Does anybody have any tricks/solutions to offer re mounting people, animals, etc to the scenery?
Current problem is the N scale xmas layout. Between my shakes and the figures’ small feet, I’m having a tough time if there isn’t a handy fence or lamp post to lean them against.
Glues? Jigs? Lucky charms?
Thanks,
Chris
A little dab of wax polish can do the trick, and it won’t rip up your scenery when you move the figures.Admittedly it can leave little shiny spots but they’re not hard to rub away. We’re talking minute amounts of wax.
Mike
Next time you are at a craft store (like Michaels) pick up a bottle of Aileens Tacky Glue. I think it is one of the items no modeler should be without, 1001 uses - including mounting people.
http://www.michaels.com/Aleene’s®-Original-Tacky-Glue®/gc0040,default,pd.html
Larry
Yep – Clinch Valley called it. Aleen’s Tacky Glue. Comes in a purple squeeze bottle. It’s basically thickened white glue, but it’s thick enough to hold the figure upright while it dries. If the figure isn’t precisely at the angle you want it, let dry for 15 minutes and use a skewer to straighten it up.
Another technique I have used is to take some clear plastic (there’s usually a sheet of it between the figures and the packing material, especially in Preiser figs). and cut it to a size just larger than your figure’s feet, say 1/16" bigger around. Glue this to the figure’s feet (you can use two smaller ones if the figure’s feet are widely separated) using Walther’s Goo or CA. You can then glue this to the layout with Tacky Glue.
Having a pair of padded flat tweezers helps, too.
OK, thanks, all. Wax tomorrow, maybe padded tweezers and ATG next week after Xmas.
Hold them with (normally closed) tweezers while the glue sets up. Just lay the tweezers on the layout.
i run ho but i use scenic accents glue from woodland scenics! works great! im sure it will work for n scale too. cool thing about it is that if you want to relocate your figures, you can easily pull it off by hand and place it in its new location with out reapplying any new glue cost 5 bucks for a tiny bottle and iv havent finished it yet and its been about 4 years [Y]
I vote for Woodland Scenics “Scenic Cement”, too. It’s white when applied but turns clear as it “dries” - not that it truly dries, as it allows you to move the figure and place it elsewhere without having to apply more. It leaves little or no trace, and lasts through several re-positionings. Any excess can be rubbed off easily.
Wayne
While I use the methods described above, I also found a product, (sorry I can’t remember name or where I ordered them from), that were tacky little clear dots on white paper. you removed a dot with tweezers, stuck the figures feet on the tacky piece and stuck them down to the scenery. They come off easily. I still have most of a roll left. It is big enough to populate a miniature NY City. I believe I ordered them from one of the scenic companies but can’t supply any other info.
Bob
Rockler Woodworkers makes a thick AC with spray accelerator. Put a small dab of glue on the layout Spray the feet of the figure and set it in place. It will dry in a second or two.
I am surprised that no one mentioned hot glue. Put a stick of glue in the gun, heat it up, and voila.
The figures stick good to everything including ground cover.
The figures can easily be removed from the layout after gluing wihout any damage, and any residual glue can easily be removed from the bottom of the figure as well as from the layout.
Rich
I have tried the hot glue and never solved the fine string problem. I’m sure others have, but I get strings everywhere and thus prefer the CA or the Aleens
Me either. That’s why I don’t use it.
And CA is just a little too permanent for my tastes.
The best answer to your question really depends on whether you wish the figures to be temporarily held in place or permanently. Also the best answer may well depend on what is underneath the figures.
If you wish temporary, then the dab of floor wax or, my preference, the releaseable glue dots found in rolls at most office supply stores. Aleen’s will give a reasonable bond that may be permanent on some surfaces, though again, I have found that Crafter’s Pick’s Ultimate Tacky is stronger and more versatile than the Aleen’s. CA type adhesives will give permanent bond on many substances, but are not real good if the surface being glued to is semi loose, like say ballast, gravel, ground foam etc. If you use the glue sticks in the glue guns, get the hottest gun in terms of wattage that you can, as once the thermocouple that runs the heating element goes into its cool down cycle, stringing is almost impossible to avoid.
Just passing along obsevations and preferences accumulated from a layout that in many ways is merely a museum of glues and adhesives disguised as a railroad!
The wife went to Michael’s yesterday, so I had her pick up a bottle of Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue.
I didn’t care for the results. It takes too long for the glue to set up so you have to constantly reposition the figures as they lean over or, worse, fall over.
I went back to hot glue. It is instant and works like a charm. As for the thin strands of glue, I just pull them away with tweezers.
Rich
I gather that you can use glue to glue your figures in place, but have trouble geting them to stand up while the glue dries.
Aleens tacky glue is fine to use, but still may not holfd the figure upright.
Woodland Scenics glue is what I use on my scenery projocts {HO}.
But here is what I do for any “prop up” problem or "weihgt it down problem:
I have a mess of Ziploc Quart Freezer bags and smaller sandwhich sized bags filled with clean play sand that I use to "prop up " or “weight down” items while the glue dries! It will conform to any shape, can be used to prop up something or to weight down track, and will be reusable over and over again. CAUTTION: DO NOT put the baggie on the glue itself, or it will get glued to the project as well! If you think the baggie will get glued, use some kleenex to cover the exposed glue taht can be scraped off later OR should the bagggie get glued and tear as you remove it, use a panty hose loosely taped on the end of the vaccuum hose to collect the sand and put in another baggie.