by Scary Terry

So, you want to make some spider webs to "dress-up" your latest Halloween project. Well, here's one way to do it using a hot glue gun and some inexpensive plumbing parts. (Oh yeah, it also requires a source of compressed air for operation.) It shoots fine strands of hot glue, that look very much like spider webs, onto your tombstones, skeleton or whatever you want. It can be made for under $40, is easy to use and works quite well. This design has been tested as a monthly project (Feb. 2006) for our CalHauntS prop building group. Seventeen people built their own and each one worked very well.

You can click on any of the pictures for a larger image.


 

Here are the parts you'll need to build this shooter. Amazon has the glue gun, the rest of the parts can be obtained from a good hardware store or an on-line source like McMaster Carr

  • Surebonder HE-750 80 watt glue gun
  • 12" piece of 3/16" OD copper tubing
  • 3/16" compression fitting to 1/8" pipe fitting
  • 1/8" to 1/4" brass bushing
  • Ball valve with 1/4" female threads
  • Air fitting, 1/4" male
  • Teflon tape

Tools needed:

  • #1 Phillips screw driver
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Regular pliers
  • Tubing cutter
  • Drill with 1/4" & 13/32" bits
  • Wrenches
 

 
  • We'll start by opening the case. Remove all the screws that hold the case together and also remove the "hot" warning label on top of the case. Set this label aside to reapply later.
  • Take out the rubber ring and "pen" spring. Store them safely for later reassembly.
  • Remove the black spring from the blue post only.
 

  • Remove trigger mechanism.
  • Remove heater and cord.
 

 
  Using pliers, break off the posts indicated by the arrows above to accommodate the copper air tube.  

 
 
 
  Temporarily position the two halves of the glue gun case back together and drill a 1/4" hole in the front of the case as shown above. Axis of the hole should be parallel to the top of the case.   Drill a 13/32" hole in the bottom of the handle as shown above. It needs to be centered just aft of the ridgeline on the handle.  

  last update 12/2016