Fast-Cap's Glu-bot: not so good

[Jamie Buxton]

Fast-Cap makes some innovative and good products. Because of that I tried their Glu-bot when my last glue bottle died. (http://www.fastcap.com/products.aspx?id=286) Having used it for a month, I can tell you it has serious design flaws.

1) There's no way for air to get into the bottle. When you squeeze glue out of a glue bottle, eventually air must get inside to replace the glue. On the Glu-bot, I had to loosen the screw-on cap every once and while to let air into the bottle. That's dumb design.

2) The screw-on cap must seal perfectly so that you can squeeze glue out the tip. With all the screwing and unscrewing, the gasket on the cap quickly died, and the bottle became unusable.

3) The cover for the tip is loose. There's a little nib to store it on the cap, but sometimes I forgot, and sometimes it fell off or got knocked off. That leads to much searching on the bench or floor. Designers of other glue bottles have figured out how to keep the cover captured so it doesn't get lost.

This is a product I do not recommend.

[Aaron Beaver]

I was just looking at these at Woodcraft yesterday. I even had it in my hand at one point carrying it around the store but I eventually put it back.

Thanks for the review

[James Phillips]

I have had mine for a while and really like it. Maybe you just got a bad one.

[Chuck Burns]

I bought one of these. Used it once. It may be useable if you but an air bleed hole in it somewhere. It's not as good as the standard Titebond bottles.

[Matt Meiser]

I agree.

To points 1&2, I think that in order for it to work properly, you don't want air getting in. When you squeeze glue out it fills the tube on the side. I think the suction cause by the lack of air is what is supposed to pull the glue back in. Mine came with a white donut-shaped foam gasket which IIRC was inside the bottle when I boiught it. These are needed to seal the top most likely. If you are missing it, I'd call Fastcap and see if they can send you one.

As to the red tip being loose on the top it would be nice to have a a leash on it. I always forget I can put mine on the top and just store it somehere on the floor under my bench when I'm using it :D

They do sell a kit with extra tips and caps for a few bucks. I keep one around for when the old tip gets too gunked up or when the cap gets lost. I think they may even have an extra gasket in the kit.

[Jim Becker]

I received one of these years ago to do a mini review for a woodworking magazine...once I tried it out, felt is was really not completely well planned out for the reasons you and others have identified. I'm perfectly happy with a regular bottle of TiteBond III with it's flat, wide dispenser and a top that pops open and closed.

[Steve Clardy]

I had a couple of those some time ago. Notice.....Had.;)

They went into file 13 about 3 months later.
The nozzles clogged up all the time and I got tired of digging out the dried glue.

[Joe Unni]

I had a couple of those some time ago. Notice.....Had.;)

They went into file 13 about 3 months later.
The nozzles clogged up all the time and I got tired of digging out the dried glue.

Ditto.

-joe

[John Seiffer]

Maybe I'm weird (OK no maybe) but I love mine. The glue is right there when I need it no matter how close to empty the bottle is and it's easy to use with one hand.

The cap doesn't fit on quite tight enough but other than that I love it.

[glenn bradley]

I'd ask for a replacement; somethings wrong or this is the wrong bottle for the type or quantity you are dispensing. I'm with James, I love the things. My large cap has no gasket and seals with a snug twist. The nozzle cap is a joke. I contacted them regarding what I thought was a defective piece and they sent me a bunch more of the poorly designed ones. The little rubber do-jobbers (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5685)that Rockler or Lee Valley sell solved that.

So, aside from their poor tip cover, I love them. These are made to get glue where you want it, including upside down without dripping. If you are dispensing enough glue to run out of air in the bottle, this is not the bottle to use. Grab a big bottle ;-) I have no trouble dispensing an ounce or so at a time and the bottle sucks the glue and then some air back in between squeezes. I generally run TB II or straight TB. When I am really laying out some glue, I do not use the Glu-bot, I go for the big bottle. For more specific stuff, it rocks.