I was wondering what you would recommend to use to hold down ground covers like foam or saw dust. I’ve used dilute white glue but it tends to wreck the spray bottles and doesn’t mist very well. I’ve been considering the Woodand Scenics “Scenic cement”. I appreciate comments about this or any other product you prefer.
Pete
Diluted white glue: 50% glue, 30% warm tap water and 20% 91% rubbing alcohol. At least, that’s what works for me!
thin layer of caulk, I buy the black silicone stuff at Lowes. Squirt a glob out onto your surface and spread out thin with yer finger, sprinkle yer ground foam or whatever.
You might try staying with the dilute white glue, but changing your application technique. Use the spray bottles for the wet water only. Apply the dilute white glue by dribbling it on the pre-wetted area using an old Elmer’s bottle. It’ll spread pretty quickly if the area has been sufficiently pre-wet using wet water or alcohol. Other applicators could be eye droppers, turkey basters (for large areas), syringes, etc. I agree that it doesn’t spray well.
Regards
Ed
All of the Kalmbach books that I have read on the subject and DVD/video I have seen suggest using the paint that is applied to the base surface as:
a) your unifying base colour, and
b) as the adhesive for the ground foam or static grass.
They suggest working in small sections so that the paint gets tacky, but not yet dry.
I wonder if Spray Adhesive from a can would be effective? Anyone ever try it? I’ve seen it used on craft projects on those shows my wife likes to watch.
Trevor[:p]
You might try a product like 3M77 spray adhesive. It comes in a can and while you need to have good ventilation because it is an aerosol product, it sticks the foam or whatever you’re gluing right to the surface you are gluing it to. You can buy it at any good hardware store.
The 3M77 spray works but is nasty stuff to use . Not only the fumes but the fine particles in the spray goes everywhere . You do not want to breathe it , wear a mask . Cover anything you don’t want the adhesive on within severl feet with news paper . And that may not be enough . This stuff gets in the air and will settle all over a room . Cleanup can be a bear . But it does work .
Joe
I use the 3M77 spray adhesive, but only outdoors for affixing ground foam to my trees.
Indoors on the layout, egmurphy’s suggestion to use an old elmer’s glue bottle for the application of diluted white glue is a good one … that’s what I do. I mix my glue solution 1 part glue to 3 parts water, then add several drops of dish detergent to make it soak in well.
I use 70% isopropyl alcohol as my wetting agent to pre-wet the scenery before before applying the white glue. I also use an old elmer’s glue bottle for the alcohol … it allows for precise placement of the wetting agent. You can use a spray bottle for the alcohol, but that’s only if you have a wide area to cover and need to do it quick.
With my high narrow benchwork, I don’t have anything much over 18" wide that I need to scenick, so the glue bottle alcohol application method works most of the time for me.
I agree with Ed…use applicators on top of the pre-wetted area. I’d like to add that you can buy a real good eyedropper at the pharmacy…not the little one that only holds a drop or two. They have one that is about 5" long and holds quite a lot of liquid and it only costs about 99 cents. The nice thing is it’s larger than the tiny ones and much smaller and easier to use than a turkey baster.
Hope this helps.
I’ve had good luck spritzing the Woodland Scenics scenic glue. I use an undercoating on the painted scenery, then sift on the ground cover, spritz it again and finish with a good misting of ‘wet’ water (two drops of detergent for every pint bottle of water). Just remember that with the glue, you have to stop every now and then and clean out the pump with warm water to keep it from clogging. Woodland Scenics carries the pump-containers, just pour in the glue, which is pre-diluted, and fire away. Works for me.
Tom
I use an earth colored paint and sprinkle the ground foam on top
My first coat is with earth or grass colored paint that I sprinkle on the first coat of texture. Then I spray the area with wet water and dribble diluted white glue 75/25 water glue over the prewetted area using an old Elmers glue bottle. You can twist the cap to control the amount of flow.
Hope this helps.