I have an old Model Railroader Craftsman magazine that recommends mixing white glue with a 50:50 mix of alcohol for making trees. But what kind of alcohol? Isopropyl Alcohol? Is there a particular % to use? I have 91% here in the house. Is that right?
I suppose you could thin white glue with alcohol. Go to your local Walmart and buy the cheap 71% stuff. That is what I use for a ‘wetting’ agent when doing ballast or scenery. I generally use diluted Matte Medium for scenery. When I ‘re-flock’ or build trees, I buy the cheap un-scented hair spray and spray the tree, then flock it with ground foam. If you are going to use diluted white glue, make sure you water it down pretty thin if you are going to ‘dip’ the trees for flocking.
Jim
You may use alcohol with glue. It is isopropyl alcohol which is also known as rubbing alcohol. 91% is OK but most use the 70%. You may use isopropyl alcohol to “wet” the scenery material. Then use a pipette or an eye drop with scenic cement. If things are not going well, I recommend ETHYL ALCOHOL!! Brands are not important.
I’ve tried the hairspray technique with no good results. The trees fall apart. So I though that I’d try this method. I need a ^%# load of trees too. Modeling the Northeast is impossible without trees. And I’d go broke trying to buy them all ready made. Thanks guys. I’ll let you know how it works out.
The ethyl is important. Methyl will make you blind. Ask any moonshiner.
BARTENDER!!! Set us up with a round of drinks please!
Oh, not that kind of alcohol.
The plain lower % alcohol will be fine.
The higher % alcohol is great for taking paint off models, but is not necessary for scenics.
But if you have it on hand, and aren’t planning to strip paint off any models soon, go ahead and use it!
The alcohol is merely used as a thinning agent and once you apply the glue to your trees it will evaporate the percentage is irrelevant. A more modern or up to date method is to use matte medium. Do use hairspray as it is intended to dry out once it does it looks like a horde of locust has made their way through your layout. There are dozens of good spray adhesives that you can use and find in any crafts store but I can not stress this enough wear a respirator when using any spray glue and do it outside if you can or in a well ventilated area. I am not talking about one of those gauze mask you see but and actual respirator with filters and that seals to your face.
I tried some white glue and alcohol some year back, it gummed up!
I then tried using some “Winter”-white glue and alcohol and that worked OK.
But to avoid mistakes, use matte medium instead.
I agree, but enjoy it best after having finished the scenery work. [swg]
Unless your tap water is really hard, I can’t see any point in wasting money on alcohol for thinning white glue.
Wayne
Okay, so the alcohol is only for thinning the mix down?! Got it. Water should do that job just fine. It’s worked on ballasting, so off I go…
LOL I don’t think they meant you drink it. I keep a can of beer nearby for that.