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Maker Jón Schone recently revealed an impressive new creation that combines his passion for 3D printing and hot glue guns. Earlier this week, on Schone’s YouTube channel ‘Proper Printing,’ viewers were treated to his process of conceptualizing, iterating, and successfully constructing “a hot glue 3D printer.”
The presentation of this work offers an engaging experience, filled with several moments of anticipation and setbacks. Ultimately, the project comes together wonderfully at the end. His glue stick magazine drop-feed system likely merits its own dedicated video.
“Isn’t a 3D printer just a hot glue gun attached to a motion controller?” Schone pondered at the start of his video. While the most accurate yet somewhat lacking answer is ‘yes and no,’ a significant distinction lies in the fact that 3D printers operate using specially formulated filament, rather than hot glue sticks.
Schone contemplated how low-tech glue guns could enhance the world of 3D printing. He observed that mainstream 3D printers struggle to print with soft materials unless a pellet loader is employed, and modern models often perform poorly with brittle materials that are unsuitable for spooling. He proposed that a glue gun-style print head, fed with sticks, chunks, or particles, might expand the range of 3D printing options, with wax material likely coming up for testing soon.
Hot glue guns come with several appealing features. Schone pointed out the extensive variety of glue stick formulations and colors available, which attract many creative makers. Additionally, hot glue guns are very affordable, such as this option for $5.95 at Amazon, making them excellent for experimentation and refinement. Proper Printing chose to base his project on a Dremel hot glue gun, ensuring reliable performance at a reasonable cost.
One of the initial and crucial steps in developing a functional hot glue gun 3D printer involved disassembling the Dremel glue gun, removing the 230V heating element, and substituting it with a safer, more manageable 24V component typical of 3D printers. An important adjustment was calibrating the nozzle temperatures to 165 degrees Celsius, aligning with the standard temperatures of a glue gun.
Following that, Schone experimented with several iterations of the extruder, prioritizing dependable output for 3D printing. He successfully overcame a significant challenge known as ‘heat creep’.
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Continuous glue stick delivery to the print head appeared to be an easy task for Schone. The creator genuinely enjoyed designing a magazine feeding system that would drop a fresh stick into a funnel-shaped holder, ensuring an uninterrupted glue supply in a wonderfully complex manner.
After a few initial misfires, with Schone expressing that he was “ready to proceed,” the printer finally began to perform well during the last few moments of this captivating 24-minute segment. With his improved hot glue gun 3D printer now operating effectively, Schone is eager to explore further possibilities. It has already been suggested that he may experiment with wax material soon. Additionally, he contemplated combining hot glue with standard filament media prints—utilizing the glue for infills, supports, and more.