Parts of a Hot Glue Gun

A craft glue gun from the side, on its stand, with a stick loaded.

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Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

All 8 parts on the diagram

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The glue path 4

  1. Nozzle Melted glue comes out here.
  2. Trigger Squeezing it pushes the glue stick forward.
  3. Glue stick A solid stick of glue; the gun melts its front end.
  4. Inlet tube The opening at the back where the glue stick goes in.

Power and stand 4

  1. Cord It brings electricity from the plug to the gun.
  2. Plug It goes into a wall outlet.
  3. Stand It holds the gun upright, with the nozzle off the table.
  4. Switch On many guns it sets a high or a low heat.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two independent sources use it. Wikipedia, Hot-melt adhesive (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot-melt_adhesive); five glue gun makers' instruction leaflets and manuals on archive.org (https://archive.org/details/de-walt-ceramic-glue-gun-dwhtgr-50-instruction-leaflet and https://archive.org/details/manualsonline-id-fda05fdd-ce10-4d86-9a88-564795743507, two brands of one company, counted once; https://archive.org/details/gorilla-84016-a-dual-temp-mini-size-glue-gun-instructions; https://archive.org/details/manualsonline-id-3359ac03-d327-70e4-8537-39a78c6c14ad; https://archive.org/details/manualsonline-id-cce35bef-5abb-7f14-5100-4d134dc6efeb; https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7194218). Hints and detail lines are in our own words. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; a schematic of no maker's product, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a hot glue gun are few, and most of them can be seen from the outside. The drawing shows a craft glue gun from the side, standing on its stand with a glue stick loaded.

Read the full guide

The glue path

A glue stick is a solid rod of glue. It goes into the inlet tube at the back of the gun. Inside, the gun heats the front end of the stick until it melts. Squeezing the trigger pushes the stick forward, and melted glue comes out of the nozzle at the front.

Power and stand

The cord and plug bring electricity to heat the gun. On many guns a switch on the handle picks a high or a low heat. The stand is a wire frame under the barrel. It props the gun up between uses, with the nozzle off the table.

  • Typed answers take tip for nozzle and feeder tube for inlet tube.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a hot glue gun?

On the outside: the nozzle at the front, the trigger under the barrel, the inlet tube at the back with a glue stick in it, a stand, often a switch, and the cord and plug.

What is the tip of a glue gun called?

The nozzle. It is the metal end at the front of the gun, and melted glue comes out of it.

What does the trigger on a glue gun do?

It pushes the glue stick forward into the hot part of the gun. The more the trigger is squeezed, the more melted glue comes out of the nozzle.

What is the wire on a glue gun for?

It is the stand. Folded down, it holds the gun upright between uses, so the nozzle points down and stays off the table.