TUTORIAL: The Totally Offical "Hot glue Method" Method.

[Jack 0138]

Could the same method be applyed to the out side? I'm just wondering.

 

[sidewayz]

Well this is a case of someone thinking outside the box lol. great job and I just might have to try this for the hell of it. This should help out are younger members, ty tut.

 

[iron mang]

well i'm going to use this method because i have this cracks and tight spots on my helmet that is super difficult to lay fiberglass cloth on. this should be helpful for those difficult spots! i'll just inject a blob of glue on the spot, and then use the tip of the gun to smooth it out. why didn't i think of that! thanks!

 

[Brendan]

That's actually a really neat and creative way of hardening. Sadly I already have the resin and fibreglass and I think i'll do it that way.

Also I couldn't imagine how it would stay, wouldn't it kinda pool at the bottom if its super-heated?

 

[AlexSpartan177]

That's actually a really neat and creative way of hardening. Sadly I already have the resin and fibreglass and I think i'll do it that way.

Also I couldn't imagine how it would stay, wouldn't it kinda pool at the bottom if its super-heated?

You have to be rotating the helmet until the glue hardens

 

[xer0fyre]

I started to think “food service” and went to Bed Bath & Beyond… there I saw that they had a little Presto Electric Skillet ($40).



$40 is a bit pricy for it’s size, but if that’s the option, I’ll take it.



I started to look around and found that there is a 7 inch model available for $20 on Amazon

I had the opportunity to test this theory with some pretty darn positive results!



Through trial and error I’ve discovered that using a generic candy thermometer is the way to go when trying to sniff out the best melting point.



High temp I’ve found not to be the best when joining small parts this way as it’s remaining pooled.



I’ve enjoyed the results with mid range temps (roughly 270° for the glue sticks I buy at WalMart), but I would say with the adjustable heat you can dial in the temp you like working with the most.



It also works well with the 3M line of “Scotch Weld” hot glue, but to be honest, at $45 for an 11lb case, I really didn’t see where it was that much more of a value or a better result than the el-cheapo stuff you can get at Wallyworld.



I haven’t tried this with TE-200 because it’s a too pricy for me.



I also haven’t tried this with SS6, since I think it sets too slow for the application, and frankly I don’t like the stuff.



For application in this way I’ve found that el-cheapo wooden clay sculpting tools are the right answer.

They’ve offered the best means of control, they tend to not sink in the pool of melted glue, and they are easy to clean off.



Now before the angels herald this as the best thing since awesome… there is a dark side.



Although this should be obvious… you’ll never cook in that skillet again. Even if it’s non-stick



Past what should be obvious with the removal of the skillet from the “food grade” market…



If you let the glue sit in the skillet for too long, it will start to get amber in color, and as it darkens it’s slowly getting harder to work with.



I’ve tested this to a small degree and the most negative application result was that the glue will go from flexible to more rigid and less workable.



For the “hot glue method” I can see this as a wonderful way to quickly coat in hot glue sparing quite a bit of time and material.



For pepping I would advise against the skillet for lack of control, and the eventual waste of glue.



So AoBfrost, I love your idea, I think it’s a brilliant addition! Hopefully I didn’t step on any toes with my approach to it.

Great research, I decided to pop into my local Michael's today and like someone mentioned they have a small "Glue Skillet" designed to do just what we are looking for here. Costs just under $9 and is quite small. I havent started with the hot glue reinforcement method yet so I dont know if this small skillet will be able to hold enough glue for thie process but there is a holder that can attach so you can melt more into the pan as you work. I also grabbed a set of Clay tools as it made good sense compared to brushing it on (not saying thats a bad idea) and that brush possibly becoming useless after that use. Now if you have a Tap Plastics near you (very limited locations and West Coast USA only) they have small brushes that they sell for a whopping $0.15 each ($16.70 for a case of 144, bringing it down to under $0.12 each) so these are nice little throwaways. Brushes



I attached a picture of the Small Glue Skillet and its about 7cm diameter x 1cm deep so yeah its small.

 

[k11yle]

good idea, never thought about it!

 

[k11yle]

well i'm going to use this method because i have this cracks and tight spots on my helmet that is super difficult to lay fiberglass cloth on. this should be helpful for those difficult spots! i'll just inject a blob of glue on the spot, and then use the tip of the gun to smooth it out. why didn't i think of that! thanks!

u should fix it with spotting putty

 

[WarHead9705]

I don't know if this has been mentioned due to lack of time readying these thread(2 year old thread ). IF you crack the glue just use a heat gun over the destroyed area to heat the glue up again and make a full repair!!

 

[nynjamasta]

quick idea for combining the hot glue method with the fiberglass one. is it a good idea to use the hot glue for the really detailed parts, like the fore-arm, were getting the fiberglass cloth to work is a big pain, and then putting the fiberglass layers on top of that?

 

[nynjamasta]

Holy crap this takes a lot of hot glue! I used 12 10-inch sticks and 5 5-inch sticks and I didn’t even have enough for even half of the bi-cept piece. there was enough to layered all around, but the sheer mass of hot glue it will take to finish it is astonishing. This method may not be cheaper than the fiberglass method. I spent about 15$ on glue just for the bi-cept, and to finish I completely, I figure I need to spend 15 more on glue. If you cannot use fiberglass, this method will work. But if you can, use the fiberglass. It may be harder to work with, but it is more durable and I think in the long run cheaper. Another note, I actually tried to warp the cardstock by putting a crap ton of glue on at one time. All it did was make the paper really hot to the touch. No warpage at all for me.

 

[xer0fyre]

Holy crap this takes a lot of hot glue! I used 12 10-inch sticks and 5 5-inch sticks and I didn’t even have enough for even half of the bi-cept piece. there was enough to layered all around, but the sheer mass of hot glue it will take to finish it is astonishing. This method may not be cheaper than the fiberglass method. I spent about 15$ on glue just for the bi-cept, and to finish I completely, I figure I need to spend 15 more on glue. If you cannot use fiberglass, this method will work. But if you can, use the fiberglass. It may be harder to work with, but it is more durable and I think in the long run cheaper. Another note, I actually tried to warp the cardstock by putting a crap ton of glue on at one time. All it did was make the paper really hot to the touch. No warpage at all for me.

as far as cost goes I have been looking around and in my area Joanns Fabrics has the best prices for hot glue sticks as they sell them individually (.25"x10", and .5"x10") and in 100 packs (.25"x4" which came out to be the better deal) at $6.99 a pack. Michaels was the most expensive for hot glue sticks and Home Depot was in the middle

 

[LT GRAVE]

xer0fyre - i talked to the guy who uses hotglue constantly. the picture of the guyver that was somewhere on here. he buys them online by the box. as in a couple thousand. if you want to do an entire suit like this and do it thick enough, you are looking at an entire box. estimate about 40 for the bicepts and probably 150 for the helmet depending on which style.

 

[nynjamasta]

as far as cost goes I have been looking around and in my area Joanns Fabrics has the best prices for hot glue sticks as they sell them individually (.25"x10", and .5"x10") and in 100 packs (.25"x4" which came out to be the better deal) at $6.99 a pack. Michaels was the most expensive for hot glue sticks and Home Depot was in the middle

i went to ace hardware and there it was like 8 bucks for a pack of 10

 

[LT GRAVE]

if you look on line you can buy full boxes, like i said above. and they are colored

 

[Ben Hawker]

wow im glad i read around and found this. ill definitely have to try this. It sounds like a great idea and way safer for someone with breathing problems already.

 

[Nintendude]

Well this is actually going to come in real handy for me both for my Stone Golem and for my Gundam project , not sure if it has already been answered yet or not but is fiberglass resin safe on hot glue?

 

[grenadesonfire]

I haven't seen this tried/asked yet, how could I use this method for a pep'd M6D or Assault Rifle?

 

[zabuske]

thank you u just finished a clone trooper helmet and i have all the materials but i need to niw if its ok to use a stove inside a full size stove

 

[Halo Prodigy]

this idea is really.....cheap....lol..but it works...now i jus hav to put bondo