I have not worked with styrene before. I want to glue sheet styrene on to both cork and foam. What would be a good adhesive to use? I also want to paint it. Do I need to scuff it, prime it, and do I need to use a water based paint? Thanks for any help.
For the styrene to cork and/or foam, almost any glue will probably suffice to keep the styrene put...white glue, yellow glue, Ambroid, Gorilla Glue, and even good old cheap acrylic latex caulk spread very thinly. You might do some good by scuffing up the nether surface that contacts the glue, but I really don't think it will be necessary.
Painting styrene is relatively easy if it is clean...no waxes or oils, including oily finger prints. It would have to be excessive, but it also depends on how fine a job you want as a result. You'll get good results with water based paints such as Acrylic artists' craft paints, the kind you get in small plastic flip-top bottles in the Crafts section at Wal Mart. You don't necessarily have to use water-based paint, but I wouldn't want a substantial amount of oil base on the styrene for long. It it is placed with an air gun and dries almost instantly upon contact, it should be okay. Priming never hurts...never...except that it can be one extra layer that accumulates in some instances to cover very tiny details.
I agree with Selector. One thing to keep in mind is that solvent based paint will attack foam.
For attaching styrene to foam, anything that's safe for use with foam should work, although the construction adhesive (applied with a caulking gun) that's meant for use with foam will probably give the best bond. To fasten styrene to wood, cork, or metal, contact cement works best and is most permanent. It helps to first "prime" the styrene with a coat of lacquer thinner, applied with a brush, before applying the contact cement. The other surface, of course, also gets a coat of contact cement, and when both surfaces are dry to the touch, carefully align them and press the surfaces together. To cement styrene to styrene, lacquer thinner is an excellent (and cheap) cement.