Glue guns

Hot melt glue guns

Hot melt glue guns are designed for use with our range of industry standard 12mm diameter hot melt adhesive glue sticks. They work by melting sticks of glue at high temperatures and as the glue cools it hardens, attaching to the surface, enabling you to firmly bond a variety of materials together. 

What are the applications for hot melt glue guns?

Although glue guns originally served the purpose of bonding soles to shoes, their uses have since evolved and expanded into multiple industries. Nowadays, they are considered to be standard household tools that can be used for DIY, hobby and craft projects, as well as being used in professional industries, such as spine gluing in bookbinding, woodworking, manufacturing, and packaging to name a few examples. 

Is hot melt glue permanent?

Yes, hot melt glue is used to form strong, lasting bonds on a variety of durable surfaces. 

What is the difference between a hot melt and a low melt glue gun? 

Hot melt glue guns, also known as high melt glue guns, are typically used with resilient materials that can withstand high temperatures, such as wood, paper card, fabrics, glass, plastics, corrugated cartons and more. Low melt glue guns, otherwise known as cool melt glue guns, are used on sensitive materials such as ribbon, styrofoam, foil, and thin films and plastic. The lower temperature maintains the integrity of the materials the glue is being used on. Hot melt glue guns operate at 195˚C, while low melt glue guns operate at 135˚C.

What is the difference between glue backup and melt-back?

When a glue gun dispenses adhesive before it has reached the correct molten temperature, glue backup occurs. Adhesive cools in the nozzle, forcing glue back along the barrel in the gap between the dried adhesive and the barrel wall when the trigger is pushed.  

Melt-back, on the other hand, occurs when a glue gun is on for too long, causing the glue to over-soften and forcing it back through the barrel when the trigger is pressed. If your glue gun has been left on for thirty minutes or more, turn it off or dispense a small amount of adhesive to prevent this from happening.  

At Kite, we sell two varieties of hot melt guns along with two hot melt glue adhesives.

General purpose hot melt glue gun

Our general purpose hot melt glue gun can be used with any hot melt glue stick that is 11-12mm in diameter and is ideal for smaller items and less frequent use.

It's key features include:

• Dispenses 750g of glue per hour
• Fast warm-up time of 3-5 minutes
• Hand trigger for easy dispensing of the glue
• Safety nozzle shroud to prevent burns
• Front stand allowing it to be stood upright

Industrial hot melt glue gun

Our industrial hot melt glue gun is suitable to be used with any hot melt adhesive glue stick that is 11-12mm in diameter and is suitable for a wide range of uses, particularly larger items and for regular use.

It's key features include:

• Dispenses 1200g of glue per hour
• Full hand trigger for ease of dispensing
• Full safety nozzle shroud to protect against injury
• Illumination on/off switch
• Detachable stand ensuring it stays upright when in use but can also be easily stored

It also features an adjustable glue output (the silver adjustable screw as the back) to manage the glue output, when tightened it reduces the amount of glue distributed by stiffening the trigger and when loosened it increases the amount of glue distributed by reduces the trigger pressure, therefore increasing the distribution of the glue.