About Hot Glue Sticks

Hot glue sticks are commonly used with hot glue guns to create craft projects or to repair small household items. The glue stick is melted as the glue gun heats the glue. A precision tip is usually included with most hot glue guns, allowing the hot glue stick to be adhered only to the areas where glue is needed.

Significance

The significance of using hot glue sticks is that they are a fast and permanent way to ply together material. The heat applied to the glue from the glue gun allows the glue to start off in a soft- based, workable tacky form or if hot enough, a liquid form that quickly dries, creating a bond to form pieces of material together. Hot glue sticks are preferred by crafters as well as hobbyists.

Function

The function of a glue stick is for the crafter or hobbyist to use the glue gun and glue sticks to create craft projects and bond solid materials together. Paper crafts, wreaths and school projects can easily be completed by a hot glue gun as opposed to regular glue. Hot glue guns are more precise and allow a much stronger bond to form between objects than what regular white glue does at room temperature. Hot glue sticks can also be used to repair certain lightweight items that are found around the home such as picture frames, wooden items and also small furniture.

Size

The size of a hot glue stick can be anywhere from 3 to 12 inches in length depending on the size of the hot glue gun one is using; even though the hot glue stick decreases in size as it is being released from the hot glue gun. More than one hot glue stick can be used consecutively in most hot glue guns, therefore creating a sizable amount of glue to come out at all times.

Effects

Hot glue sticks repair plastics, foam, paper products and lightweight wood objects with ease. When the glue goes on to an item it creates a bond or a second skin that allows the materials to hold together and not break apart. Many people use hot glue sticks to create simple craft projects where objects or craft pieces need to be adhered to another object or surface, to create a style, or to add fashionable flair.

Warning

Extreme caution should be used when handling a hot glue stick and a hot glue gun; although the glue may not appear to be hot, it can reach temperatures upward of 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the glue is released from the hot glue gun it will adhere to any surface and begin the bonding process, which can cause burns on skin.

Resources

• Hot Glue Sticks