adhering foam to table joists

[jrbernier]

  Standard 'Gorilla Glue' is safe for foam.  The 'Gorilla Wood Glue' and 'Gorilla Super Glue' are not suggested for gluing foam.  Like construction adhesives, read the manufacturer's information.  PL300 & 'Liquid Nails for Projects' are safe as well.  We had a guy use PL200 to glue a foam hill together at the club - The interior was a 'cave' when the glue got done eating up the foam.

Jim

[Medina1128]

I use Gorilla Glue to hold mine. The advantage is that while GG is curing, it expands and fills the nooks and crannies. I've even used with white bead board with equally satisfying results, and it doesn't take a lot to do the job. When the surfaces are pressed together, it spreads, plus when it expands it spreads even further. PS I hope you don't need to take apart whatever you glue together.

[Rangerover]

Liquid Nails makes an adhesive called "Projects" that works great too. It's made to be used with foamboard. Some of the regular Liquid Nail and PL products will melt the foam (read the labels) I used Tight Bond, couldn't resist buying a gallon on sale at half price about $15.00 at 84 lumber, similar to Elmers wood glue, and I used the tight bond and an air brad gun to secure my plywood to the frame, and used the same product Tight Bond or Elmers to secure homasote to the plywood, track roadbed,  I used foam however,  for all other areas, mountains and scenics and glued it with Tight Bond or Elmers. I bought the liquid nails Projects, because I needed something to glue rock formations to some of the foam, an after thought after completing part of the scenics, carving foam would have just made a mess, the Projects adhesive seems it has a fast tack, about 20 minutes and dries overnight, you can't pull it off the next day.  

[saronaterry]

Although I use latex caulk for roadbed and track on foam, the best product I've found for securing foam to the wood frame is PL300.At Menards and other BB stores. It's made for this application.

Terry

[TheK4Kid]

 I used a product called "Powergrip".
I purchased it at a local Menards store.
Just slip it into a caulk gun and use.
I have had real good luck with it.

TheK4Kid

 

[deLivron]

Consider 1/4 or 3/8 plywood nailed to your joists then use liquid nails in the cauking tubes.

Many mountains at Dunham Studios are held together by liquid nails then coated with spray foam. Before being shapped as hills, moountains and rocks.

 

[abbieleibowitz]

I like construction adhesive better than wood glue because it dries faster. I'm talking a day or two vs. a week or two. You can separate foam that's been glued to wood with carpenters glue days later and the glue will still be wet. Wood glue is water based and while it absorbs into wood well, it doesn't penetrate foam much at all. Of course, make sure you get a construction adhesive that's foam compatible, like Liquid Nails For Projects. Abbie

[tinman1]

I have used construction adhesive. It is probably about the same as using wood glue I would guess. Both adhere well to the wood but neither penetrates the foam, rather it just bonds to the surface. I think the construction adhesive has a slight advantage in that it is better at filling any small voids and will flex a bit more than wood glue. Not that those are going to be big advantages unless you plan on rolling the layout down the stairs and into a wall.

[rrinker]

 Yellow glue, seconded. I even bashed my head into the bottom several times and it STILL didn;t break loose. I have 4 bookshelves full of old issues of MR and RMC, in plastic magazine cartons. I spread the glue on the joists, laid the foam on top, and then piled on the magazines for weight until the next night, then I went on the the next section.

                                                       --Randy

 

[twhite]

I've had very good luck securing my foam to the joists with Elmer's Carpenters glue (the yellow glue).  It's extremely strong.  My layout is in an uninsulated garage and almost seven years old, and the glue has held amazingly well. 

Tom

[feh]

What substance should be used to secure pink foam to the joists of a table? Someday when this 4x8 table is removed from the room it's in, it will be turned on its side, so it needs to be strong enough to withstand such handling.

Thanks.