Every since I saw a video of someone using hot glue to make cardboard lattice for scenery, I’ve wondered about other uses of hot glue. Question, do they make hot glue with different adhesive strengths? I was actually thinking of using it to adhere my masonite backdrop. Possibly the fascia also. Do those that use hot glue guns have a favorite brand or Model? Your thoughts and opinions please.
The only variances I’ve seen offered for hot glue are the melting temperature, size of the glue gun, and size of the glue sticks.
In my experience hot glue will set too fast to be usable for attaching a backdrop or fascia, unless those items are relatively small and can have the glue spread quickly, and I would not rely on hot glue alone to hold for any length of time.
I often used to fiddle around for up to an hour trying to get the four screws that can use the slots on the Tortoise baseplate to attach it upside down (or maybe right side up?) under the roadbed.
Now I just heat up the hot glue gun, apply a gob onto the baseplate and quickly hoist it into position. It helps to have the position needed clearly marked so you can squirm it into the right spot. Careful of any napalm-like drips, but after a few you start to recognize how big a gob is needed and it gets a little safer.
So, waiting for the glue to heat is about the most tedious part of the 10 minutes max needed to attach a Tortoise now. If one needs moved, carefully break it free. I’ve had no problems with them coming loose.
Hello All,
As has been mentioned the only difference is the melting point of the gule itself. The higher temp glue has a faster setting time and the lower temp has a slower setting time. The lower temp is also good for foam where the higher temp is good for wood and metal according to the manufacture.
I purchased an Arrow brand TR400DT- -dual temp model at my local home improvement center and a pack of 24 dual temp glue sticks for around $20.00. Highly recommended for the price.
The base of my pike is 1-inch blue foam. I’ve installed Woodland Scenics risers with this glue gun on low temp. I pinned the risers in place and then used the glue along the edges. It did not just melt the foam risers and base, it actually bonded the two together leaving a nice bead of glue between the two.
I haven’t tried to move or remove the risers from the base but I suspect that there would be some damage to the two from the bead of the glue. A strong and semipermanent solution.
I’ve also made a curved viaduct out of foam core and corrugated cardboard using the hot glue to bond these two materials together.
There are also other caulk style, cold adhesives; like liquid nails, that might suit your project better than hot glue. Some are specifically designed for paneling (masonite) and some for foam. I haven’t tried these yet but I’m building a raised section out of layered sheet foam and I suspect these might be better for this application over the hot glue.
Hope this helps.
Oh if only it was so simple that all hot glues only differed in whether they should be applied at either a high temperature or a low temperature. While often a particular store (or chain of stores ) will typically offer only one or two types of hot glue, one only has to look at the offerings of craft stores/office supply stores/home improvement stores/grocery stores/etc. to know differently.
Glues that will work with foam must have a low application temperature because the foam will melt just from the heat. Other glues are designed with specific adhesion characteristics-in other words they stick nicely to some materials but not to other things.
Because all of these products do all of their work while they are cooling down, there are very few applications where you could expect to be successful if you need to lay down very long beads of hot glue- even if it is the right glue for the materials that you are working with. These glues just will not stick anything together while they are cool (warm to the touch is often times very cool to the adhesive). Similarly, disturbing the bond area while the glue is losing heat is a sure fire way to have things pop apart.
I am not attempting to intentionally lecture, but rather I just want you to read and comprehend the package directions, and make certain that what you pick up at what ever store is indeed appropriate for the use that you have in mind for the glue.
Don H.
Thanks Don and others, very informative. Because of the simplicity and speed, ie. convenience of using glue guns I really was looking to establish what was actually possible in the way of model railroad applications. For facia/valance installation it seems this would be pushing the envelope of what hot glue could do. To bad, think of how quickly and smoothly one could install a facia if hot glue could be used. No screw heads sticking out either.
I watched the men installing my new counter tops using hot glue to hold the material in place while the real adhesive set.
I’ve even used hot glue to hold pieces of wood in place at time when building my benchwork - before drilling the counter sink and screwing in place.
I do plan on the cardboard strips / lattace for scenery too.
I’ve used it to apply flats to the backdrop.
I used to question the strength of using hot glue for construction. As you mention about your counter tops, i see this done on a regular basis on my kitchen jobs. This gives a quick hold as not to solely rely on the silicone, waing to set. When they template w/ luan strips, they are held on to the cab w/ the hot glue, what abugger to remove if more than just a dab is used. I need a blade or sharp chisel to clean off.
For any work that would require some time in positioning pieces, I doubt the hot glue would be a choice, more conventional adhesives will work better.
After a little more investigation, I find there are slow set hot glue sticks. Allows up to 120 seconds to position objects… Hmmmm, interesting.
A friend of mine uses the higher temp glue for filling gaps in the rail or for insulaters. The high temp sticks are much harder when they cool. He then trims the glue with the grinder or exacto knife to the rail profile and paints it. The result looks great.
I glued all my splines with the glue gun and they are still solid many years on. I also use the low temp stuff on foam if I am in a hurry. It works great if you need a mountain in short order.
I use the hot glue for the cardboard strips as well and it is extremely fast work. Today I was using it to build up a street/road sub surface to get my stryene road at the proper elevation and thought; wonder if it will stick to the styrene road? Well it does! I tried one corner of the road and when I tried to pull the styrene sheet up the cardboard tore where the glue was. The glue didn’t want to come off the styrene and is still stuck to it. I may use the hot glue to mount the styrene roads from now on. Will have to test a larger section as I will have to fasten one end and then work my way down to the other end.
-Bob
I started using Hot Glue for general layout construction ever since I saw an Allan Keller video, where a gentleman used hot glue to build his spline roadbed with. It was 3 pieces of spline, between 1/8 and 1/4 thick, with small blocks glued in place between the splines to actually create the subroadbed. He used spring clamps to hold in place. I also used those spring clamps. Since with 3-4 people helping I could lay down about 50’ of spline in one session of less than an hour. I’ve used it on 80% of my subroad bed and it works great.
In places on my layout, that spline has been in place for almost 10 years, and hasn’t come loose yet.
I tried the hot glue on a 36" long section of .040" styrene roadway today and it works great. The road is down solid and don’t think it is going anywhere. This is about as fast as using latex caulk only I didn’t have to keep weight on it. I would say it is about equal to the latex caulk in effort as well.
-Bob
Has anyone used the slow set type of glue stick?