The Pleasure of Glue Injectors

The Bém Steno-Injector

I used to be working in Vienna on a small Syrian chest of drawers once I first discovered about Jiří Bém’s Steno-Injection machine, a pressurized glue dispenser. We had tons of of abalone and tortoise shell parts to connect down, exchange, and/or flatten on this little undertaking, and I spent practically 5 weeks utilizing the Steno-Injection machine to ensure we acquired glue beneath each piece.

This machine was particularly designed for wooden and furnishings restoration. With it, you’ll be able to push heat conceal glue by means of a 0.3mm needle with adjustable ranges of compelled strain. Disguise glue isn’t the one glue you need to use with it, nevertheless it was designed with protein adhesives in thoughts.

If it’s essential to get glue into a decent joint, right into a tiny cut up or break, or beneath veneer with out having to take all the things aside, whereas ensuring that you simply really acquired the glue the place it must be, there’s principally no higher manner.

Jiří’s machine is battery powered and transportable. It really makes use of a Makita drill with a custom-rigged foot pedal attachment as the facility behind the strain. It has its personal syringe cartridges and an adjustable hotter, so you can also make positive your glue is able to go on the proper temperature. It additionally makes use of versatile springs for drilling the holes, so that you don’t want to fret about always breaking tiny drill bits. As somebody who has seen lots of college students break all of my nice drill bits a number of instances, I discovered that final function actually fairly intelligent.

I’m actually not the sort of one that likes to advertise any instruments or hawk any merchandise, however I’ve to say that Jiří’ has put collectively precisely the factor that our occupation actually wants most, and he’s executed it very thoughtfully.

The one draw back is the value tag (after all). If you need fine-quality small-batch specialty gear, that’s all the time going to be the catch. So please, earlier than you learn any additional, help Jiří. Should you restore or restore furnishings, purchase one among his machines in case you can. It makes the entire strategy of getting glue the place you want it a lot extra easy.

With that stated, nevertheless, till I save up sufficient cash to purchase one among these for myself, I have to admit that I’ve been experimenting with a a lot clumsier various.

Whenever you’re utilizing the Steno-Injector and the glue comes up some other place, you’ll be able to really feel assured that the glue has really made it underneath the floor.

Discovering a Stopgap Answer

When you expertise working with the Steno-Injector, it’s actually onerous to return to anything. Beforehand I had tried to get a brush or a spatula with glue on it into the areas the place I wanted it. I’ve used syringes, however attempting to drive glue by hand could be very uncontrollable. Typically if the glue is thick, you simply can’t generate sufficient drive together with your hand to make it undergo a fine-enough needle. I’ve seen the needle leap off the top of the syringe whereas I’m attempting to drive it, and glue goes in all places. It’s not one thing you really need.

In our workshop, Oliver Hull modified a Fast Grip clamp to assist with the method, holding the needle and utilizing the quick-grip perform to push the glue by means of. It’s undoubtedly higher than utilizing the syringe by hand, nevertheless it’s a far cry from the pressurized Steno-Injector.

In the midst of 2025 I made a decision to attempt to discover a higher answer. We had two jobs coming in that had tons of of veneer patches between them, and I actually wanted a greater approach to get glue in there effectively.

The answer: one thing aptly known as an automated glue dispenser machine.

Within the industrial manufacturing world, there’s a nice want for managed allotting of glues, epoxies, and numerous different fluids. Whereas I’m sitting right here attempting to push glue by means of a syringe with a modified clamp, if in case you have various hundred thousand {dollars} you should buy your self a six-axis fluid-dispensing robotic.

These are maybe just a bit bit exterior of my funds, however fortunately there are some smaller, cheaper benchtop options. So with none information of what I used to be doing, I gave one a strive.

Right here I’m testing the glue dispenser for the primary time with Lee Valley Excessive Tack Fish Glue.

My Glue Injection Trolley

I’ve this factor, and I can’t keep in mind who I purchased it from and even who makes it. I didn’t purchase it with any intention of writing about it. I absolutely anticipated it to fail miserably.

It connects to my air compressor and has a tube going out to a syringe. You possibly can regulate the psi output immediately on the machine, which I actually like. If I’m doing thick fish glue and have a 0.5mm needle, I would use a psi of round 85. After I’m utilizing heat glue and have a needle of 0.4mm, I’ve it round 65 psi. If I’m simply pushing PVA by means of a bigger needle, I solely must set it to 30 psi.

If I need the glue to return out slowly, I set it decrease. If I really need it to push by means of some deep woodworm tunnels or one thing, I would set it increased. The management is very nice, and it means if I’m doing a bunch of comparable work, I discover the proper setting and simply go to city.

When utilizing heat conceal glue, I maintain that syringe in a bottle hotter on one other shelf of the trolley between makes use of.

It additionally has an automated suck-back perform, which implies that my syringe doesn’t maintain dripping glue once I’m not utilizing it.

In the end, it really works. I’ve to have it on a trolley with an influence wire and an air hose linked to it. It’s not as nice or snug to make use of because the Steno-Injector, nevertheless it does it make my job a lot simpler.

If I put the needle beneath the veneer, or right into a cut up I don’t need to absolutely open, I can press the foot pedal and push the glue in till I see it come out some other place. It means I know that the glue has made its manner beneath the place I would like it. And if I management the psi appropriately, there’s minimal mess and no harm. It’s excellent.

With restoration work, I actually can’t emphasize how a lot of a distinction having a managed pressurized glue injector makes. Along with that, although, I’ve discovered myself utilizing it on lots of tasks that require gluing, even once they aren’t restoration jobs.

I might be actually to listen to from others who’ve labored with both of those or some other fluid injector-type gadgets. I feel there’s lots of untapped potential right here.