Are all hot glue sticks created equal? (same diameter)

[monster_of_electronics]

Is there anything to look for when buy glue sticks?

Looking for cheap 1cm diameter hot glue sticks for an XL-F60 hot glue gun.

[ali6x944]

Nope, there are many sizes and types so see this:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot-melt_adhesive

[uncle_bob]

Hi

There are an enormous number of variables on the sticks you put into a glue melt gun. Be very careful when picking stuff at random. You need to know a bit about the temperature settings on your gun in order to make a reasonable choice. If that info is not available, stick with the stuff that the manufacturer recommends.

Bob

[KL27x]

They come in at least two different kinds, either hi temp or all/low temp, basically. Your glue gun is 60W but it doesn't really say what kind of stick it's supposed to take. It might depend on the throughput you want. If you're going to leave it plugged in all the time and use just a little bit of glue here and there, then you might find a hi temp glue stick works ok with your little gun. If you want to push a lot of volume, you may want to use an all/low temp glue stick. But leaving it plugged in all the time might burn the glue.

Other than that, it's a bit of a crapshoot. I have tossed glue sticks because they don't actually stick to anything non-porous.   

[SL4P]

As a genberal statement - I've found the 'white/clear milky' coloured sticks from branded sources are a LOT better than the 'slightly yellowish' no-name brands.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

I have seen guns turn into a real mess when run on the wrong "stuff" or when one type of glue was switched out for another. This was in an industrial setting rather than home use. The materials involved were not quite what you get at the local store.

Bob

[monster_of_electronics]

Thanks all, are there specific specs to look for in glue sticks other than diameter and "low" or "high" temp?

[forrestc]

Thanks all, are there specific specs to look for in glue sticks other than diameter and "low" or "high" temp?

Adhesion to specific materials.  What the stick is made of.  Melting temperature.   Working temperature.   Etc etc etc.

For general purpose and non-critical use... just go buy some inexpensive all-temp sticks and see if they work.   If not, try the hi temperature sticks.   Generally the stuff in the craft stores (or craft section at your favorite big box store) will stick to a wide range of stuff - they're designed for crafts so sticking to any random thing you throw at them is a good property to have if you're selling them to crafters who *will* try to adhere almost any two items together with it.

For a commercial application you need to pay attention to the specifics like flexbility, working temperature (after it's been applied), adhesion (especially at temperature extremes), etc. etc. etc.   

If you want a primer, go to one of the online stores which specialize in this stuff.  For example, I find hotmelt.com to be a wealth of information.  You could also go to a glue stick manufacturer's website... I find adhesivetech.com to be a good example.

Adhesives are always a pain to specify unless you're doing something very simple which has well-defined solutions (i.e. hot gluing boxes closed for shipping).   As soon as you move out of that, the correct answer depends on so many factors that it's really best to experiment unless you're using them for something either professional and/or critical.  At which point, it's best to find an adhesive expert who is going to ask you a lot of questions that you probably won't have answers to (I.E. is that a high or low energy plastic you're attempting to adhere to).

-forrest

[uncle_bob]

Thanks all, are there specific specs to look for in glue sticks other than diameter and "low" or "high" temp?

Adhesion to specific materials.  What the stick is made of.  Melting temperature.   Working temperature.   Etc etc etc.

For general purpose and non-critical use... just go buy some inexpensive all-temp sticks and see if they work.   If not, try the hi temperature sticks.   Generally the stuff in the craft stores (or craft section at your favorite big box store) will stick to a wide range of stuff - they're designed for crafts so sticking to any random thing you throw at them is a good property to have if you're selling them to crafters who *will* try to adhere almost any two items together with it.

For a commercial application you need to pay attention to the specifics like flexbility, working temperature (after it's been applied), adhesion (especially at temperature extremes), etc. etc. etc.   

If you want a primer, go to one of the online stores which specialize in this stuff.  For example, I find hotmelt.com to be a wealth of information.  You could also go to a glue stick manufacturer's website... I find adhesivetech.com to be a good example.

Adhesives are always a pain to specify unless you're doing something very simple which has well-defined solutions (i.e. hot gluing boxes closed for shipping).   As soon as you move out of that, the correct answer depends on so many factors that it's really best to experiment unless you're using them for something either professional and/or critical.  At which point, it's best to find an adhesive expert who is going to ask you a lot of questions that you probably won't have answers to (I.E. is that a high or low energy plastic you're attempting to adhere to).

-forrest

Hi

Once you get past the "will this destroy my glue gun" part, there are an almost infinite number of variables. The key question is : "are you trying to do something fancy?" The next question often turns out to be "why are you trying to use hot melt to do that?"

Bob