Sturdy glue-based bonds between many materials can be quickly and easily achieved through the use of the hot glue pistol. The gun melts the glue stick (e.g. STEINEL STANDARD HOT-MELT GLUE STICK CRISTAL or ULTRA POWER) at about 200 °C and thereby creates a liquid universal glue that will cure in approximately 2 minutes. The hot-melt glue is dispensed by means of the pistol trigger and applied through the nozzle.

The fact that the glue will cool down rather quickly can present problems especially in the case of metals because metal dissipates heat relatively quickly. Using this glue on polystyrene foam is not recommended because the initial heat at application can cause the material to melt.