Cyanoacrylate (CA), aka super glue, in 1 and 2 oz sizes is a boon to the hobbyist, woodworker, and handy man. However after 20 or so uses, the typical CA bottle becomes terminally gummed up, tempting you to crack open the cap and obtain glue by dipping a toothpick or piece of wire, opening up the possibility of a CA-tastrophic spill. I resisted trying the Glü-Bot until I knocked over a 1 oz bottle of CA in a very inopportune place, and have since found it to be much more effective than a standard glue container.

The Glü-Bot has a precise applicator tip, a widened base that makes it hard to tip over, and it uses a two-chambered system that allows for complete clearing of the dispensing tip at any time. About an inch from the bottom, the bottle divides into two cylinders: one is fat (the reservoir) and the other is skinny (the dispenser tube). When the reservoir is squeezed, the glue is forced into the dispenser tube and through its tip. Because the reservoir has a larger diameter than the dispenser tube, it doesn’t take much pressure to fill the dispenser tube, which allows for fairly precise control of the flow of material out of the tip. The tip of most standard glue bottles is a slender cylinder, which grabs glue due to capillary/adhesive action. The last 1/8th inch of the Glü-Bot tip is very narrow, allowing a controlled delivery, but it then widens considerably, forming shoulders that help keep the glue from forming liquid plugs.

After careless use, the tip orifice can plug up, but this is easily remedied into “good as new” condition with a straight pin. Also, tapping the bottle down on a hard surface will often clear the spout of low viscosity glue. Also, once the glue has been dispensed, you tip the bottle so that the dispensing tube drains back into the reservoir. In the “neutral” upright position, the glue level is held at the bottom of the dispensing tub, independent of the amount in the reservoir.

With the Glü-Bot, glue also rarely comes into contact with the filler cap, so it remains easy to open and close. In the upright position, the glue level in the dispensing tube is maintained below the tip, so if a Glü-Bot is dropped it does not automatically result in a spurt of glue from the tip. And the surface of the glue exposed to air in both reservoir and dispenser is big enough to prevent evaporation or curing-based skin to form on its surface.

The bottom line is that if used correctly the Glü-Bot keeps itself clear of obstruction and is ready to do its job day after day. For glues that cure by drying out, the Glü-Bot minimizes problems caused by infrequent as well as frequent use, so that a house-holder would benefit as well as a professional. It won’t keep aging glue viable indefinitely, so those that use glue once in a blue moon would be better off simply buying a fresh bottle whenever the occasional need arises. But for those of us who have an active interest in putting stuff together, the Glü-Bot is a big help.

-- Peter Spencer 11/12/20