It looks wonderful and really follows the adage "work smarter, not harder". I foresee people using old smoking pipe "tappers" to squish glue on complex curved surfaces and hard-to-reach areas.
Would suggest looking at UV resins, most of which can be tinted with acrylic paints or inks, and the ones used in dentistry are definitely stable over a long term. You can also add metal powders to them There are softer UV resins which I have used in model making (so you can cut them away with a blade), and although they seem dimensionally stable, on a nicely finished piece of wood with lacquer over it in several years would require some testing
To cover a few of the questions below... I have been using the system for around four years in my workshop. I don't have the top of the line Pro system that Ben has, I have the middle of the range PLUS Kit. It does exactly what it says on the box. The sticks are a polymide resin formulation, so not truly a hotmelt "glue". The adherence of the Thermelt resin to the wood is superb. You can sand it, plane it, rout it, polish it or carve it in 5-10 seconds after using the heatsink to cool the resin. It will not sink below or rise above the substrate surface over time, as it is microscopically flexible and bonds really well with the wood. Many woodturners and furniture makers use the system. It is also the go-to system for pro furniture manufacturers.
I have used this stuff to fill some knots and small cracks in an ash table I built a year ago. My intention was to have something that isn't such a big mess like epoxy. It is super easy to work with but also has its limitations. For holes and small cracks it's good. When the holes are too small and shallow adhesion isn't good enough. It needs something to grab onto. Penetration isn't very deep because the material solidifies while coming into contact with the cold wood. For slightly larger cracks I wouldn't use it again without reinforcement. I had one crack where the wood moved a little bit and the "glue" lost adhesion on one side. Sanding it works ok but with the oil finish I used you can see a difference compared to the wood when you pay attention. I also found it hard to get all sanding marks out of it because it's softer than wood.
I can't wait to see what utterly magical lunacy you come up with while using this tool! I'm also glad you took time off to protect your mental health. It's really important that you did some self care. Virtual man hugs to you.
I have 2 questions: How well does it work when applied _before_ an alcohol-based stain? One thing I know about hot glue (and their formula may well differ) is that it loses its grip when you apply denatured alcohol to it so it would be interesting to know how alcohol-based stains affect it. And 2: can you reuse those bits you shave off somehow? Seems a waste to cut off what seems to be most of the glue just to throw it away...
My joy at seeing Crimson guitars back is slightly tempered by the pedant in me suffering pain at a British company spelling ‘revolutionise' with a 'z'.😉
Wondering how well finish will stick to it...hopefully with the high solid content it will be fine... Also wondering if you could add some of the powders to it in a way it would show and not be either just in the cavity or carved away...
But how will that stuff hold up in the long run? It doesn't seem particularly hard, since you can slice it clean off with a chisel. Will it shrink over time, or will it interfere with the way the wood shrinks and expands? Will it leave witness lines in the lacquer after some years? Will it dent more easily than the surrounding wood? How will lacquer or other finishes adhere to it? Those are the kinds of questions that come to mind.
i can see this being super useful for things like cottonwood and other very knotty veneers in builds in place of resin soaking. I bet more of the natural resonance on the wood would come through doing something like this in place of resin as well.
Three things… 1. Good to see you back. Personal time is so important. 2. Will this magic take finish? 3. How much faff is it to change colours, particularly dark to light? Cool looking device though.
Used this trick a few months ago to fill a worm hole in an old mallet. Not sure I'd rely on it for stabilizing a crack (in fact I definitely wouldn't), but for filling ones that aren't going to expand? Nothing beats colored hot glue or sealing wax for the time savings while keeping the surface stain-able.
Ben, you should investigate making your own glue sticks using sanding dust and melted plain glue sticks cast into a mold. then you can have perfectly matching colours for any wood, plain or stained.
Looks very cool! I’m not totally sure if I’d find much need for it… maybe for a resin alternative or for fret markers or an inlay. I’d like to see more examples of how it looks and performs in larger cavities and what the various material/colors are like.
Wow!! I have absolutely used superglue to fill voids on some crazy figured bigleaf maple. This is a game changer! My favorite part of the video was when Ben licked the board 🤣🤣
I feel like it may be worth doing an experiment with a temperature probe, like a cheap oven thermometer that you can afford to ruin. Place the probe in a recess or channel, glue around it and then come back with a heat gun and note down the melting point, if there is one. What I'd want to know is whether the substance you're using melts again after the initial setting (hot glue definitely does, but I can see from other people that this isn't just a regular glue stick). My biggest worry is that the temperature inside a hot car on a summer's day could bring it back to it's melted state underneath the finish, potentially leading to damage as parts of the surface under the finish become soft and gummy.
Keep yourself healthy, Ben; we miss you on the guitar museum draws, but totally understand.. And the boys are doing a pretty good job in your stead. I would love to see your concept of the best fingerstyle SMALL Hollowbody electric...what would you build?
how would this stand up to getting hot? That would be my worry. I know it doesn't get soft in room temperature, but under lights or in the trunk of a car?
GDay Ben, If you wanted a copper bars to hold 2 pieces apart, use stainless steel for the strength and then sleeve some copper tube over it. If you rebated (staged) the holes so the copper tube ended inside the timber, you would never know it wasn't solid copper from the outside.
The "sticks" are not "glue" per se, they are a polymide resin. In my experience, the filled area does not shrink over time (years) and is fully sandable, planable and bonds incredibly well to the substrate wood.
Oh how I wish that I worked with wood and needed something to fill holes in it, which would justify getting one of those! But all is not lost as I'm getting some new tools delivered today. Only wax carving tools, but new tools are new tools. On a different note, if wood from the tragically vandalised Hadrian's Wall sycamore (may the perpetrators rot in Hell) comes up for sale, would you be tempted?
I wonder if that glue is able to be remolded, set and remelted - if so, small pot on a gas burner, couple of glue sticks in, copper powder in, pour it all into a greased metal tube.... Robert's your Mother's brother, you've got some copper filler sticks!
If I remember correctly the manufacturer sells you a silicone mould you can use to purge the rest of a stick into when you want to change colours. You can then use the purged material again later.
Hi all at HQ, incase I don't catch the DGD livestream tomorrow, A query regarding people complaining on the extras channel about no build videos. How about changing the username? Since DGD is somewhat separated from Crimson and you don't post much of any Crimson content on there anymore, wouldn't it be better for branding? I'm afraid I wouldn't know how but I've seen Will Gelvin at Gelvin guitars (formally Wills easy guitar (then "and other stuff")) do it a few times, so I'm sure you'll know how. Something like "Daily Guitar Live" (or Streams), "DGD Live and extras" so Crimson content will still be valid?
Also, there is an accessory for that tool that let's you melt the excess bits you cut into new glue tubes. For us the cheap bastards that saves all the tiny pieces of everything. 😅
So....., if it saves you guys several hours, does that mean that the people who ordered those custom guitars get a little discount? 😉 What a great discovery. This is one of the things that I come to this channel for, to learn tip and things.
It looks wonderful and really follows the adage "work smarter, not harder". I foresee people using old smoking pipe "tappers" to squish glue on complex curved surfaces and hard-to-reach areas.
Health before wealth Ben, stay healthy!
Would suggest looking at UV resins, most of which can be tinted with acrylic paints or inks, and the ones used in dentistry are definitely stable over a long term.
You can also add metal powders to them
There are softer UV resins which I have used in model making (so you can cut them away with a blade), and although they seem dimensionally stable, on a nicely finished piece of wood with lacquer over it in several years would require some testing
To cover a few of the questions below... I have been using the system for around four years in my workshop. I don't have the top of the line Pro system that Ben has, I have the middle of the range PLUS Kit. It does exactly what it says on the box. The sticks are a polymide resin formulation, so not truly a hotmelt "glue". The adherence of the Thermelt resin to the wood is superb. You can sand it, plane it, rout it, polish it or carve it in 5-10 seconds after using the heatsink to cool the resin. It will not sink below or rise above the substrate surface over time, as it is microscopically flexible and bonds really well with the wood. Many woodturners and furniture makers use the system. It is also the go-to system for pro furniture manufacturers.
Thanks for an honest review by someone who actually uses it! LOTS of opinions floating around by people who've never used it.😂
I have used this stuff to fill some knots and small cracks in an ash table I built a year ago. My intention was to have something that isn't such a big mess like epoxy. It is super easy to work with but also has its limitations. For holes and small cracks it's good. When the holes are too small and shallow adhesion isn't good enough. It needs something to grab onto. Penetration isn't very deep because the material solidifies while coming into contact with the cold wood. For slightly larger cracks I wouldn't use it again without reinforcement. I had one crack where the wood moved a little bit and the "glue" lost adhesion on one side. Sanding it works ok but with the oil finish I used you can see a difference compared to the wood when you pay attention. I also found it hard to get all sanding marks out of it because it's softer than wood.
Are there any issues staining over it?
Glad to see you back Ben.
I think my entire YT algo got thrown for a loop without having Crimson videos in the mix.
I can't wait to see what utterly magical lunacy you come up with while using this tool!
I'm also glad you took time off to protect your mental health. It's really important that you did some self care. Virtual man hugs to you.
Glad to see you back Ben, hope you’re doing better!
I have 2 questions: How well does it work when applied _before_ an alcohol-based stain? One thing I know about hot glue (and their formula may well differ) is that it loses its grip when you apply denatured alcohol to it so it would be interesting to know how alcohol-based stains affect it. And 2: can you reuse those bits you shave off somehow? Seems a waste to cut off what seems to be most of the glue just to throw it away...
Ben’s back! 🎉 Good to see you dude.
My joy at seeing Crimson guitars back is slightly tempered by the pedant in me suffering pain at a British company spelling ‘revolutionise' with a 'z'.😉
Where’d they do that then? That sort of thing normally stands out like a sore thumb to me.
@@Jimbotube1980Looks as though they’ve now changed the title!
That lightning finish is brilliant - would love to see a video of it being done
look out for Lichtenberg wood burning
Wondering how well finish will stick to it...hopefully with the high solid content it will be fine...
Also wondering if you could add some of the powders to it in a way it would show and not be either just in the cavity or carved away...
Love this kit. I’ve had one for 18+ months, and it’s ideal for knot filling rather than superglues or dust/glues.
But how will that stuff hold up in the long run? It doesn't seem particularly hard, since you can slice it clean off with a chisel. Will it shrink over time, or will it interfere with the way the wood shrinks and expands? Will it leave witness lines in the lacquer after some years? Will it dent more easily than the surrounding wood? How will lacquer or other finishes adhere to it? Those are the kinds of questions that come to mind.
This stuff is used by furniture making professionals all over the place. If there's a crack to fill, this thing comes out and does the job. So,...
No rush Ben, happy to see you when we see you!
i can see this being super useful for things like cottonwood and other very knotty veneers in builds in place of resin soaking. I bet more of the natural resonance on the wood would come through doing something like this in place of resin as well.
Three things…
1. Good to see you back. Personal time is so important.
2. Will this magic take finish?
3. How much faff is it to change colours, particularly dark to light?
Cool looking device though.
Wonderful to have you back Ben!
My Sunday breakfasts were always filled with your output and coffee!
All is good in the world! ☕️☕️🥰🥰🎸🎸
Glad you're back.
UV curing resin probably works well too
Used this trick a few months ago to fill a worm hole in an old mallet. Not sure I'd rely on it for stabilizing a crack (in fact I definitely wouldn't), but for filling ones that aren't going to expand? Nothing beats colored hot glue or sealing wax for the time savings while keeping the surface stain-able.
Thanks for showing this Ben
It's a nice idea 🤘 but will it look good wen the clearkoat is on ?
Thanks for the video Ben
Ben, you should investigate making your own glue sticks using sanding dust and melted plain glue sticks cast into a mold. then you can have perfectly matching colours for any wood, plain or stained.
Looks very cool! I’m not totally sure if I’d find much need for it… maybe for a resin alternative or for fret markers or an inlay. I’d like to see more examples of how it looks and performs in larger cavities and what the various material/colors are like.
That’s brilliant, doesn’t interrupt your creative flow. Take care of yourself Ben ;0)
Wow!! I have absolutely used superglue to fill voids on some crazy figured bigleaf maple. This is a game changer!
My favorite part of the video was when Ben licked the board 🤣🤣
Excellent watch.
I feel like it may be worth doing an experiment with a temperature probe, like a cheap oven thermometer that you can afford to ruin. Place the probe in a recess or channel, glue around it and then come back with a heat gun and note down the melting point, if there is one.
What I'd want to know is whether the substance you're using melts again after the initial setting (hot glue definitely does, but I can see from other people that this isn't just a regular glue stick).
My biggest worry is that the temperature inside a hot car on a summer's day could bring it back to it's melted state underneath the finish, potentially leading to damage as parts of the surface under the finish become soft and gummy.
Keep yourself healthy, Ben; we miss you on the guitar museum draws, but totally understand.. And the boys are doing a pretty good job in your stead.
I would love to see your concept of the best fingerstyle SMALL Hollowbody electric...what would you build?
i wonder how it will last long term with no laquer etc holding it in the holes? As it doesnt bond to the stain to well.
Oh wow, I almost spat my coffee over my PC when I heard: "Don't do glue!" The irony was just too good!
Time=Money. Dusty Lumber uses that same type of process on his projects. Damn it, Ben. I need yet another tool!
I am sooooo saving up for that!!!! I could use it right now but all my money is going to a trip to Brighton!
dang.... just looked and only 220v :(
I like this, but I'd imagine a 3D printing pen would be more precise and have more options since you can use any filament color/material you want.
how would this stand up to getting hot? That would be my worry. I know it doesn't get soft in room temperature, but under lights or in the trunk of a car?
GDay Ben, If you wanted a copper bars to hold 2 pieces apart, use stainless steel for the strength and then sleeve some copper tube over it. If you rebated (staged) the holes so the copper tube ended inside the timber, you would never know it wasn't solid copper from the outside.
Yes I would be interested in glowing plastic would look like
I never would have thought of using a glue gun for filling.
Is that a special formula of glue stick, or could any basic glue stick work?
The "sticks" are not "glue" per se, they are a polymide resin. In my experience, the filled area does not shrink over time (years) and is fully sandable, planable and bonds incredibly well to the substrate wood.
Is the waste you have to scrape off an issue, or can you use less resin?
Dose anyone know what the minimum /maximum temperature of the resin is? I know the standard gun is set to 170c
Looks amazing! I'm interested in the product but will it react with a 1K or 2K lacquer, or is it fairly inert?
Wow!
This reminds me of a technique that Blacktail Studio use for filling gaps in tables they build. Maybe it's the same thing? 🤔
In theory this sounds like a good idea. But how does this material take a finish? Though I wonder how well does it take an oil finish or clear coat.
Can you reuse the offcut bits of dried glue? There's a lot of waste otherwise.
there's an accessory they make for the tool that reforms the wast into new sticks
Cool. We did not know that
Oh how I wish that I worked with wood and needed something to fill holes in it, which would justify getting one of those! But all is not lost as I'm getting some new tools delivered today. Only wax carving tools, but new tools are new tools.
On a different note, if wood from the tragically vandalised Hadrian's Wall sycamore (may the perpetrators rot in Hell) comes up for sale, would you be tempted?
Won't call it a comeback, but you have been missed. Welcome back. On-weird, up-weird, and ever for-weird.
Perfect use for a chisel plane.
I cannot believe that you didn't do the James Bond pose with that glue gun...
I wonder if that glue is able to be remolded, set and remelted - if so, small pot on a gas burner, couple of glue sticks in, copper powder in, pour it all into a greased metal tube.... Robert's your Mother's brother, you've got some copper filler sticks!
If I remember correctly the manufacturer sells you a silicone mould you can use to purge the rest of a stick into when you want to change colours. You can then use the purged material again later.
I’ve been using glue guns in my wood shop for years.
Hi all at HQ, incase I don't catch the DGD livestream tomorrow, A query regarding people complaining on the extras channel about no build videos. How about changing the username? Since DGD is somewhat separated from Crimson and you don't post much of any Crimson content on there anymore, wouldn't it be better for branding? I'm afraid I wouldn't know how but I've seen Will Gelvin at Gelvin guitars (formally Wills easy guitar (then "and other stuff")) do it a few times, so I'm sure you'll know how. Something like "Daily Guitar Live" (or Streams), "DGD Live and extras" so Crimson content will still be valid?
Thank you for the suggestion. We will look into this
Now you need a tool to take all the gobs of the stuff that you peel off the tops of the wood and form them back into usable gluesticks
they make an accessory for the tool that does just that
when does "what's on the bench" return
I’m waiting to Ben find warbla
Get your kids to design a guitar and you build it for a give away.
It wasnt unattractive with the little fissures in it. But it seems like a quick process if you really do want to fill 'em.
Also, there is an accessory for that tool that let's you melt the excess bits you cut into new glue tubes. For us the cheap bastards that saves all the tiny pieces of everything. 😅
#CopperHotGlue 😉
Don't think that that would work well under a paint finish (clear or otherwise).
also couldn’t you paint that electric storm just as easily? 😂.. i’d rather spend the time and use sawdust and glue… but hey 🎉
So....., if it saves you guys several hours, does that mean that the people who ordered those custom guitars get a little discount? 😉
What a great discovery. This is one of the things that I come to this channel for, to learn tip and things.
Geez I hope you’re raffling off this guitar!
But is it Tone glue though?
Also that glue verry soft.. not good for the tone, works as a rubber vibration damper. 😂😂😂