Hot Glue Tips?

[ViciousXUSMC]

I just made a project box today out of plexi and I used hot glue to put it together.  This was the first time due to the fact that its clear that neatness mattered.

I have pretty ugly corners and those little "strands" of glue that always form when you pull away the gun from your work area can show.  I tried to get most of it all while it was half dry but missed a few.

So I really could use some help with how to make this work neat.

I would want no strands of glue anywhere and to have a nice even glue spread in the seams, also is there a way to get glue to the areas I could not reach with that $3 mini hot glue gun? 

A few pictures to show what I made today so you can see my flaws.

[fixedpigs]

why not epoxy the edges together in a simple butt joint...?
that'd look way cleaner...

[Octo]

Get some plastic epoxy from the hardware store. It's clear, sets super fast, and you can apply it with a toothpick.

If you go with hot glue, let it dry and then cut the strands off with a box cutter or razor. If you mess with it while still wet you may smear it and that's harder to get off.

[ViciousXUSMC]

I'll try epoxy next time, this worked well since it filled the gaps too, it did not come out as a perfect box even though I tried pretty hard.

[fixedpigs]

I'll try epoxy next time, this worked well since it filled the gaps too, it did not come out as a perfect box even though I tried pretty hard.

are you using the right blade for cutting plexi or just a standard low tooth count combination blade...?

what kind of saw did you use to cut it...?

[ViciousXUSMC]

I used a scoring tool.  The problem was that my straight edge slipped once or twice even though I had it clamped down, and once or twice the tool moved away from my cut line on its own.

So when breaking it, even though I scored the line I wanted the most it often used some or part of the bad line.  I then sanded it after to make it right but did not spend enough time sanding.  Ontop of that even though I measured like 5 times for each line I had small changes in the detentions of each side, with the final problem being that I did not account for the minor thickness of the plexi.

So when putting it together those minor changes in size showed.

[Blanka]

Hot glue is no glue. It's just a civilized variation on using chewing gum or snot to keep two pieces together.
Go get some plexi-glue. It's giving much better results.

[ViciousXUSMC]

That comes in a tube or something?

One thing I like about hot glue is that if you have to remove it you can   like when I was hacking the pads, I had to remove one connection and resolder it and just a blow dryer was all I needed.

Im going to be building another one of these but smaller for my gamecube/wii adapters, so I will look into the plexi glue and any other hints anybody has for me.

The hot glue also sets perfectly fast, it holds together right away but lets me move the pieces into place before its permanent.  I really like it except for the idea that its hard to apply neat, if I had a gun with a long tip to get into the edges then it would be easier, but those cheap $3 guns just have a small tip not suited to get into small places or corners.

[Octo]

Plexi epoxy comes in a two chamber plunger, one with the epoxy, the other with the catalyst. You just squirt out two dabs, mix them together with a toothpick or what-have-you, and quickly get your pieces together.

Don't go for the gimmicky "Mixing Nozzle" that some of them have. It sets up inside the nozzle and runs a mixed liquid back into the plunger, effectively destroying $3 worth of epoxy....

If you need a longer tip on your hot glue gun, try getting a longpiping tip for cake decorating from the grocery store. You can solder (or glue) that onto the tip of your gun, and it will give you long, thin streams of glue. May clog up though...

[drventure]

You might also try plastic model cement. That stuff works by actually chemically melting the plastic and fusing it. Not sure if it'd work on plex, but on plastic it works very well.

I've never had much luck with hot glue. Even when I get it on nicely, it just doesn't seem to hold up very well. Too easy to break the bond, if you ask me.

My personal favorite is JB Weld (the normal stuff, not the JBQuik), but it takes a LONG time to cure and it's a pretty dang ugly shade of grey.

[ViciousXUSMC]

Plexi epoxy comes in a two chamber plunger, one with the epoxy, the other with the catalyst. You just squirt out two dabs, mix them together with a toothpick or what-have-you, and quickly get your pieces together.

Don't go for the gimmicky "Mixing Nozzle" that some of them have. It sets up inside the nozzle and runs a mixed liquid back into the plunger, effectively destroying $3 worth of epoxy....

If you need a longer tip on your hot glue gun, try getting a longpiping tip for cake decorating from the grocery store. You can solder (or glue) that onto the tip of your gun, and it will give you long, thin streams of glue. May clog up though...

Yeah it would have to be metal and be connected in a way that it can heat up with the rest of the gun, just a 2" extension would be all that is needed so the body of the gun would not restrict you from getting into corners & cracks when working inside of an object like a box.

the epoxy stuff I have used similar before but not the plexi kind, though since you have to mix it like that and it sets fast not sure if it will work well for what I want to do.  I actually have 2 mini glue guns so I think next trip to lows I will look for some kind of small metal pipe that I can add to one of them to extend it.

[ViciousXUSMC]

I just got my Wii encoders in the mail yesterday so its time to build the project box for them.  I'll definitely look for the plexi epoxy when I get to the store for parts, but I just also had some alternatives come to mind.

What about good ol fashioned super glue?  It also drys fast & clear.

For something more similar to hot glue there is also liquid nails. 

The advantage of these alternatives I would think is they have there own built in applicator.

I have used epoxy stuff you have to mix before and its a pain, I have to find something mix it on/in, I end up wasting some of it, and its a pain to mix & apply.

[SavannahLion]

What about good ol fashioned super glue?  It also drys fast & clear.

If you're using plexi aka acrylic (I don't recall if I read what you used) that's a glue you're supposed to use. Well... one of the options depending on your requirements. Super Glue is cyanoacrylate, an acrylic resin according to Wikipedia.

Hot glue is no glue. It's just a civilized variation on using chewing gum or snot to keep two pieces together.
Go get some plexi-glue. It's giving much better results.

There's nothing wrong with hot glue. Like any other adhesive it's just a matter of knowing what it can or can't do and applying it appropriately.  Like burning the hell out of your leg and leaving some nasty scars.

[orion]

OK , this is what you want to do......

http://www.tapplastics.com/info/video_detail.php?vid=15&format=windowsmedia&


Other videos for working with plexi.

http://www.tapplastics.com/info/video.php