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Gluing Plastic to Wood

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  • Member since
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Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 3:45 PM

SaltRiverRy

Thanks for the link. I may have missed it, but I didn't see anything about use on styrofoam. Does anyone know if bonding plastic to styrofoam would be a problem?

 

One of the Application Uses on the WeldBond web site is styrofoam.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by zstripe on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 3:19 PM

SaltRiverRy

Thanks for the link. I may have missed it, but I didn't see anything about use on styrofoam. Does anyone know if bonding plastic to styrofoam would be a problem?

 

I don't see any reason why it could not be used for styrofoam. It's water based:

http://www.weldbond.com/application_uses

Take Care!

Frank

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Posted by SaltRiverRy on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 2:59 PM

Thanks for the link. I may have missed it, but I didn't see anything about use on styrofoam. Does anyone know if bonding plastic to styrofoam would be a problem?

Salt River Railway - SRRy locally known as "the SORRy"
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Posted by cedarwoodron on Saturday, July 19, 2014 6:31 AM

I have begun "wrapping" .010 Plastruct styrene around balsa shapes to obtain a quickly paintable object. I am using Loctite Super Glue "Ultra Gel Control" CA as a bond between the styrene and wood surfaces with excellent results.

Please note, however, I am working with small HO scaled sizes of each material, and therefore, there may be very little "stress" of the bond physically, as opposed to uses of this same product on larger-sized materials.

Cedarwoodron

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Posted by HO-Velo on Friday, July 18, 2014 5:46 PM

Hello Hornblower,

I know first hand how harsh an environment the "Calif. basement" can be, especially when the layout has to share the garage with the family car.  There's much DIY that can be done to minimize the temp. extremes, benchwork/roadbed moisture transfer and dust.  If I were still suffering expansion/contraction problems I most likely would have used contact cement to permanently bond my styrene sheets to the plywood roadbed.  Forum member Doctorwayne has some great tips on using contact cement with styrene.     

Good luck, regards, Peter 

 

 

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Posted by hornblower on Friday, July 18, 2014 1:13 PM

Peter,

I did scuff the underside of the styrene before gluing it down using Latex caulking.  Since my layout is located in my California basement (garage), the layout sees temperature changes from lows around 40 to highs over 100 degrees. Hence, the wood tends to expand and contract a lot!  So much so that I have had to re-cut several rail gaps in my hand laid turnouts.  In the high heat (like now), the styrene roadways tend to lift off of the plywood base in places.  I have used a few drops of CA to glue these spots back down in the past only to see the roads pop up in other spots.

Hornblower

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Posted by bigpianoguy on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 7:57 PM

Excellent! (It does.) Thanks, Frank!

Paul

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Posted by Mark R. on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 6:56 PM

HO-Velo

 

 
Mark R.
You sure you have the same stuff ? Weldbond doesn't come in a tube. (?)

Mark,

Yes it does, or maybe more accurately, it did.  I'm assuming it's the same formulation. 

Regards, Peter

 

 

Look at that ! Never seen it offered like that around here !

Mark.

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

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Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 5:51 PM

HO-Velo

Don't know how much difference it makes, but I lightly scruff up the surface of the styrene that will be bonded to the wood before gluing. 

 

That's what I did too.  I used a piece of sand paper to rough up the smooth surface of the styrene plastic strip.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by zstripe on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 5:35 PM

HO-Velo

 

 
hornblower
I'll have to get some Weldbond and give it try gluing these roads back down.

 

Hornblower,  

Don't know how much difference it makes, but I lightly scruff up the surface of the styrene that will be bonded to the wood before gluing.  Have glued several simulated concrete pads made of styrene to my plywood layout surface over the past year with Weldbond and they are all holding fine.  Layout location does see temps in the mid to high 80s on occasion.

good luck and regards,  Peter 

 

Peter,

It will make a big difference in many applications with adhesives and glues involving styrene, which is non-porous.

Good point to bring up. Yes

Take Care!

Frank

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Posted by HO-Velo on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 5:19 PM

hornblower
I'll have to get some Weldbond and give it try gluing these roads back down.

Hornblower,  

Don't know how much difference it makes, but I lightly scruff up the surface of the styrene that will be bonded to the wood before gluing.  Have glued several simulated concrete pads made of styrene to my plywood layout surface over the past year with Weldbond and they are all holding fine.  Layout location does see temps in the mid to high 80s on occasion.

good luck and regards,  Peter 

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Posted by zstripe on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 4:40 PM

bigpianoguy

How is Weldbond on metal to wood?

 

Read the application uses:

http://www.weldbond.com/application_uses

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

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Posted by HO-Velo on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 4:36 PM

 

Mark R.
You sure you have the same stuff ? Weldbond doesn't come in a tube. (?)

Mark,

Yes it does, or maybe more accurately, it did.  I'm assuming it's the same formulation. 

Regards, Peter

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Posted by bigpianoguy on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 4:32 PM

How is Weldbond on metal to wood?

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Posted by Mark R. on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 3:44 PM

HO-Velo

I too like Weldbond for cementing styrene to wood. 

 
IRONROOSTER
How well does it store?

 I've had a tube in the workbench drawer for several years, used some the other day and it worked just fine.

 

regards,  Peter 

 

 

You sure you have the same stuff ? Weldbond doesn't come in a tube. (?)

Mark.

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

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Posted by hornblower on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 3:25 PM

Thanks for the tip!  I have a few sheet styrene roads that have lifted off of the plywood deck of my layout due to heat expansion.  I'll have to get some Weldbond and give it try gluing these roads back down.

Hornblower

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Posted by HO-Velo on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 12:03 PM

I too like Weldbond for cementing styrene to wood. 

IRONROOSTER
How well does it store?
 I've had a tube in the workbench drawer for several years, used some the other day and it worked just fine.

regards,  Peter 

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Posted by superbe on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 8:46 AM

Other good features are that it is odor free and water clean up. 

My wife has serious allergies and as a result I have to use odor fee products in the house and if they aren't odor free I work outside.

It's a great glue and dries clear.

Bob

 

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Posted by IRONROOSTER on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 7:28 AM

Sounds good.  How well does it store?

Thanks

Paul

If you're having fun, you're doing it the right way.
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Posted by Mark R. on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 1:14 AM

Great thing about Weldbond is that, unlike regular white glue, you can heat it up with a heat gun and easily remove the parts. We use Weldbond exclusively with our laser kits.

Mark.

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Gluing Plastic to Wood
Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, July 15, 2014 11:01 PM

I mentioned on another thread that I was able to successfully bond styrene plastic to wood (in this case, birch plywood).  To do this, I used a product called Weldbond.  Weldbond is available at stores like Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowes, and Michaels.

I just wanted to bring this to the attention of members of this forum who might be interested in how to bond these materials together.

Rich

Alton Junction

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