Adhesive for Foamboard

[Killybegs]

I have a couple of large factory building to construct for which I intend to use foam board for the basic shells. The foamboard I have is 5mm thick faced on both sides with thin card. I am looking for suggestions as to the best adhesive for this material. Any help would be much appreciated.

[steve1]

I've used PVA successfully on foamboard. You might also consider Roket Glue.

 

https://deluxematerials.co.uk/products/roket-card-glue

 

steve

[Stubby47]

I use "Anita's Tacky Glue" (from The Range), a PVA that sets within a couple of minutes.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/anitas-Anitas-Tacky-Glue-240ml/dp/B002OEJ1O6

 

Edited May 15, 2020 by Stubby47

[john new]

I had a problem with delamination of the foam board after a few years on some jobs I did for display posters. That would be my worry if using it in buildings. The outer coating peeled off the foam complete with the outer image.

[TomJ]

I use solvent free UHU. It seems to work. Don’t use normal UHU - it dissolves the foam!

[Ian J.]

I've used hot glue before, but you have to be careful not to use too much so the foam doesn't completely melt. I used it a bit like 'spot' welding.

[brossard]

I'm using 3.5mm foamboard for "Heavy Card" in 0 gauge.  PVA works fine but my buildings haven't been around long enough for delam to manifest.  If that is a concern, wrapping the edges with masking tape may help.  I use Scalescenes methods which uses edge wrapping anyway.

 

John

[JSModels]

3 hours ago, brossard said:

I'm using 3.5mm foamboard for "Heavy Card" in 0 gauge.  PVA works fine but my buildings haven't been around long enough for delam to manifest.  If that is a concern, wrapping the edges with masking tape may help.  I use Scalescenes methods which uses edge wrapping anyway.

 

John

 

The adhesive on masking tape is not designed for long-term use. I would worry far more about that failing than delamination of the card sides from the foamboard.

[brossard]

A couple of other methods spring to mind:

 

1) brush PVA on the edge, that will strengthen it or

 

2)  use a glue stick (or PVA if you prefer) to fix a paper wrap around the edge

 

I haven't done either of these things, my buildings seem stable enough.  Just trying to offer constructive suggestions.

 

John

Edited May 15, 2020 by brossard

[shipbadger]

I use a low melt glue gun for gluing polystyrene foams.  My gun is called 'Little Princess' on the side!  Someone somewhere in a marketing department will know why.

 

Tony Comber

[brossard]

I've used a glue gun with foamcore but only for rough mockups. 

 

My tool kit for card models:

 

 

A sanding stick is very important as well.

 

The project I am currently working on:

 

 

7mm version of Scalescenes Garage kit:  https://scalescenes.com/product/t017-garage/

 

Note the main walls are foamcore, 3.5mm thick which is correct for "Heavy" card called for in the kit.

 

The board is faced with prints from the kit and fixed with a glue stick.  PVA was used to stick the double thickness wall together.

 

John, you may already be aware but Scalescenes do several industrial building kits, including an enormous factory.  I can recommend them.

 

John

Edited May 16, 2020 by brossard

[Killybegs]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[LBRJ]

A mixture of PVA glue for the main adhesive and some hot melt glue for "spot welding" in places.

Oh and a fair number of pins to hold it all together while it sets will help.

 

I have a baseboard mock up built over 20 years ago using the above that is still in one piece.

[Paul C]

I've used it on a couple of walls on the original Scalescenes box file kit instead of layering 2mm card and it seems to be fine. I used my usual combination of Pritt Stick for the large areas of cover layer, and PVA for any wrapping over, then PVA to join the structure together. PVA should work fine for sticking stuff to the foam. 

[signalnorth]

Hot glue gun . Can’t beat it 

[Gwiwer]

Has anyone used foamboard with white-metal castings?  What sticks the two best please?  Superglue is an option but is there another? 

[SteveyDee68]

Don't know if this helps, but having just searched for 10mm foamboard I came across a website which lists different types, sizes, depths and colours of foamboard plus all sorts of accessories including glue - 100ml foamboard glue for £4.99. It claims not to distort the surface when gluing (something I've read about elsewhere).

 

Also an interesting tool called a Rabbet cutter, which removes a single surface/foam in a strip along an edge to allow neat edges to corners. I don't know if it is adjustable to different thicknesses or anything, but it is a way of not having any foam edges showing at a corner. Something perfectly accomplishable with a sharp scalpel and a straightedge, but the video demonstrating the tool shows it taking seconds. If you plan on producing a lot of mockups or using foamboard as a basic shell the £25 tool might be worth investing in?

 

Website address is www.foam-board.co.uk

 

Steve S