Hello again, I’m still trying to get a sheet of blue foam to stick to my wood door for the beginings of a layout. I mentioned this in a forum several weeks ago and have tried the several suggestions which were put forth, to no avail. I began with a spray adhesive, which came loose after a week or so, Then I used LIquid Nails for Projects with the same results-just gently lift up on a loose section of foam and the whole sheet pops up, leaving a mess of very hard glue which doesn’t want to sand off! Last week, I tried DAP Alex+ with Silicone, and yesterday, I did the same thing again. Let me illustrate my conditions here: Central North Carolina, with high temps together with high humidity in a shed in the back yard, no climate control (A/C, etc) and I would guess interior temps well above 100°. When I go inside, it is only a matter of a couple of minutes before I am sweating profusely. Does anyone have any experience with blue foam under these conditions. My layout construction is on “hold” until I get this cleared up.
I have the solution…I hope. Score, or rough up the surfaces to be adhered with a wire brush. Then, slightly dilute, with water (9 parts glue to 1 part tap water) Gorilla glue. Use something disposable and suitable to spread a thin layer of the mixture across one of the surfaces. Then, glue them together, and use some weights atop the foam…tinned foods would be good.
Note that the water is meant to act as a catalyst, or accelerant…of sorts…to Gorilla glue, as you will learn from the instructions, so this step is not quite as bizarre as readers might suspect. Also, the mixture will foam in a way and expand a bit as it cures, so that is why weights and a light coat are the way to go.
I would be leery of using Gorilla Glue because it might dissolve foam. Read the instructions very carefully beforehand.
I used carpet adhesive, available at home supply stores that sell flooring supplies, such as Home Depot.
The main thing that must be done is to heavily weight the foam down while the adhesive dries. If you don’t put a lot of weight on it, nothing will stick satisfactorily. I used concrete blocks, bricks, and other heavy items and let it set at least 24 hours.
Yes… having built my foam-on-a-door layout last summer in my central North Carolina garage, I agree… you must put weight on it for the Liquid Nails to hold.
It can be done! I used a decade worth of Model Railroader magazines, old physcis and calculus books, paint cans (set these on top of something flat so they don’t leave a ring-dent in the foam!) and anything else I could find.
My Liquid Nails Projects holds the foam to the door forever.
Again, make sure you strip the plastic wrap off the foam first, if you haven’t already.
Thnx for the tips. Yes, I used cement blocks for weight, so much that the door was bowed.
Took blocks off after a day or so, replaced them at ends of door to reduce strain on door, and after several more days removed weights, except for four tool boxes that I had for another couple days, then all weight off for some more time. I am thinking of building a 1x4 frame around the door to hold the foam on the door, then maybe some nails thru the frame into the foam, horizontally, to hold it. What do ya think? Aside to Dave: Yep, did remove plastic at first.
[#ditto] I’ve used Liquid Nails for Projects and for Foam in the same climate conditions with no problems. (113F/100% humidity) It’s holding pink and blue foam to plywood like a rock. I put some bricks on it and let it set for a few hours.
Are you using enough Liquid Nails and smoothing it out before you apply the foam? I wood use about 4-6 tubes to do a 4x8.
Too much weight on an unsupported door. If it bows, the glue is not touching in the center firmly enough to set, and is then breaking loose when you take the weight back off. The door needs to be on a flat surface as you glue the foam to it.
OK, lets go with overkill. Get about 10 drywall screws long enough to go well into the door. Three inches for two inch foam. Get enough fender washers for the screws. Put on the latex caulk, or glue and screw the edges of the foam down with the screws and washers. Be sure to place the screws where they will be under scenery, not track. One could be removed later if necesary. Screw them tight enough so they embed in the foam and can be covered with ground goop.
bill, i have done this a few times. look for liquid nails for foamboard. i used the regular stuff at first and it would eat into the foamboard and come loose. it holds good now, but it can still be pulled from the door if you want it off…
Not meaning at all to be a wise guy, but wouldn’t it be better to get some more foam, then use it to insulate the shed instead of trying to stick it to the door? You can lay track right on the door, if needs be, and perhaps, with the shed insulated, you won’t work-up such a sweat doing so. [swg] One of the most important steps in building a layout is room preparation: it doesn’t get the trains rolling, but it can help to ensure that you’ll stick around long enough to do so.
All I used was drywall screws to hold down foam until the glue sets. Screw them like you would with drywall, just barely below the surface. You can leave them if they won’t get in the way later, otherwise you can remove them 24-48 hours later.
Hi there SF Bill, sounds like you are having a sticky or shouls i say unsticky problem there, well i feel for you buddy cause it happened to me also when i was gluing down my blue board to and i did mine in the living room under what should have been ideal conditions, it was in march here in Michigan so yes the heat was on and set to about 70, had the humidifier going at around 55-60% which is right where it should be, i used liquid nails for foam board and i also used one of those notched glue spreaders to even it all out, i waited the amount of time it says on the tube, and guess what, it was in no way dry or stuck down! and oh was i pissed! now for the tip part of this post, what i ended up figuring out was that unless air can get to it it takes much longer to cure then it says on the tube so what i did was to cut some channels on the underside of the blue board from one edge to the other to let air get to it, not only on the main flat section but also on some areas where i used the board to build up elevations, basically i think the key to the whole thing is time, allow much more then what the tube says and then some, and frankly with your temp and humidity that has got to be slowing things down a lot, this is a product that dries not sets, also this is not a product that needs weight to help set it, if you use enough to hold the thing flat that should be more then enough to do the job, so i guess what i am saying here is either try to have more patience (which is no fun ) and keep checking for dryness by checking a corner and along one of your cuts, or find some one with a/c and an understanding wife.
You seem to really be having a tough time with this. Is the door you’re using old or have old finish or paint that may be lifting, peeling or otherwise allowing the liquid nail to separate?
Usually Liquid nails, carpenters glue, Gorrilla glue and many other choices will work like a charm. Unless you’re assembling this in a steam bath or allowing drastic temp/ humidity changes, the adhesive should hold well enough after 24 hours. Selector’s suggestion of roughoing up the surface will overcome any surface conditions and allow for some tooth regardless of the door surface. You may want to be more aggressive when scratching up the door. Not to cut the skin, but scoring with a chisel or putty knife may help.