Due to short sightedness on my part, I ended up with a flat, painted plywood surface for the city section of my layout extension. I now need to cover it with sheets of cork to provide a little sound deadening, positioning pins, etc. What is the best way to glue down sheets of cork? Will yellow wood glue do? Should I go to the local big box for something exotic?
Thanks for your advice.
Georgia Observer
Greetings,
What kind of paint is it? If it is a water base you could clean most of it off. If it is an oil base the glue may not stick. Regardless of the paint I would sand the surface and at the very least roughen the surface so the glue will have something to grab hold of on the surface. The best thing would be to sand back to the plywood so the glue will bond to the wood.
The yellow wood glue will be fine if you can get down to as much wood as possible so that you have a cork to wood connection.
Good Luck.
Christopher
Latex caulking compound would be the best thing to use because it also acts as a sound deadener. When yellow carpenter’s glue dries, it becomes very hard and will amplify sounds.
Latex caulking would be my choice. Also your cork could be taken up with a paint scraper quite easily if needed.
Brent
Another vote for caulk.
Is there anythign you can’t do with caulk?
–Randy
Before I posted this request I was about to go with yellow glue. Now I’m going caulk. However, at Home Depot they have about 10,000 varieties of caulk. I know brand doesn’t particularly matter, but do I ask for latex caulk? Not adhesive? The white kind just as good for this project at the clear? Does the addition of silicone matter?
Sorry to be picky, I have phobia of doing the wrong thing–not that that has ever stopped me!
Thanks everyone for your imput.
GA Observer
Hi GA
Get latex caulk without silicone. I have a hard time finding it at Home Depot in Canada. Walmart and paint stores seem to always have it though.
I get the " white, dries clear" stuff. Then you can use it for many applications, including those where you might end up seeing it. Like when sticking down your track.
Do a small test of sticking your cork down on the paint just to make sure everything is okey dokey.
When applying it, spread it as thinly as you can with your paint scraper. It will hold fine. Good luck.[:)]
Brent
Excellent additional info. Again, I thank you!
GA Observer
Caution – If you ever need caulk to attach something to foam, check the label, for foam-compatibility.
If you are covering a fairly large area, spread the caulk with a notched trowel. This will produce a quick and even spread of the adhesive caulk. The cork will bond better and be much more level/ even w/o any lumps from the caulk beads. If you are lamination sheet cork say for a yard, you could use ceramic tile mastic or Wall Bond for the adhesive. Many times large glued areas may take days or even weeks for caulk to set. A notched trowel allows for suction grip and trapped air to help dry the product.
Some of the best caulks, and ones most readily available are DAP acylic plus. For smaller jobs and a quick hold Phenoseal works great. The Phenoseal will skin too quickly for larger jobs, but it a very strong yet flexable bond. They do come in a variety of colors. The clear or translucent is probably best for most of our needs. The gray caulk is perfect for bonding track to roadbed, the gray can blend w/ most ballast used.
I’ve glued many a scale mile of cork roadbed to plywood using both Elmer’s and Franklin carpenters glues with no issues, over latex paint. I’ve had to use a chisel and hammer to remove the small amounts I have. I don’t see any problem if you choose to glue instead of caulk. Just sayin’…
I would think liquid nails would have the best holding power?
I painted all my benchwork with enamel to cut down on moisture penatration. I use clear Dap Alex acrylic latex caulk to adhere the cork. works great and as stated can be taken up with a putty knife, also used it to adhere the track to the cork,. costs less that 2 bucks a tube at HD or Lowes.
I have used hot glue with great success and it speeds construction.
If you are doing a large surface area you might want to try some of the flooring adhesives that are put down with a notched trowel, just like applying flooring. They are available in quarts and aren’t too expenisive. I just though it might be an option if you have a large area to cover.