Am I the only one out there who uses a hot glue gun?...

[railroadinmedic]

I may be a newbie, but I have used my trusty hot glue gun to glue my foam to my plywood, the roadbed to the foam, and now the track to the roadbed, and haven't had a bit of trouble with it coming up or off of the other items.  The only concerns I have had is if like anyone else, that I have to pull anything up, that there is some work getting it off of the track and roadbed. So, am I the only one using a hot glue gun?  Surely not. Thanks guys!

Carl

[ARTHILL]

I use it to glue foam to everything, especially mountains and canyons and my quarry. I prefer caulk for laying roadbed and track, it will spred more thinly for me. I have used several dozen packages. I use only the low temp version.

[UP2CSX]

The low temp glue works great with foam. I tried the high temp sticks and made some pretty big potholes in my foam.  I find the glue is really helpful for things like securing brush and trees to hillsides. White Glue takes forever to set up and things end up crooked. With a glue gun, it only takes 10 seconds or so to set and you can get everything just where and how you want it without coming back two hours later and straightening things up.

[larak]

I use a glue gun for installing cardboard strips but not a lot else. Those darn little strings of glue that hang about like spiderwebs drive me crazy.

I also use adhesive caulk, regular caulk, white glue, a bit of expoy, lots of matt medium and lots of CA. Each has strong and weak points.
Whatever works best for you in the situation at hand should be your choice.

Karl 

 

[Dave Vollmer]

I've used the hot glue gun to:

Build mountains from layers of foam.

Attach "flex-rock" flexible foam rock castings to mountains.

Glue Woodland Scenics Foliage Clusters to mountains

Attach styrene roads on inclines to a foam base.

Attach tunnel portals and retaining walls.

In other words, hot glue is great!

[reklein]

Larak says "Those darn little strings of glue that hang about like spiderwebs drive me crazy. " border="0" width="25" height="20" />

ME TOO!!! Plus the dang little strings will wrap up on axles and mechanisms and play hob with your operation. Nonetheless, I still like to use hot glue for scenery and I keep an eye out for strings.

[jbinkley60]

 

I use it for gluing trees and bushes, not much else.

 

[railroadinmedic]

I definately agree about the little spiderwebs that get everywhere, but all in all it is worth it!

[jwar]

I use a glue gun for installing cardboard strips but not a lot else. Those darn little strings of glue that hang about like spiderwebs drive me crazy.

I also use adhesive caulk, regular caulk, white glue, a bit of expoy, lots of matt medium and lots of CA. Each has strong and weak points.
Whatever works best for you in the situation at hand should be your choice.

Karl 

 

Karl...after glueing grab the wife's hand held hair dryer...turn on HI heat, it dissolves those peskey critters. Sould not be a problem...unless you forget to put it back LOL.... John

[Gandy Dancer]

A person at the club used hot glue for some spine roadbed.  He did in one afternoon what would have taken about two weeks by our normal method.  We thought it was great until about seven years later when it all started falling apart.  We never use it for serious construction anymore.

[reklein]

I agree with gandy dancer,Hot glue not good for structural gluing. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. It doesn't penetrate wood at all. It would be great for ,say ,gluing the carpet to something though. Don't ask.

[loathar]

I use mine for cardboard and screen work on mountains. Also build my Aggro pines with it.

[Gandy Dancer]

I agree with gandy dancer,Hot glue not good for structural gluing. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. It doesn't penetrate wood at all. It would be great for ,say ,gluing the carpet to something though. Don't ask.

I don't know that it really lasted seven years.  It could have been as short as two.  It just wasn't very long in the big scheme of Model Railroad layouts and I didn't want to over state my point.

[Mailman56701]

  I use one, and like it better than any other method.

[howmus]

While it is "quick and easy", I have found that it doesn't usually last long as has already been said.  I have gone back to using other types of adhesives.  I also don't like the little strings, but hey. you get them with Goo also.......