I am wondering about what kind of glue to use to glue extruded styrofoam with because all we could find was 2x8 pieces at the hardware store. But since it will be in a frame will elmers school glue work? Or possbly liquid nails…the kind that comes in a tube not a bottle.
There is a Liquid Nails that is foam friendly.(says “for foam” on the label) The regular stuff will slightly eat into foam. Most people use cheap latex caulk. I like the LN because it dries faster but the guys that carve their foam and just paint it say the LN interfears with the detail carving. I cover my foam with plaster so I don’t have that problem.
I used a hot glue gun for mine. Michaels has them:
http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=gc0268
Liquid Nails Construction Grade will work. Kevin
Liquid nails will “work”, but I don’t recommend it. LN is a low tack construction adhesive, designed to hold stuff in place that will eventualy be enclosed by the wall treatments. It’s not a very secure or pernament bond.
For gluing foam to wood, plain old wood glue or SILICONE caulk works the best. For foam to foam bonds foam-safe rubber cement is the fastest (and most expensive), wood glue will create a carveable bond, and silicone caulk will give you the best bond. For laying track onto foam, white glue and LATEX caulk are generally the best.
Ok foam safe liquid nails works, hot glue gun, silicone caulk for gluing it to the bench work or wood glue, and what does ln stand for? And white glue or latex caulk for gluing the track down.
Right?
I use Gorilla Glue. I drive skewers through the foam to hold it in place and clip them off after the glue dries.
Low tack? Ha! I’ll let you come over and try to pull my track and roadbed up next time.[(-D]
LN (foam safe NOT construction grade) is OK, but white or carpenters glue is the best. Any type of LN or caulk will be problems if you try to carve or shape the foam after it dries - it leaves a lump where it is - glue is a thinner but stronger bond.[2c][:D]
Regular old latex paint works just as well as anything mentioned.
How do I know this, try and pull apart some foam that had paint spilled on it and let dry!
Also the plastic ties are almost permanent once the paint dries. The foam will pull up when trying to remove the track.
So don’t waste money on the tube glue etc. you can purchase a mis-matched gallon of paint at the Big-Box stores for $4.00 or $5.00 dollars and it will glue all of of your foam and track you will ever want to put down !
BOB H - Clarion, PA
I used regular liquid nails 20 years ago and none of it has ever come apart, that seems pretty permanent to me. As long as you keep the beads to around a quarter inch, you won’t have a problem with it eating the foam, it’s only a problem when you use too much.
However, I really like that latex paint idea, (I wish I had thought of that), I’ll have to try that on the upper level when I start it.