I have changed my mind about some hills I am building. Does anyone know if there is a solvent for white glue (wood glue, “Elmers”, etc.) AFTER it has dried?
It’s great stuff for fixing ballast and ground cover and, of course, it’s water soluble while it’s wet, but is there anything that will soften it afterwards?
Sure hate to get out the cold chisel and hammer if I don’t have to.[:(]
Chuck
Regular white glue can be softened with water, I have read.
The yellow stuff apparently can’t.
No expeirence with the yellow, I have heard the same. But as far as white goes… You can use water as a solvent.
Awhile back, I had a bunch of sand glued down in a desert section, but then decided to add another turnout. I just sprayed water on it, and worked on somehting else. Coming back about every 5-10 minutes. After 2 or 3 wettings, it broke right up and scooped it off. Depending on how much glue was in your mixture (mine was 30%glue/70%alcohol) it migth take more water and time. I migth suggest a spray bottle so you can spray it and control easy enough. Good luck.
John Kanicsar
Best
I have, accidently, found that water with a little rubbing alcohol tends to do the trick. Just wet, wait 5-10 minutes and come back. Again, it might take longer/more sprayings, depending on your situation.
Reed
Speaking of alcohol, I found through some experimentation that instead of using a drop of alcohol or detergent in the water and gue mixture, if you use alcohol and glue as your ballast mixture it flows a LOT nicer. I was just testing out various mixtures to secure ballast on my test section and decided to try the 70% rubbing alcohol straight. It flows incredibly well throught he ballast and while it took a little while longer to dry, the results are excellent. The leftover in the paper cup I mixed it? That took WEEKS to harden, so you can theorectically quit for the evening and come back the next night and use the same stuff instead of tossing it every time you clean up.
–Randy
I use a 50:50 white glue/water mix to hold down my scenery and have removed portions of it by soaking it with wet water (a few drops of liquid dish detergent in the water), letting it soak in, then removing the wet soggy mass with a putty knife.
…Bob
I just read somewhere recently where it was advised to just forget about the “wet water” from now on and just use straight alcohol. . . I’ll drink to that! [swg]
I second that! I have been doing straight acohol and glue for awhile now and really like it. I found that doing say 10/15% 85/90% glue/ alchol mix is great for grass, sand, and course foliage. (I do prespray alcohoI on the materail before I use the glue mix, helps spread it out) bump up the glue mixture up to say 30 or 40 and it gets much thicker which works great for glueing down the clump stuff (woodland scenics or equal) its thick and sticks to everything. Even work good for glueing down on grades, on hill or mountain. I have been useing a small squeezy thing (like a turkey bastor) made by Testors to apply it. (Oh, I know there is a fancy name for it… but hopefully you get the idea[:I])
One I thing I though, I dont recommend useing the 90 and up stuff (91 is common) It seems to volatile. Dries to quick and fumes pretty bad. The 70 isbo works best.
Hope that helps[:)].
Best R
Thanks to all for your comments. The stuff I was using was more the yellow than white variety (carpenters glue). I already had some 70% alcohol and water in about a 50/50 mix (used for pre-wetting ground cover and ballast.)
Anyway, I gave the problem area a good spritz and came back in 15-30 mins.
I found it took two to three applications, but it did soften, not dissolve, the yellow glue where styrofoam had been applied. It did a fine job of softening the ground cover so it scraped off easily. The heavier applications of glue were softened to about the consistency of day old chewing gum. Soft enough that I could get most of it off without a jackhammer. Thought I’d pass that along for anyone who might find it useful. I have some 90% alcohol which might have done a better job, or maybe, the 70% at full strength. Don’t know. Will give that a try sometime if/when I need to do more surgery. Thanks again. Have fun!!
[:D]
Chuck
Hey Chuck
Glad it worked. Good luck with your project.
Best Regards
John K
Anyone have any ideas about removing hot glue from Atlas flex track, other than a sharp knife?
Bob Hayes
Bob,
Have you tried a heat gun or your wife’s hair dryer, and a putty knife ?
Bob
NMRA Life 0543
I was hoping for a chemical solution. Too much heat might melt or deform the ties or loosen the rails, but I’ll keep your suggestion in mind.
Thanks,
Bob Hayes
I do some furniture restoration and use a mixture of white distilled vinegar to loosen joints that have been joined with PVA (either white or yellow) glue. Start with a dilution of about 10 to 25% vinegar to water and increase the vinegar until you get the desired results. If you’re concerned about leaving some sort of residue, use distilled water and the purest form of white vinegar that you can find.
Good luck,
Stumper
Hey, stumperr1939:
That’s a great idea! I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll sure give it a try. I have some ground cover to remove to make room for some new “bidness” that’s moving into town. BTW, if 1939 is yer birth year, I’m one year older’n you. Let’s hear it for the geezers!
Chuck