Craft Glue Gun Dos & Don’ts

If you’ve bought a craft glue gun from us, we want the two of you to be happy together. It’s important to treat your gun well, and in return you’ll be rewarded with great results and a tool that’s with you for the long-term. Follow our guide of dos and don’ts to keep your gun happy and get the most from it during your time together.

(But don’t panic – if you follow these steps and still run into problems, all of our guns are covered by a 1-year warranty).

DO insert a glue stick into your glue gun before you plug it in. Sounds obvious, we know, but it really is the easiest of mistakes to make.

DO allow your craft gun to warm up to the correct operating temperature before you attempt to use it. Every time. No exceptions. We’ll know… just kidding. But really.

DON’T ever remove a part melted glue stick from the back of a gun. We know it can be tempting. But if the glue stick is taken out, the molten glue can come out over the feed mechanism and cause some pretty serious damage. We always recommend that you push the stick through the gun, but if you are desperate to switch glues, you can snip the stick in the centre (close to the gun’s rubber inner tube), and insert a new stick to push the rest of the glue through. Even better, invest in a glue saver – a cheap, easy way to purge your current glue stick without wasting anything. The unwanted glue sets in the mould to give you up to four smaller 12mm sticks that you can use later.

DON’T lay your craft gun on its side while it’s hot. The molten glue at the front of the gun will go to one side, and can make its way back through the gun. Trust us when we say, this is bad. NEVER leave your gun on its side before turning it off, as the glue will solidify in this position. This can affect the warm up time and cause damage to the gun’s mechanism. Instead, we recommend that you…

DO always use the stand supplied with your craft gun, or one of the optional stands that we have available.

DO switch your applicator off if you don’t plan to use it for more than 40 minutes. Your gun will thank you, and so will your energy provider.

DO wipe the nozzle of your gun once you’ve finished using it. This will stop glue building up around the nozzle and affecting the delivery of the glue. This should be done while the applicator is still hot, and you should always wear protective gloves.

DON’T change the nozzle of a cold gun, as the solid glue around the nozzle can strip the thread. To avoid this, the gun must always be hot (but unplugged) before you change the nozzle, and again, always wear protective gloves.

DO clean your craft gun. It’s down to you how often, but your gun will thank you for it (it likes white spirit, by the way).

DO use a silicone Tecmat under your glue gun to protect your work surface from damage. It doubles up as a non-stick base for creating shapes and patterns, too.