RFoam Adhesive

"Lowes" has 'DAP' Paneling and Foam Construction Adhesive that I am using on my current layout. Bob

You know what always works? Yellow woodworking glue. Cheap. Non-toxic. Drying time is 24 hours with rigid yellow or blue foam.. It's faster with Styrofoam. Only negative I've found is it creates a hard line, which is hard to cut with the hot wire tool. Mike M

With soft foams that flex, you want a glue that flexes like contact adhesives while the rigid foams, something rigid works better. There is always a big problem tho with stuf like white glue as it takes a long time to fully cure as there is no air. As another poster noted, it also gives a rigid line as it is a bit tougher than the foam. I'd check to see if Gorrilia Glue is compatible with the foam as it foams in gaps and tends to cure a lot faster. White glue tends to set from the evaporation of the water in it which is why it takes so long.

-- Bob May

rmay at nethere.com http: slash /nav.to slash bobmay http: slash /bobmay dot astronomy.net

Hi All Yellow carpenters glue, tightbond II. Sorry, I was not specific. I haven't used white glue in so long, I forgot that it's still used. On Styrofoam it drys in a few hours . On Rigid Foam it takes 24 hours or so. I just put a few weights on the foam stack and move on. 95% of my foam work is Styrofoam. The hot wire tool at full temp will cut through it. When I need to glue something fast, I have an industrial Hot Melt polyurethane gun that does not melt the foam, but will hold almost any porous material. I use that for fast, 2 minute tacks. Mike M

I consider Titebond and other such "yellow" glues to just be better white glues as they are of the same family. The Titebond is somewhat water resistant relative to the original white glue but still not anywhere near waterproof. Been there and done that!

-- Bob May

rmay at nethere.com http: slash /nav.to slash bobmay http: slash /bobmay dot astronomy.net

Only in that they're all primarily intended to be wood glues. White glue is a polyvinyl acetate, while the "yellow" or "carpenters" glues are mostly variations on an aliphatic resin theme. All of them are non-toxic and water-based, but they vary quite a bit in terms of strength and application.

White glue is the weakest of them all, never dries very hard, and will soften back up rapidly if the joint gets wet or is exposed to heat in excess of about 120 degrees. (That's why we don't use it in building musical instruments.)

Titebond 1 has quite a bit more shear-strength than white glues (about the same as traditional hide glues), it dries both faster and harder, and it's more resistant to both moisture and heat once throughly dried. It's also sandable once dry, which white glues aren't, and it dries to a neutral woodish color that makes the joints difficult to see.

Titebond 2 is stronger yet, dries a bit faster than Titebond 1, and is even more resistant to coming back loose if exposed to moisture or heat. Unfortunately, it dries to a dark yellowish-orange color that's very difficult to hide and even more difficult to remove if you don't wipe it *all* off while it's still wet.

Titebond 3 is the strongest aliphatic resin that I'm aware of. It dries more slowly than Titebonds 1 or 2, which gives you more setup time to get clamps in place, and once dry it's advertised as being waterproof: a claim I've not yet seen disputed by anyone who lacks gills. Presumably it can be made to release if you heat it up far enough (even cyanoacrylates come unstuck at high temps), but so far I've not yet had to try getting a Titebond 3 joint loose again.

~Pete

On 5/27/2010 11:36 PM Twibil spake thus:

Right; it also slips or "creeps" under stress. But regarding the topic at hand, white glue is more than adequate for probably any model-railroad usage. Certainly for gluing a couple sheets of foam together. There's absolutely no need to use more expensive "carpenters" glues (aliphatic resin) here. Cheap white glue'll do the job well.

I'm sure that's true. Joints between pieces of scenery foam are seldom under much stress. I just wanted to correct the the misconception that white glues (polyvinyl acetates) and aliphatic resins "are of the same family".

That's akin to saying that Phillips-head and flat-bladed screwdrivers are the same tool: yes, they do the same job, but they are *not* interchangable.

~Pete

I'm sure that's true. Joints between pieces of scenery foam are seldom under much stress. I just wanted to correct the the misconception that white glues (polyvinyl acetates) and aliphatic resins "are of the same family".

That's akin to saying that Phillips-head and flat-bladed screwdrivers are the same tool: yes, they do the same job, but they are *not* interchangable.

~Pete

Well, absent a grinder, the phillips screwdriver is pretty much useless for flat blade screws. But the appropriate size flat blade screwdriver can be used on a phillips head screw. ;-)

It is not, however, good for either the screw *or* the screwdriver.

~Pete

P.S. Do you sleep in hotel lobbies a lot?

It is not, however, good for either the screw *or* the screwdriver.

~Pete

P.S. Do you sleep in hotel lobbies a lot?

---------------------------------------------------------- I try to keep to Private hallways ...

Why not seek out hotels that rent by the hour?

As opposed to privet hedges?

Better those than privy hedges.

This is getting really bogged down.

A completely different avocado.

Better those than privy hedges.

----------------------------------------------------------- Does the Privy Seal yet bark, And is there honey still for tea.

parsimonious husband, during first visit to London: "The bed seems soft" Wife: "And remarkably warm"

Why not seek out hotels that rent by the hour?

------------------------------------------------------------------- Typically more expensive for eight plus hours.