I'm getting closer to laying track!! I've got styrofoam for the subroadbed and I need to know what glue to use to secure it to the plywood. First off, I can't use Liquid Nails. I had some, and used it all. It's not available in Canada and the stuff I had, I bought on a trip to Florida... so I won't be getting any more. A 3 day drive is not cost effective What else is good? The styrofoam is the blue stuff, in case that matters. D6
Probably anything gluish would work for foam to plywood.I've used plain old wood glue. Non-waterproof gives you half a chance to tear thing up without tearing things up if you change your mind or (never happens) make a mistake, cause you can wet it down.
I've used good old-fashioned Elmer's white glue for both white (beadboard) and blue foam, with success. Haven't used the wood glue, but I suppose it would work well.
Try latex caulk. I say latex because the other stuff will attack the foam. Squeeze a bead on, spread it with a putty knife or whatever, and there you go.
Well mike, if you are able to use hot glue on blue or pink foam, please be my hero and tell me your secret-i too use hot glue on lots of things, but on foamboard it just forms gullies for me. I recommend you check your hardware type stores there for "construction adhesives"-it will tell you if it is good on foam or not-liquid nails is great, but it is just a brand name, i've used several other kinds that come in calk tubes. Curt
I can not use liquid nails because of the fumes. My greatest success has been with Elmer's wood glue. I find it takes a good deal to get a secure bond foam to foam. It works well to run a heavy bead on plywood, then spread it a little with a plastic putty knife, then lay the foam on and weigh it down until set.
I have used LIQUID NAILS on any and all foam board joints. The thing is that LIQUID NAILS comes in two different types. One type has PETROLEUM DISTILLATES in it and the other type has a LATEX BASE. USE ONLY THE LATEX BASED TYPE OF ADHESIVE. The way to check is to read the ingredients of the caulk/adhesive. If it says that the caulk is FLAMMABLE--DO NOT USE IT! It will eat foam. LATEX based adhesive is what to use. It will NOT be flammable, and will wash off with water. Caulk or Liquid Nails will do about the same jobs, with the Liquid Nails having a slight advantage because of it's built in holding power. So just remember if it say FLAMMABLE on the tube DON'T USE IT. [ 09 July 2001: Message edited by: porkypine52 ]
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by porkypine52: I have used LIQUID NAILS on any and all foam board joints. The thing is that LIQUID NAILS comes in two different types. One type has PETROLEUM DISTILLATES in it and the other type has a LATEX BASE. USE ONLY THE LATEX BASED TYPE OF ADHESIVE. The way to check is to read the ingredients of the caulk/adhesive. If it says that the caulk is FLAMMABLE--DO NOT USE IT! It will eat foam. LATEX based adhesive is what to use. It will NOT be flammable, and will wash off with water. Caulk or Liquid Nails will do about the same jobs, with the Liquid Nails having a slight advantage because of it's built in holding power. So just remember if it say FLAMMABLE on the tube DON'T USE IT. [ 09 July 2001: Message edited by: porkypine52 ]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Liquid Nails is not available in Canada, like I said. I found some foam board adhesive at Home Depot that seem to do the trick. It's called "Bulldog Grip" by LePage and it's sold specifically for foam board. D6
HMMMMM?!? Liquid Nails not available up north. I would use the Bulldog Grip if it does the job. How about the cost? My guess it costs more. You might check with somebody you know that is a builder and see what they use for panel adhesive. See what they use and try to find it in a LATEX BASE. You might be in the same boat that I am down here in Southern Indiana. HOME DEPOT only carries some much stuff, and sometimes I go to industrial building supply companies to get what I need.
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by porkypine52: HMMMMM?!? Liquid Nails not available up north. I would use the Bulldog Grip if it does the job. How about the cost? My guess it costs more. <hr></blockquote> Seems to be working great... it onlt cost $2.30 CDN per tube so I can't complain. The Liquid Nails I bought in Florida on a trip cost more... $2 USD per tube. D6
Here's some options, don't know about availability in Canada: (I purchased both at Wal-Mart, but they are available at building centers down here as well.) DAP Easy Solutions Adhesive (water cleanup) PSS PolySeam Seal White I have used both to adhere both type of foam, and to adhere flextrack (pin down until dry) directly to blue Dow board. Of, course, my favorite is Liquid Nails for Foam board, not the more potent construction type, but you already covered that. I used plain old Elmer's Glue-All to bond styrofoam to stryofoam and styrofoam to plywood for some terrain features on a previous table-type layout, but gave up beaded foam beacuse of the "MESS". Elmers will bond well, but you need to weight the foam down until it agheres and dries. Also only works well on smooth surfaces. I used about 4 regular building bricks per square foot on flat sheet for mine, as I recall. Laying my new shelf layout, I used cinder blocks for weight for the base layer-about 1 every 2 feet with plywood over the foam for protection. Dry time about 24 hours. Hope it helps [ 23 July 2001: Message edited by: Graphite ]</p>
Ya know what works real good for both extruded and beadboard foam? More Foam!... No Really, I use "Great Stuff" brand minimal expanding polyurethane foam. (don,t get the latex type) This is the stuff in the red can with a straw that you blow in around doors and windows. I get it at Home Depot or Lowes. The best way to use it for glueing foam is to squirt a very small amount on one surface, and use a spatula or butter knife to spread it sparsely around. After spreading thin, it starts to expand again, and then you can stick your pieces together. (don't use too much) A thin glue job will cure in about an hour or 2, and will not come apart. When cured, its like one solid piece of foam! (I did all my mountains like this using scraps of beadboard, extruded blueboard, and even made a mountain by mixing shipping "peanuts" with the stuff!
I'll second Bob Ray's comments, I've used both hot glue and foam inulation to glue down the foam, both work well! I have not done a cost study but I suspect that the hot glue is cheaper.
