Hi everyone, I was at a train show not to long ago and I was talking about home made glues that you can apply to boards for gluing rocks, dirt, grasses. With a plastic spray bottle. I’m after the method/Recipe to make some, I’m a Newby any ideas, Cheers to all that reply. [?]
The grammar school method is to mix flour and water to make a white glue.
The more traditional model railroading methods are mixtures of water and Elmers Glue or water and matte medium.
Rich
Hi thanks for your answer, I do know of the Old School method (flour and water) that’s for gluing paper and cardboard. As I am in Australia. Could you tell me just what is Elmers Glue is it a brand of glue? and is Matte medium is it a thinned out paint ?
It needs to be sprayed out of a plastic pump sprayer I was told to wet the surface, sprinkle what ever I’m gluing down, let it dry and then turn it over and shake off the lose stuff and re apply glue again, then repeat the process. till I get the finish I’m after.
Regards Newby63
[#welcome]
I use Elmer’s white glue. I buy it by the gallon.
For misting new grass I dilute it with alcohol if it will all be used right away and with water if it will be retained for a while.
For rocks I use it straight.
Hi Phoebe Vet,
Thanks for your tips [tup] In Australia we call Elmers glue PVA wood working glue it is good for all paper and wood projects, I am only assuming that (alcohol) is mentholated spirits, as this will evaporate leaving just the glue. Am I close to the mark yet?
Regards Newby63
In Japan and possibly China and Korea, white glue is made from boiled rice…
Interesting, just put me off rice lol [:P]
Elmer’s is a white glue for use on porous materials. If you use it in a manner where it is not exposed to air it will NEVER dry. If you use it on non porous materials like glass or metal it will not stick. It works great on wood and plaster.
http://www.elmers.com/products/glues-and-adhesives/
Alcohol is just that.
Don’t use wood glue (yellow). That is way too permanent. Use white glue.
Rich
For this sort of work, I use white glue diluted 1 part glue to 3 parts water.
But, I do not spray glue. It’s messy, it’s hard to control, and it’s really tough to get a glue mixture that will go through a sprayer and still be effective.
Instead, I use a pipette, which is hobby-talk for an eyedropper. First, I wet the surface with full-strength isopropyl alcohol, applied with a pipette. Then I apply the glue mixture. Since I mix mine in a recycled Elmer’s Glue bottle, I’ve got a ready-made dispenser top that works just great, but a pipette will work for this, too. It’s slower than spraying a big area, but you get the glue where you want it, and only where you want it. The alcohol “wetting agent” helps the glue spread quickly through the scenic materials, and also aids in quick evaporation and drying. And, since you’ve applied the glue only where you want it, there’s not need to scour your tracks and clean excess glue off trees, trains, buildings and roadways.
I agree with MisterBeasley, do NOT spray the glue. it will make a horrible mess, especially if there is any track in the area.
My technique is to paint the area the base dirt color with latex paint and then put ground texture, dirt of grass on the wet paint. Let it dry.
Vaccuum up the excess then apply whatever ground cover you want. Spray it with water with a couple drops of dish detergent or alcohol in it to wet the ground cover.
Mix white glue and water (I use 50-50) in a squeeze bottle. Dribble the glue mix onto the ground cover . Let it dry.
If necessary apply another layoer of cover, or else test if the ground cover is suffieciently glued in. If its not or you added cover, spray it with water again and dribble more glue mix on it. Let it dry.
I have used these techniques on modules that have been loaded in the back of a pickup and driven uncovered down the interstate at 75 mph without ballast or ground cover coming loose.
Thanks for your reply, I Have copied your reply in to a word doc as yours has the most detailed information, [tup]
It was suggested to flip the base over tap off the lose bit’s and collect it. This Saves wasting stuff that can then be re-applied.
Isopropyl alcohol, what is it’s “common name”.
Thanks heaps Newby63
The common name for Isopropyl alcohol is “rubbing alcohol”. That reference distinguishes rubbing alcohol from the form of alcohol that is used for drinking in beverages such as beer, wine, and hard liquor.
The reason for calling it Isopropyl is to distinguish the alcohol’s principal ingredient from another form of rubbing alcohol, ethyl rubbing alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol is manufactured in different strengths, typically ranging from 70% to 99%.
Rich
You can get isopropyl alcohol at the drug store or supermarket. It comes in pint and quart bottles. If you look around you can find a quart for around a dollar. The 70% stuff is fine for modeling purposes. It’s also a good solvent, and may be used for cleaning track or locomotive wheels.
That’s true and, IMHO, denatured alcohol is even better for cleaning track and metal wheels.
Rich
It was suggested to flip the base over tap off the lose bit’s and collect it. This Saves wasting stuff that can then be re-applied.
Works okay if you are doing a diorama, not so good if you are scenicing a 4 X 8 layout.
Just put a clean bag in the vacuum cleaner and dump it in a container when you’re done.
PVA is the same as our “Elmer’s” white glue. The Europeans also call it PVA. We call it “white glue” to distinguish it from “carpenter’s” yellow glue, which is stronger and waterproof (and may also be made by Elmer’s!).
Wiki: “The brand was named after Elmer the Bull, husband of Borden’s advertising mascot Elsie the Cow. Elmer’s image continues to be featured in the company logo.” Most of the US remembers Borden’s as a dairy products company, which has now branched out in many different directions. Another glue they produce is “Krazy Glue”.
BTW You have to be a dog to be spay-able. It’s sprayable, even downunder.[:-^]
Probably more than you want to know: but to help a bit in clarifying what isopropyl alcohol is, it contains three carbon atoms per molecule. For reference (!), methanol contains one carbon atom per molecule, is VERY volatile, and VERY flammable. Methanol has been used as a race car fuel. Interestingly, when it burns the flame has little or no color. Race car drivers after an accident could be on fire and safety crews might not even know it. Also, this is the fuel that you might have used (if you are old enough) in your science class with a little round burner that had a cotton wick. Ethanol is “drinking alcohol” and has two carbon atoms per molecule. It, too, is relatively flammable and volatile – think of banana’s Foster or cherries Jubilee as flaming desserts; the ethanol in the liquor provides the fuel for the flame. Denatured alcohol is ethanol that has had “poisons” added so it is not fit to drink, therefore not being subject to the drinking alcohol taxes, etc. The “next” alcohol is propyl alcohol with three carbon atoms per molecule (the “iso” just says where the “alcohol” part of the molecule is located; in this case, the center of the three carbons). While still volatile (you will certainly get a strong “whiff” of it when used) and flammable, it is less so than methanol and ethanol.
I say all this to caution use of methanol or ethanol around ANYthing hot or likely to spark. On the other hand, because these alcohols are so volatile, by the time you have sprayed them on your layout and have completed whatever scenery you are working on, there will be so little residual alcohol on your layout that there will not be a flammability hazard [I have seen other posts suggesting that using alcohol on your layout will make it more likely to catch on fire; that’s not the case after the first several minutes or few hours]!
The ONLY time I spray glue is for large open areas, where there is no track work (it will gum up your turnouts), or structures. But, when I DO spray it, I dilute white glue 80:20, water to glue. Much thicker than that and it will plug up your sprayer in short order. When you’re done, pour the mixture into a airtight container, fill your spray bottle with hot water, and spray until it comes out clear. If you don’t the glue will plug up your sprayer, and it’s cheaper to replace it than to spend a lot of time getting it to work again.
PS For a finer, more uniform mist, use a gardener’s sprayer. When used, you get fewer big drops that leave a “crater” in your ground foam.
blacktop crossing:
I don’t think that was too much information! Actually, I think I just learned more about alcohol reading your post than I did in 5 years of highschool science classes! Of course, I was paying attention to your post whereas in school…[(-D].
Dave