fixtures. To remove the clamping fixture they sprayed the glue joint with alcohol. Let it sit a minute and the hot melt glue joints came right apart. I also used hot melt glue to secure a cord that was coming loose on a web cam, improvised strain relief;). It worked.

[Jacob Mac]

I use it to glue the bottoms of drawers in from underneath.
Not so much to glue them in as they're already captured in the grooves, but more for anti-rattle.


I do the same. I learned it from Darrel Peart and while it isn't a game changer, it is a nice touch

[Richard Coers]

Given the small investment, they are a very useful tool.
You must not have a 3M system. We had several 3M guns in the model shop I retired from. Buying a case of glue was a real investment!

[Osvaldo Cristo]

I live in a place that usually has high humidity, so no need for accelerator for CA glue for me.

Hot glue gun has its place in my workshop as it is less prone to break under vibration as hot melt glue preserves flexibility and has better filling properties. That make it better for temporary applications as a jig that will support some stress and vibration. It has my preference also if I have to glue something in a rough surface like an unfinished brick wall.

BTW I am not a frequent user for hot melt glue and the box of glue sticks I purchased 30 years ago yet is at middle!

[andrew whicker]

I used it for a counter top template and will use it again because it is simple, fast and worked like a charm.

[Kevin Jenness]

Hot melt is useful for temporary fastening of irregular surfaces, for instance a burl to a baseplate for turning or carving when the exterior surface is to be left natural. Reversible with a heat gun.