The application of veneer glue to large panels and production runs of smaller panels is much easier with this type of adhesive spreader. This is the ideal gluing tool for Ultra-CAT™ and X-Press™ veneer adhesives.
The flow of adhesive is controlled by a finger-operated lever conveniently placed by the handle. Pressing the lever down allows the foam roller to engage the aluminum feed roller in the hopper. The foam roller is then evenly coated with adhesive which sets a smooth coat of glue onto the panel. Pull the lever up to disengage the foam roller from the aluminum feed roller and stop the flow of glue.
Additional foam roller included at no extra cost!
Similar hand held glue applicators from Europe have been around for years, but many users have found the $160 to $195 price too expensive. This may explain why there are many poorly-made knock-offs coming out of China.
I've tried many versions of this tool from different manufacturers and ended up disappointed with the overall quality. I disassembled them to find the weak points in the design and materials. I even tried to help several manufacturers improve their design. During this process of them offered me a glue applicator model that worked very well and was reasonably affordable despite the shipping costs. I tested this hand-held gluer thoroughly in my shop and still use it on larger panels. These are made overseas, but don't let that hinder your decision because this is a good one and I dry-test every unit before shipping.
Due to limited supply, the maximum order amount is one per customer/address.
Features
Please Note
This glue applicator is not designed for use with any type of contact cement or solvent based adhesive. Use with thick, water-based adhesives only such as X-Press™ or Ultra-CAT™ veneer glue. Not for use with TC-20™ or Heat Lock™ glue.
The color of the main unit may vary (green, blue, turquoise, or dark red).
Important Tips
Is the roller exactly six inches wide?
The roller part of the 6" glue applicator is 5.75" wide. The roller part of the 3" roller is 2.75" wide.
How much glue does the hopper hold?
The 6" glue applicator holds about 24 oz. which is enough to cover approximately 50 square feet of substrate material. The 3" glue applicators hold and covers about half as much as the 6" version.
What is the diameter of the foam roller part?
The foam roller is approximately 2.5" in diameter.
How long does it take to clean?
It typically takes about 10 minutes to disassemble, clean, and re-assemble. It is critically important to clean the gluer while the adhesive is still wet.
Will this product rust if I use a water based adhesive?
The glue applicator is made from plastic, aluminum, and plated steel, so I don't think any part will rust.
Can I use this with contact cement?
No. Do not use it for water-based or solvent-based contact cements. Use it only with water-based woodworking adhesives.
Will this roller work with solvent-based glues?
No. The solvents in the adhesive and in the clean-up fluid could damage the plastic and the foam roller.
Will this work with all of the adhesives on VeneerSupplies.com?
This unit is compatible with X-Press™, Ultra-CAT™, and Flex-Pro™.
Review by Carl Grimm
Rating:
My shop does a fair amount of larger veneer panels and there are no easy ways to apply glue other than with a hopper/roller like this. We have a European glue spreader with the hopper but it's messy because the hopper roller isn't designed well. Worse is that my employees don't clean it up as quick as they should and we've decided to throw a couple of them out because of that. I've been buying veneer glue from this website for many years so when I inquired about a glue roller, the owner of the company directed me to this product.
It works very well. In fact, it's a good bit better than my old ones and if my guys in the shop break it or forget to clean it then at least we're not out 200 bucks. I use this mostly for cold press veneer glue. That stuff is thick enough that it doesn't leak out of the hopper when the roller in on the standing tray. But I have some thinner glue that did leak a little from the hopper roller edge. Not a big deal though.
Overall, I'm happy with this roller. Joe is great to work with and he ships very quickly. Customer service at this company is top notch too.
Review by Scott Redner
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Product reviews are not something I really have time to write but I've had such a good experience buying from this website and using this glue roller that I think it is time spent well. I've wanted a tool like this for a while now but couldn't justify the price for an item that is mostly plastic. Well, that was kind of a stupid reason to not buy it because I glued up a large piece of plywood for veneer using a notched trowel and it went horribly wrong. I applied too much glue to start but the real problem was that it took too long and some of the glue started to harden before I got the veneer in place. Obviously, the bond failed there and I had to cut the panel down and use it for another project.
Then I bit the bullet as they say and bought this glue roller. Within a few strokes of the roller I knew I made the right choice. It does work very well. Puts down a nice smooth coat of glue (I now also use the CAT PPR glue sold here) quickly. Disassembly and clean up are easy. It takes about 5 minutes using a toothbrush in some places. So like many reviews on this website, I will mention also how responsive and helpful the owner (Joe?) of this company is. I'm pretty sure this is a small business judging by the emails we exchanged. He helped me figure out so much that I could be doing better that I feel like a just graduated from Veneer School.
Review by George Shoemaker
Rating:
This glue roller is excellent. I bought a much more expensive model a few years ago from another company and I've hated it since day one. I wish I would have bought this one instead because it is so much easier to use and it doesn't dribble glue all over the place when you use it. My last glue roller was all metal (aluminum I think) and it was built like tank, but it just didn't work well, but the glue roller sold on this site puts down a smooth coat and when you engage the brake, it stops the flow of glue very well.
I'm very happy with this purchase as well as the excellent customer service here. Shipping was quick and not too expensive. Arrived in two days to my shop.
Review by Bruce Kincaid
Rating:
I just purchased two more of these rollers for our shop. We're very happy with the performance so far and they are a lot less expensive than the German glue rollers that we used for a few years. The rollers come well-packaged and with a good set of instructions including disassembly steps for cleaning. Be sure to clean the roller pins because glue does get in there somehow with extended use. Buying from this company has been a great experience every time. The owner cares about his customers and he ships very quickly. Overall, this is a good product and comes from a good company.
Review by Greg Seiferth
Rating:
I was skeptical at first until I used the glue applicator. I have a project that has twenty 2x8 panels and to be able to press multiple panels at the same time. Due to the amount of open time of the Better Bond it was imperative the glue was applied consistently and quickly. This tool worked great and what amazed me there was very little dripping on the edges. I should have known Joe's description of his products is dead on! As far as the cleanup, I was concerned of getting the boards in place to start the pressing process and I wouldn't have time to clean the applicator fast enough. I submerged the tool in a five gallon bucket of water and cleaned it about twenty minutes later. The cleaning was a breeze.
Review by Michael Turner
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Once again, I bought a product from Joe that is exactly what it said it was and does what it was described to do. Joe is my go to for our veneering parts and supplies.
Review by Sam Gardner
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It's hard to find fault with this gluing system. It doesn't look like much but what it does is impressive. I can lay down a perfect layer of veneer glue on a 2x4 panel in under 2 minutes. Clean up is easier than you think... takes me about 5 minutes to clean it. Shipping here was quick and affordable. Great website too!
Review by Gary Handel
Rating:
Our shop goes through a lot of veneer glue and we have an expensive model that works ok but I wanted something that I could be comfortable with if I left it in the hand of one of my shop helpers. This was perfect for him and I'd say it works better than the one that cost us more than double the price here. So I've come back to write a review and place an order for two more.
This is a very good product and the customer service here is excellent.
Review by Tim Kemper
Rating:
I worked for a slab door company for 15 years and we had a metal version of this roller that was a life saver. I remember the boss saying it cost more than like $200. I now have my own smaller shop doing similar work so I bought this roller here as soon as I saw it. For the money, I don't think it's a bad product. The plastic is easy to clean but the durability is questionable since it not stainless steel like my old one. I've already used it more than 10 times in the last week and it's invaluable to me at this point. You wont regret having a roller like this and the price is right. The handle is a bit light-weight but I don't really have any complaints. It works perfect and cleans up well and I'm glad I bought one.
Review by Charles Taylor
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This glue roller got to my shop less than 48 orders after I ordered it. Very happy with this purchase. It puts down a quick coat of glue which is great for my shop since we are typically doing 2x8' panels. The plastic hopper was a bit of a concern for me but after seeing it, I can now say there is nothing to worry about. The plastic is thicker than it appears in the picture. Very good instructions were included but its an easy tool to use. The clean up is not as bad as I thought it would be. I guess it takes about 10 minutes to clean it top to bottom. Overall its a great addition to my veneering arsenal.