Thread: hot glue

Since I started turning, about 15 years back, I started screwing a 2" thick piece of hard pine onto a 4" face plate. Turned to the same size as the face plate and the face turned fala with a series of rings turned onto it to help center small items. I hot glue anything straight onto the face and have found it perfect for platters where you can't use a screw chuck. This is the largest thing I've mounted that way. It's the top for the lazy Susan I did a WIP for a short while back. In this photo it's mounted on my O'Donnel jaws, but the socket for the jaws and the underside was turned while being held with hot glue. 18" diameter and about as large as my Record CL1 will take, even using the large bowl attachment.



All you have to do is not to spin it up too quick and don't take heavy cuts. Easy to remove too. I just put a block of wood on the back face of the piece, the face that's glued, and whack the block with a soft faced hammer. If the piece is smaller than the face plate just drive a chisel between the piece and the face plate. After it's off I clean up the face plate wood with a spindle gouge, remark the rings if needed and it's ready for the next job. Any glue that's on the piece is removed when you turn the other side..

The problem with hot melt glue is that it can cool down too much before the two surfaces to be glued come together. And it just doesn't work as well when it has cooled, even though it may still be soft.

As Mobyturn said, by re heating the glue with a hot air gun (or hair dryer, I use a butane flame) the chances of it working well are increased significantly. Using this method I have never had it fail and I have glued large surfaces.

I have to admit that I haven't ever had one let go yet.. and I don't warm anything up, apart from the glue. But it is essential to have a look and mark just where the piece is going to sit before you start squirting the hot glue at it.

I have just done a segmented, 13" diameter ring and glued it onto a chipboard backing by just putting 6 not very big spots, one for each segment, and there were no problems with that. No extra heat was used there either



I had to very carefully lever it off when it was turned to round and there was no way that is was ever going to fall off. Hot glue is god and the main thing to remember is to get the glue gun up to its proper working temp and not rush it. Switch it on and go and have a cuppa..

To my understanding there are glue sticks and there are glue sticks which are more suitable for use in woodturning. Is this correct and if so, which are the more suitable types/brands and the source of them.

I have in the past, for some reason which I cannot recall, tried to use the yellowish coloured sticks instead of the cheaper white or clear sticks.

An interesting post especially for a stick-in-the-mud like me (didn't mean the pun) who still uses hide glue with a sheet of paper in between to aid separation. Perhaps I'll dig the glue gun out from wherever I put it.
Cheers,
Jim

]To allow more working time, especially on large joints, I "bake" the wood for about 10 minutes. My oven's minimum temperature is 170F (77C). Clamp until ambient.

Knowing what I do about hot melt glue I say that this is a damn fine idea

One of the problems buying these DIY glue sticks over the counter is that you have no way of knowing what your getting. So you cant specify this or that grade etc, unlike in the packaging industry where there are several manufacturers with several grades each.

i use they yellow glue sticks they are BOSTIK brand i get mine from hereS/E QLD Woodworking Supplies just give him a call as not listed on site
i also have 2 guns the first is a "ARROW " 100watter it really melts and i reckin nearly boils the glue it get that hot and stay liquid for a while to allow setups on some stuff
and the other gun ken wraight put me onto it its a BOSCH it has a long nozzle about 40mm long to reach into the small gaps on certain project

AND the most important trick ken told me was to unattach the item use acetone as it softens it and make for a easy removal , carefull as it can stain some lighter timbers

I use masking tape on the workpiece (which peels off easily leaving no adhesive behind) and then use the hot melt glue to hold that onto a piece of sacrifcial timber screwed onto the faceplate.

Hello mat-au,
I hope this reply works as I am (& others) are having trouble with submitting threads due to the upgrade of our Forum's system. I have written to the Administrators about that.
I wanted to put down for general consumption, my way of using glue chucks for bowls and platters.
Firstly, I had 3 glue chucks (all) made from block aluminium about 25mm thick and are 75, 90 and 110mm diam. - one has a left hand thread for the outboard.
I take the glue chuck and place it on an old iron that I hold in a vise. I heat up the chuck and place glue on it and I simply cut off pieces from the glue stick. I dont use a glue gun or heat gun.
I then place the piece on a flat surface and place the chuck on it to a premarked area (pencil around the outside of the chuck) noting specially the centre point that I punch in the point. Be careful in lifting the hot chuck. I have two holes bored into the side where I insert a piece of steel & pliers to lift. Be generous with the glue and spread when melting. I then place a lump of steel that I keep in the freezer section an old fridge on the hot alo and wait for it to cool. I then screw onto lathe and test adhesion when screwing tight. Turn the outside. Make sure you bring up the tailstock if the piece is out of balance. The point of the tailstock live centre is important mark for when you reverse the chuck for hollowing. To remove the chuck , place the whole piece on the iron and reheat the chuck. Slide off, add more glue for reversing - same process. To clean off glue scrape off with an old chisel and clean up with mineral turps. Good as gold.
While I am very careful, I have not had a piece come off a glue chuck - but I stress be generous with the glue. I dont think it matters whether you use the clear or yellow glue sticks. I have found them all satisfactory, although some prefer the yellow sticks (I think from Bosch). I am happy to try to answer any questions and stress that all chucks have a purpose and this is but one option. Drillit.