so i am using a tan/brown base coat of paint while applying Woodland Scenics earth blend ground foam to it while its wet… what should i use to “seal” the ground foam so it doesnt peal right up? hairspray? spray adhesive? “wet” glue? what has been your experience… many many thanks!
You don;t need to ‘seal’ it, but not as much will stick as you think even if you slop the paint on thick. thinned elmers glue sprayed on will do the job, the ‘usual’ method is glue, water, and a drop or two of dish soap, but I have pretty hard water and found using isopropyl alcohol worked better than the detergent. Another alternative is matte medium fromt he craft store. It doesn;t dry shiny liek eler’s glue does and won’t be as obvious if it gets sprayed thick in spots. Also needs to be thinned and ‘wetted’ with soap or alcohol.
–Randy
I find that painting on diluted white glue or matte medium then applying the ground foam will allow more of the scenicing material to bond. Areas that need more hold, are sprayed with wet water/ alcohol and held w/ diluted 50/50 or matte medium. I have found some good sprayers that will actually spray the glue instead of spit and make a mess of letting the ground foam run and spot from uneven application.
The paint, even thinned, doesn’t seem to have enough bite. By having glue, it can be reactivated by the wet water and subsequent applications of glue for better hold. The hardest part is addional application of scenery material. The area needs to be wet down and you need a very good sprayer. Many times I just drizzle on the scenic cement or matte medium. The drizzle method is good for clump foliage, weeds etc. I have had success doing this on grasses and smooth spots w/o having any runs.
Bob K.
would a premade spray adhesive work similar to mixing the 50/50 glue in a spray model, or would it leave a shiny coat?
thanks for the advice thus far guys
I have some good luck with cheap hair spray.
i use Aqua Net on my woodland scenics trees that i make and they look good… so you think that would seal the ground foam that is partially adhered to the paint?
I use hair spray to seal ground cover glued on with both diluted matt medium and paint. It works well but sometimes two coats are needed. I tend to “over stick” a bit, but it keeps the vacuum cleaner from sucking off the scenery [;)]. Hair spray does work well as a top coat on trees too.
Do not use spray adhesive as a top coat, you will see it. It should be OK below the foam if you can cover it all.
When the hairspray is gone, SAVE the bottle. Hairspray bottle sprayers work better than most of the spray bottles from, oh, say, Wally World. I’ve used a 70/30 mix of water/white glue in a spray bottle. If you spray on your adhesive, make sure to pump some warm, clean water through it. The glue likes to clog the nozzle. For large areas, I use a 2-3 inch brush to brush on the glue, sprinkle on the foam, then spray with wet water. Works great!! I don’t know who Elmer was, but his glue is neater than sliced bread.
If you mean stufff like Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement that comes in the spray bottle - yes, that will work fine, but it’s way too expensive for what it is - diluted white glue. Best to just make it yourself.
Advice on hairspray bottles is a great idea. Hairspray tends to be a thicker, gummier substance and the spray bottles are made for that, vs the more typical spray bottles that usually see duty as plant misters spraying just plain water, or very watery cleaners. If the old hairspray sprayer is clogged, just soak it in some warm water to ungum it.
–Randy