Selection and use of mounting guns when working with liquid nails

During construction and installation works, home or apartment repairs, it is often necessary to use strong glue - liquid nails. This tool is made on the basis of resins and polymers and is produced in cartridges and tubes. For convenience, you need to pre-purchase a gun for liquid nails - it will help complete the job much faster.

Content:

• Types of Construction Guns
• Professional pistols
• Household pistols
• Device and principle of operation
• Advantages and disadvantages
• Which mechanism to choose
• Instructions for use
• Work rules
• Working with a gun
• Application of liquid nails without a gun
• Operating Precautions

Types of Construction Guns

Despite the existence of various types of mounting guns, all of them can be grouped in this way:

• professional;
• household.

Professional pistols

Such devices are designed to regularly perform a significant amount of work and are more suitable for construction and repair specialists. They are necessary if the speed of applying the compositions is required, because their performance is at a high level. The cost of such devices is 2000-15000 rubles, therefore, for home use, their purchase is impractical.

Depending on the design, the guns are divided into the following types:

1. Pneumatic The glue is pushed out under the pressure of the air flow, which is regulated by the controller and the locking lever, and turns on when the trigger is pulled. These guns can operate continuously. They are suitable for most types of cartridges with liquid nails.

2. Electric. They are powered by an electric network, economical in terms of labor costs, composition consumption, operate smoothly, but quickly. The cost of such pistols is highest. They can not be considered mobile, they need a power outlet to work.
3. Rechargeable. They also work on electricity, but the power is supplied by rechargeable batteries (batteries). Such devices can apply liquid nails even where there is no power supply. One charge is usually enough for 1.5-2 hours of continuous labor.

Household pistols

In everyday life, it is not necessary to use professional devices. On sale there are mounting guns that are inexpensive and quite suitable for one-time jobs:

1. Skeletal. The price of such devices starts from 200 rubles. They are an open aluminum "syringe" with a piston and two guides, between which you can hold a cartridge with liquid nails. The skeleton gun will serve the master for quite some time - at least 20 cartridge changes.
2. Half open. They are considered a very budget option for the home, they cost from 120 rubles, however, they can break down after a couple of used cartridges with glue. The inconvenience can deliver to the master and the weak fastening of the tube, which will hang in the gun, and the glue line for this reason will remain uneven, intermittent. The problem can be solved by gluing the tube in the gun with construction tape.

3. Tubular. These are universal devices that look like hollow syringe tubes with a piston.The cylinder with cartridge here is fixed tightly; besides, it is possible to use adhesives and sealants in “sausages” and other soft packages. Tubular pistols provide uniform application of the compounds, designed for quite a long operation (up to 50 cylinder changes).

Device and principle of operation

There is nothing complicated in the construction of assembly pistols. They consist of such elements and parts:

• body - the basis of the pistol holding the cartridge;
• a rod with a spring and a pusher disk - devices for distributing the load on the piston;
• handles - it is needed for convenient holding of the tool;
• trigger - after pressing it, the adhesive composition starts to come out;
• fixing (blocking) tongue - with its help the rod is attached.

After the cartridge with liquid nails is inserted into the device, the trigger is pulled. This movement affects the stem, and the latter pushes the disc to the bottom of the cartridge. Content exits through the cut tip to the work surface. In expensive models, after releasing the trigger, the stem is fed back slightly, which allows you to remove excessive pressure in the cartridge and prevent adhesive from flowing out. Do not open the tube until it is inserted into the gun - this will prevent leakage.

Advantages and disadvantages

The use of a mechanized method has many advantages compared to the manual application of liquid nails:

• simplicity and high speed;
• ease of device control;
• gun versatility;
• convenient design, reliability;
• the possibility of applying the product in hard to reach places;
• obtaining a smooth, neat and beautiful seam.

To work with a gun you don’t need special skills - even a beginner can learn it. The container with the composition can be easily replaced if the liquid nails in it run out. The disadvantages include the high cost of really high-quality devices, although for one-time work you can buy a cheap mounting gun. In addition, the glue tool will have to be cleaned, and as quickly as possible - otherwise it will be difficult to get rid of glue drops. Battery devices must be recharged regularly, and for electrical work it is important to monitor the presence of a network nearby.

Which mechanism to choose

Before buying a tool, you need to decide on the tasks that will be carried out with its help. It is necessary to take into account not only the type of work, but also their volume, the type of work surfaces. Here are the recommendations of specialists for the correct choice of device:

• for large-scale processing, applying wide and long seams, you should buy a pneumatic gun;
• for a single housework, a skeletal gun or even a half-open tool is quite suitable;
• in order not to be mistaken during high-precision glue application, you will have to purchase a cordless or electric gun - they are indispensable if large demands are made on the quality of the seam.

Also, when buying, you need to pay attention to the product handle - if it has rubber inserts, the gun will not pop out of your hands. It is convenient when it is equipped with the ability to adjust the supply of liquid nails and the reverse stroke.

If the device is heavy, it will be unrealistic to work with it for a long time due to hand fatigue. Products made of plastic and aluminum are considered the lightest, with the latter more reliable and less likely to break.

Instructions for use

Before starting work, you need to open the package with liquid nails and the gun itself, carefully read the instructions. The glue should be sure to check the expiration date: if it has expired, then such a tool is not suitable for installation. Water-based compounds should only be used at a temperature of +5 degrees and above. Liquid nails on solvents can be used even at subzero temperatures.

Work rules

So that the adhesion of the composition to the surface does not decrease, a number of preparatory measures need to be performed.All dirt, dust, debris is removed from the base, rid it of the remnants of the old, snap-off paint coating. For degreasing, wipe the base with alcohol, acetone or a special degreaser. Too porous materials are treated with a primer in 2 layers. Smooth, shiny surfaces, on the other hand, are sandpaper to increase traction with liquid nails.

Before inserting the cartridge with glue into the gun, it is important to make sure that it is exactly the right size (measurements are best done before purchase). If the gun is old, it is inspected for the presence of dried drops of glue, sealant, if necessary, rubbed with a solvent or scraped off. After loading the tube into the gun in this way:

• remove part of the plug; screw the extension nozzle onto the thread;
• close the tip of the extension cord with a cap;
• pulling the stem towards themselves, making room for liquid nails;
• insert the tube into the body, move the stem to the bottom so that the disk rests against the piston;
• if the gun begins to warp (this happens with low-quality models), wrap it with construction tape, electrical tape or wire.

Working with a gun

Glue supply can be continuous or intermittent. In the first case, a solid line is formed, and the trigger of the gun for this purpose is pressed constantly, with the same effort. Also, the adhesive can be applied in the form of a snake or mesh, which is ideal for fixing ceramic tiles.

For the second method, spot application of the agent or its distribution by strips of the desired length is carried out. This method is more popular, as it allows more economical use of the product. In addition, too many liquid nails will cause them to dry slowly.

After the distribution of the composition on the surface, they act in this way:

• connect the parts to be glued together;
• tightly compress them, making an effort;
• hold the elements for a minute manually or with clamps, or under a press;
• remove excess crawled out composition;
• leave the surface without exploitation until completely dry (about a day).

Application of liquid nails without a gun

It happens that there is no gun at hand, so you have to apply the selected product without his participation. It would be inappropriate to purchase a device for gluing small parts once or for applying a couple of small seams: all the work can also be done manually. Wizards advise using one of the options below:

1. Take the cork from a 5 liter plastic bottle, make sure that it covers most of the bottom of the cartridge. Put it on a suitable sized wooden block or hammer handle. Using such a device, push the bottom of the tube so that the composition begins to protrude from it. If you act carelessly, the packaging may be skewed or its walls will be damaged. It is not worth using a block without a cork - the pressure on the bottom should be uniform.
2. If the packaging with liquid nails is made of soft material, it can be pierced for use. It is better to make a puncture in the bottom or where it can then be sealed with tape without any problems. After the hole appears through it, squeeze a little glue and distribute it on the surface with a narrow spatula. This method is quite inconvenient, because the output of the composition is difficult to control.

3. The easiest way to apply the product without a gun is to immediately purchase liquid nails in a package for manual extrusion. She has a cork and a comfortable thin nose with which it is easy to make the seam even, continuous.If liquid nails will be applied to the seam, the edges of the two products should be pre-glued with masking tape. Tape should be removed immediately after completion of work, without waiting for the composition to set.

Operating Precautions

When working with the tool, you must follow the rules for its operation and safety. Protective gloves, goggles, a respirator are put on in advance, because most types of liquid nails contain organic solvents that are very harmful to health. Avoid contact with eyes and skin. If this happens, immediately wash the affected area with water. In the room where installation is carried out, provide high-quality ventilation.

The tool is applied to pre-designated areas. When the adhesive composition gets on the gun itself, the drops are urgently wiped off, preventing freezing. After the work is completed, the balloon is pulled out of the gun by pressing on the blocker, the instrument is washed with soap and water and allowed to dry.

When working with an electric gun, observe the standard rules for operating electrical appliances and make sure that the mains voltage complies with the instructions. If the insulation of the wire is damaged, work with the gun is urgently stopped! Tool batteries are fully charged and do not leave in the charger.

A gun for liquid nails is an effective and inexpensive device that will help to speed up the work and improve the result. If possible, it is worth buying a quality device that will last for many years and will always be at your fingertips!