Backdrop

[2021]

I am making my backdrop by gluing photographs of mountain scenes to my blue painted drywall.  I am looking for the best adhesive method.  Some say white glue does not work and I know rubber cement does not hold up in the long run.  I heard that spray glue works best, but at a train show the vendor who sells the CD,s uses double-backed tape.  Another fellow suggested wallpaper paste.

Before I satrt this venture and only want to do it once, I would appreciate any comments or suggestions to make this a successful endeavor.

Thanks, Ron K.

[mearrin69]

Well, I've recommended this for a number of other scenery applications: Mod Podge. It should be available at any major craft store. Comes in a plastic jar and looks a little like white glue. I use it instead of plaster over terrain formers but it also works for sticking down ground cover and so on.

Now, I believe, the original application for this stuff was decoupage (i.e. sticking down paper to things - google it if need be) so it should work pretty well for sticking photos to your wall - you can even 'varnish' it with the stuff for protection I think (available in matt or gloss) if you want.

I haven't ever used it for this, though, so you might want to test it out first to make sure it works. Hope that helps.
M

[CascadeBob]

Since you're putting the photo backdrop directly on painted drywall, you may want to consult someone who's had experience hanging wallpaper murals.  If you decide to use some type of wallpaper glue, I think you may want to consider putting wallpaper sizing on the wall before you glue the photos directly to the wall.  Wallpaper sizing is a clear liquid that is painted on the drywall in the area that will receive the wallpaper.  The purpose of the sizing is to make the removal of the wallpaper easier and prevent the tearing off of the paper surface coat of the drywall when you peel off the wallpaper if you have to remove it in the future.  The wallpaper sizing can be purchased at any store that sells wallpaper.

Bob

[jecorbett]

I've used spray adhesive with excellent results. It's easy to do neatly (Anything I can do neatly has to be easy). It has a decent working time so you don't feel you  have to rush to get the print mounted. My backdrops are also painted drywall. I have used both Realistic Backdrops and most recently Scenicking. The one backdrop has been up over a year with no peeling whatsoever. I just did another section about 8 feet long. The only problem I've had is where an edge or corner didn't get enough adhesive. That's easy enough to fix by spraying a little of the adhesive on a small screwdriver and applying it to the back of the edge that didn't get down right the first time. The only other tip I'd give you is just common sense. It's much better to begin with the print mounted a little low and push it up to the proper position. If you apply it too high and pull it down, you'll leave some adhesive on the sky. I've also found that mounting these backdrops in layers does wonders for creating the illusion of depth. I'm not sure why it works better than a single backdrop but it does.

[loathar]

If you go the spray glue route, don't cheap out. Buy the good 3M stuff that's around $10/can. Available at auto parts stores. Cheap brands like Duro and Elmers come un-stuck after a short while.

[HHPATH56]

I happened to have an 8 ft. section of Luan backdrop that had been painted previously, with a mountain scene. The top blue on SceniKing sectional photos is uniform. I matched to blue color of the top of the paper sections (electronically, at the paint store).  I then used a paint roller attached to stiff plastic tubing, and repainted all four walls of my layout with this Latex paint. The SceniKing directions advise using a glue stick, rather than Elmer's glue, since the photos are water soluble. The SceniKing photosections are 12" x 7 1/2" (after trimming the edges).   This metheod will be used for applying 300" of SceniKing 12" sections to the blue painted wall of our Historical Museum layout.  I used the King sized Glue Sticks, and was delighted with the results, on my layout. Photo below shows how the N guage railroad on a 2" raised roadbed,     behind my HO layout,( and the low scenic background), gives the illusion of forced perspective. Note how the tops of the SceniKing photo banner matches exactly, the blue of the painted sky  Click on photo to enlarge. Click "Close", in upper left corner, to return to regular size.     As an alternative to "jecorbett's" layering suggestion, I plan to have additional scenes mounted on a 1/8" thick Masonite strip (or Luan) The tops of the strips are then cut with a jigsaw to match the tops of trees , or outlines of buildings.  The ends of this strip can be tucked behind the mountains on each end. I just completed making 200 deciduous trees with half wooden skewer trunks, upon which I pressed succesive layers of furnace filter circles. To each circle, I applied  glue, and then sprinkled on ground up Woodland Scenics green foam clumps. The trunks of the trees are then pressed into holes drilled in stained,and tapered, Styrofoam ceiling tile strips. The idea is that these (unglued) strips will be placed next to the backdrop, to add to the perspective, and hide the (horizontal to vertical) transition. Being "unglued", the strips can be  switched with trees in Fall colors.   

Bob Hahn                                                                                                                 

[BlueHillsCPR]

White glue has water in it.  Avoid anything that has a water base when gluing paper.  The water soaks the paper making it wrinkle.  Modge Podge as suggested is excellent.  A coating of modge podge might even be good over the photos...it might add a hint of "hazy distance" to the scene if it needs it.  Spray glue will work and good double sided tape works well also.

[fireman216]

If this is the same program I am thinking you have...then follow his directions for the double sided tape as i have used it also and know it works well....did you get this program at the syracuse show??...Tim

[concretelackey]

Just my thoughts here....whatever adhesive you decide to use, perhaps attach it to a false backdrop so that if you decide to change it, modify it or work on the wall behind the layout you can remove it easier?

[Kenfolk]

Having worked as a graphic artist creating many displays, I would recommend a quality spray adhesive: 3M or Krylon. I've used both with great success. Please use in a well-ventilated area and have the area surrounding the paper to be sprayed covered to prevent overspray from getting where you don't want it.

I've also used rubber cement, glue sticks, etc., but prefer the spray adhesive--and that is what I have used on my own backdrops. 

[Tom Bryant_MR]

Ron, good suggestions from all.

Another tip/trick. If your pictures do not include sky or you elect to not include the sky portion of the picture, there are some crafting scissors that cut jagged and irregular lines.  I chose to remove the sky from my scenes. 

My scenes are overlaid one on top of the other on a masonite backdrop. The masonite was painted blue first with clouds spray painted on.

I used a special wall paper paste for mounting murals - Backdrop warehouse recommends this paste.  My friend, Don Z, found the paste at a local ACE hardware.

I did the glue stick, rubber cement etc - as stated, it does not hold over time.

 

 

Regards,

[reklein]

I'd go with the 3M or krylon spray contact cement. Any kind of waterbased glue or decoupage material such as modge podge will wrinkle the paper. When mounting the photos get someone to help you position the work close to the wall then work from the center out to each edge to reduce gaps and bubbles. I myself prefer to paint directly on the drywall. Down the road when you move you can simply use Kilz primer to paint over the backdrop without any change in the wall texture. Also mounting your photos is a good way to go too.