I have a few plastic structures that I set on top of Evergreen 0.040 styrene so that each structure has a smooth, solid base. Now I want to attach these to a Homosote substrate; I scraped away all landscaping materials from each structure site.
What is best as an adhesive? Would a latex caulk fit the bill?
Thanks…Al
Caulk would probably work but I would use something like Ailene’s tacky glue. Easier to remove should the need arise.
Latex Caulk would of course work.
LION uses silicone caulk for everything except brushing his teeth.
ROAR
Indeed think long and hard about removal (for repair, for cleaning, for changing light bulbs, for improving a photography angle, for entering a contest) and whether and why a structure needs to be attached with any adhesive at all, or as mentioned the slight adhesives such as some guys use to place figures on the layout. I have seen layouts where a system of small dowels and small holes hold the structures in place so they won’t move if lightly bumped, but they can be easily lifted off the layout because they sit on prepared foundations that themselves also hold the building in place under most normal circumstances. Some of those same modelers use the same small dowel/small hole technique to make all roofs removable.
I know the “family train layout” videos from David Popp that are on the MR Video Plus part of the website show the structures attached with caulk, but that layout was built to be moved around (it was on display for example at last November’s TrainFest in Milwaukee).
Dave Nelson
I am facing the same decision and thought about using small ‘super magnets’ rather than any adhesive. Even if I apply scenic materials like gravel, ground foam or ???, it should be relatively easy to remove the structure later. Another solution is to use a double sided adhesive tape (not carpet tape as it is difficult to remove; I know?).
-Bob
You could do what I do. Drill through the plastic floor and use #0x3/8, round head wood screws, right into the Homosote, but I make all my buildings with removable roofs, because they all have lights in them. Perfect makes the wood screws, all different sizes. Used mainly in R/C wood airplanes. Some that the roofs don’t come off, do the same thing, but on the ouside on the base of the building. Homosote holds screws extremely well, without a pilot hole and they are reusable.
Just get yourself a long shaft screw driver. You can never have too many tools. Especially, the right one’s
Frank