I pretty sure this question has been asked before, but how do you bind several pieces of foam together? I’m starting to build a diorama and I don’t have a single sheet of foam (Pink Foam [Insulation Board]). So how would you glue/bind it together? I’ve heard that silicon caulk works, but is it safe on the foam. Or is there a better way? Also what can you use to glue the foam to the base? (Wood base)
Water based Liquid Nails caulking. It is made especially for this purpose.
WCFan,
Depending on the thickness of the foam you purchase, it might have a plastic film on the sheet. Typically, if it’s thicker than 3/4" you won’t find the film. Peel the film from the foambefore using, glue layers of foam together with Latex Caulk. As for gluing foam down to a wood base, my best results came from thinning down Titebond2 wood glue with water, then using a tight nap roller to spread the glue. Place the foam on the wood, weigh it down with some old Walthers catalogs or something similar and give it a couple of hours.
Don Z.
I am not using foam on my current layout, but on a previous attempt I had good luck with liquid nails for projects, the foam safe version of their adhesive. It seemed to work well both for foam-foam and foam-wood. For another project, I used it to glue composite trim to laminate. Currently I am using it for my cork-wood and cork-cork gluing.
Chris
On my white bead foam I used Liqiud Nails to stick them together then drove bamboo skewers through the pieces at a 30 degree angle.
For scenery I use low temp hot glue. It holds fairly well. DO NOT use regular hot glue, it will melt the foam.
Any brand of Acrylic caulking is good for sticking layers of foam together, and is cheaper than Liquid Nails’ products.
As others likely know, I only find foam suitable for scenery profile boards and as the base for removeable sections of scenery where the is, or will be no active track. Having made my disclaimer, I’ve used several of the previously recommended methods myself.
1 - Liquid nails regular - melts some forms of foam.
2 - Liquid nails for foam - SLOOOOW setting, days for a bead to set up. Less is more with this product.
3 - Acrylic caulk - nice, again, less is more, spread out the beads with a putty knife.
4 - Titebond II - Seems to work just fine, again, spreading it makes a big difference.
My pick is #3, Acrylic Caulk. I buy it in caulking gun and the resealable tubes when a little dab will do you.
Just my 2 cents,
Joe
Joe-Daddy’s right… Liquid Nails Projects, though very effective, is very, very slow.
Low-temp hot glue, as was mentioned above, is a much faster method, though your working time (time to line-up pieces) is measured in seconds, not hours.
Foam’s great; I use it. But from an adhesive standpoint, it has limitations.
Don Z, there is no plastic film on the Foam.
Thanks guys for the help. I may have to look into those liquid nails, but I’ll probably just use the caulk. Thanks again.
That’s me nodding enthusiastically behind Charles’ shoulder. Cheaper, every bit as good.
Wow I wish my liquid nails for projects glued slower. I couldnt move my foam after 30 minutes of setting. Did you guys put the foam together then seperated it then stuck it back together? I have gone to using Grab it glue by Loctite.