How to remelt hot glue...

[Arcamax123]

I need to make a box/pan of some kind that I can heat (idk how). Purpose is to remelt left over glue to make into glue molds....

Should be low to medium  temp heat...

[ez24]

To understand a little, can you set your country flag.  I guess a poor country.  I do not think anyone is doing this.  But I suggest (but I do not know the melting temp of the glue) a double boiler.  If 100C is too low, maybe a double boiler filled with sand.  Something to keep direct high temp flames away from the glue.   There are some smart people here, so we will see.

[Ian.M]

That's a fairly useless idea as you wont be able to extrude it in round stick form easily or control the dimensions well enough for it to fit back though the glue gun.  Also hotglue tends to degrade if held at temperature for too long.

If you do need some means of melting hot-glue in bulk, consider a non-stick electric frying pan, if you can find one with a thermostat that goes low enough, and a stainless clad type K thermocouple (+ display) for monitoring the temperature.   

[Arcamax123]

That's a fairly useless idea as you wont be able to extrude it in round stick form easily or control the dimensions well enough for it to fit back though the glue gun.  Also hotglue tends to degrade if held at temperature for too long.

If you do need some means of melting hot-glue in bulk, consider a non-stick electric frying pan, if you can find one with a thermostat that goes low enough, and a stainless clad type K thermocouple (+ display) for monitoring the te,perature.

Yeah I know it is dumb but I like to make things out of glue... ex- animals, dinosaurs, mystical creatures etc... and I have shavings and pellets of glue from it.

[Arcamax123]

In a way it is supposed to be a "diy style" "nordson" glue pod. Ok well how about just a diy nordson glue pod... minus the glue nozzle part lol

[ez24]

That's a fairly useless idea as you wont be able to extrude it in round stick form easily or control the dimensions well enough for it to fit back though the glue gun.  Also hotglue tends to degrade if held at temperature for too long.

If you do need some means of melting hot-glue in bulk, consider a non-stick electric frying pan, if you can find one with a thermostat that goes low enough, and a stainless clad type K thermocouple (+ display) for monitoring the temperature.

I second this and go slow so as not to boil the glue.   A hot plate may also work and these can be cheap to buy.  What are you going to use as a mold release?

[Ian.M]

You'd need an all metal icing syringe or a caulking gun compatible metal cartridge with some sort of heating element (e.g. 120 deg C heat tape) wound round it + exterior lagging and a high temperature PTFE or silicone plunger seal.  Fill with glue chips.  Heat nozzle up to working temperature and hold till the glue's all melted. Pull a vacuum on the nozzle to de-gas until glue starts to come out bubble-free.  Invert and gun it where you want it.

DANGER: You *MUST* wear good PPE.  Bulk hotglue can cause serious burns.

[Arcamax123]

No no ill just scrap the mold idea... but just a diy melter for pellets for intense
I'll  just let it cool awhile before grabing it out and shaping it in my hands

[ez24]

No no ill just scrap the mold idea... but just a diy melter for pellets for intense
I'll  just let it cool awhile before grabing it out and shaping it in my hands

Oh lord

[Arcamax123]

No no ill just scrap the mold idea... but just a diy melter for pellets for intense
I'll  just let it cool awhile before grabing it out and shaping it in my hands

Oh lord

Rotflmao... I've done it at work before lol

[Ian.M]

You are crazy! If hotglue is soft enough to shape, its too hot to touch with your bare skin.  I wouldn't mess with it in bulk without leather gloves on, and I'd be using silicone rubber cake decorating tools to shape it.

If you want something safe to hand mold, either use Polymorph plastic pellets which can be melted in hot water at a relatively safe 60 deg C or use Sugru or Milliput epoxy putty.

Alternatively, treat yourself to a 3Doodler hand held 3D printing pen!

[Arcamax123]

You are crazy! If hotglue is soft enough to shape, its too hot to touch with your bare skin.  I wouldn't mess with it in bulk without leather gloves on, and I'd be using silicone rubber cake decorating tools to shape it.

If you want something safe to hand mold, either use Polymorph plastic pellets which can be melted in hot water at a relatively safe 60 deg C or use Sugru or Milliput epoxy putty.

Alternatively, treat yourself to a 3Doodler hand held 3D printing pen!

Noooooooooooo lol seriously though this Is a low melt adhesive I'm working with

[DmitryL]

Yeah I know it is dumb but I like to make things out of glue... ex- animals, dinosaurs, mystical creatures etc... and I have shavings and pellets of glue from it.

I think you can buy "polymorph" plastic or something similar. In a normal form it is quite hard white pellets. When you heat it up to ~80 degrees C, it becomes transparent and very soft, so, you can mould it to any shape with your fingers. Then when you cool it down, it becomes hard again.

[CJay]

To understand a little, can you set your country flag.  I guess a poor country.  I do not think anyone is doing this.  But I suggest (but I do not know the melting temp of the glue) a double boiler.  If 100C is too low, maybe a double boiler filled with sand.  Something to keep direct high temp flames away from the glue.   There are some smart people here, so we will see.

Most or all the hot glue I have here melts fairly well in boiling water so I'd suggest a Bain-Marie style double boiler, an insulated flask with a water boiler in it and a smaller beaker to fit inside.

Does Hot melt liquify in a microwave I wonder?

[CJay]

Yeah I know it is dumb but I like to make things out of glue... ex- animals, dinosaurs, mystical creatures etc... and I have shavings and pellets of glue from it.

I think you can buy "polymorph" plastic or something similar. In a normal form it is quite hard white pellets. When you heat it up to ~80 degrees C, it becomes transparent and very soft, so, you can mould it to any shape with your fingers. Then when you cool it down, it becomes hard again.

Polycaprolactone plastic is horribly expensive in Polymorph quantities but if you happen to work in a factory that makes the stuff... (staring at a warehouse filed with 500KG bags)

There are different grades though, some higher melting point than others and I don't think it ever gets 'liquid' enough at comfiortable temperatures to pour.

It's easier to use a two part resin that's designed for pouring into moulds, possibly even epoxy.

[ez24]

My guess is the OP has a source of "left over" hot glue and he is just wanting to make something with it.  If this is the case, other glues or plastics is not going to help him.

My favorite method so far is use an electric hot plate or pan and heat up sand.  On top of this sand use a container that holds the glue.  The sand is to regulate and hold the heat.

If the OP comes up with something, I hope the OP will post some pictures of it.

[Arcamax123]

My guess is the OP has a source of "left over" hot glue and he is just wanting to make something with it.  If this is the case, other glues or plastics is not going to help him.

My favorite method so far is use an electric hot plate or pan and heat up sand.  On top of this sand use a container that holds the glue.  The sand is to regulate and hold the heat.

If the OP comes up with something, I hope the OP will post some pictures of it.

Yessssssss finally lol
I think ill try something like you suggest... try to diy myself one though... thank you
If anyone had anymore ideas feel free to post.

[KL27x]

Uh.. I would just put it in a muffin pan and wave a heat gun over it.

[Arcamax123]

Uh.. I would just put it in a muffin pan and wave a heat gun over it.

Yeah but then your sitting all the time waiting for it to heat up then cool down so that you can touch it

[ez24]

Uh.. I would just put it in a muffin pan and wave a heat gun over it.

How about a pan in the oven?

[Halcyon]

Does it need to be hot glue? Would something like this do the job instead: https://sugru.com/about

[Alex Eisenhut]

How about a classic?

https://www.amazon.com/DAS-Hardening-Modeling-Pound-387500/dp/B001GAP4YA

Cheap, too.