I have a project idea which involves cutting veneer wood strips with a hot melt glue backing. I’m assuming that hot melt glue means standard glue gun stick glue…
Is it safe to cut hot glue? Any advice on specific types of glue known to be good or bad?
As with all things you aren’t sure of, you should try to get an MSDS from the manufacturer. I wouldn’t go on generic advice from anyone in the forum, you don’t know for sure that that person will have looked at the exact same material that you’re looking at.
Search the forum for MSDS for much discussion about how to read them.
And lastly: Your lungs, your risk. Whatever advice anyone gives you it comes down to your specific risk tolerance, your ventilation setup, and your health.
Hot glue is usually made of EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) mixed with various hydrocarbons. The decomposition products are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and water vapor. Most brands should be perfectly safe to cut.
But always check the MSDS for the particular brand of glue you’re using to make sure they didn’t put anything weird in there. (But given the nature of hot glue I’d be surprised to see anything with particularly dangerous thermal decomposition products.)