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Adhesive to hold figures temporarily

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PED
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Adhesive to hold figures temporarily
Posted by PED on Monday, August 13, 2018 10:15 AM

I am looking for an adhesive to hold figures in place but will allow me to easily remove them and place them elsewhere to change a scene. I am sure I have seen this type of adhesive somewhere but I cannot find it now. Anyone know what will do this on a temporary basis without leaving a mess behind? Will plain old rubber cement do it?

This will be used on N scale figures and other accessories which are really small.

Paul D

N scale Washita and Santa Fe Railroad
Southern Oklahoma circa late 70's

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, August 13, 2018 10:19 AM

Dap clear Alex plus caulk. Works well for gluing down track too. If you want to remove it later you can.

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Posted by faraway on Monday, August 13, 2018 10:22 AM
I use Woodland Scenic Accents Glue. Looks like white glue but stays like rubber and is easy to remove.

Reinhard

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Monday, August 13, 2018 10:50 AM

Is there a Post-it Notes type adhesive out there - that would be pretty ideal.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by Lone Wolf and Santa Fe on Monday, August 13, 2018 11:17 AM

The Woodland Scenics glue mentioned above is good but I just use it on stop signs, small trees and stuff like that. For figures I just use regular white Elmer’s glue. I glue the figure onto a small piece of clear plastic packaging, you know the clear stuff that comes with everything you buy these days. At first you have to prop up the figure so they don't fall over. After it dries you can temporarily stand the figure anyway. Eventually the clear plastic breaks off but the glue remains and it has made the feet of the figure flat so that they can now stand up on their own. If you want to glue them in place just wet the glue slightly with a drop of salvia or water. When you want to remove them just use a drop of water or just break them off. They will come off very easily without causing any damage.

 

Modeling a fictional version of California set in the 1990s Lone Wolf and Santa Fe Railroad
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Posted by MisterBeasley on Monday, August 13, 2018 11:27 AM

Aileen's Tacky Glue.  It's a craft store item.  It holds well once set up, but will let go and not damage the feet of little people when you need to move them.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by doctorwayne on Monday, August 13, 2018 11:43 AM

faraway
I use Woodland Scenic Accents Glue. Looks like white glue but stays like rubber and is easy to remove.

 
I'm with Reinhard on this:  the Accent Glue is easy to use, and in most cases the figure can be re-located several times before the stickiness needs to be rubbed-off and re-newed.  It also has a very good shelf-life - I've had mine for years, and it's still viable.
 
 
 
This poor guy has been trying to unlock his car for ages, seemingly not noticing that it's been changed several times...
 
While many of us simply place figures and leave them their for ages (often guilty), the Accent Glue is also great for setting-up one-time scenes for photography sessions...
 
 
 
 
 

Wayne

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Posted by RR_Mel on Monday, August 13, 2018 11:46 AM

I rarely glue figures down that I move around.  I use CA or Super Glue and attach a straight pin (.024” Dia.) to a leg then drop them in a .03” predrilled hole.  I have somewhere around fifty to a hundred or so figures that are done that way.  Really helps when I’m working around them or cleaning.
 
Moving figures and vehicles around gives my layout a different look.  I made connectors for my 90+ vehicles so that they are also easy to move around my layout.
 
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
PED
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Posted by PED on Monday, August 13, 2018 3:06 PM

faraway
I use Woodland Scenic Accents Glue. Looks like white glue but stays like rubber and is easy to remove.
 

 

Thanks. I looked it up and it sounds like the stuff I am looking for. I put some on order.

Paul D

N scale Washita and Santa Fe Railroad
Southern Oklahoma circa late 70's

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Posted by HO-Velo on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 8:34 AM

doctorwayne
the Accent Glue is also great for setting-up one-time scenes for photography sessions...

Docwayne,  Your modeling and photos are always a joy to see, and truly  inspirational.

The Accent Glue looks to be right up my alley, but wondering if the stuff leaves any residue or stains upon removal of figures? 

I tried using a tiny amount of the dough like Ductseal, worked, but left a greasy stain on the sidewalk.

Regards, Peter

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Posted by NVSRR on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 9:13 AM

No residue is left  or stains or marks with it. Cleans off with mild soap and water      It sets up clear.  I found it usefull for holding locomotive windows in place.  Removable for when i get around to weathering.    I do the same  for holding on handrails and the wiring in the locomotives.   Wondering how many other uses it has

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Posted by NHTX on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 10:37 AM

     The makers of Microscale decals also produce a product known as "Liquidtape".  It is a liquid that functions like a post it note type adhesive and is good for postioning items that may be moved more than once.

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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 11:14 AM

I appreciate your kind words, Peter. 

As NVSRR mentions, I see no staining, and any residue left on either the figure, or where it had been, rubs off easily with the tip of your finger.
Depending on how long the figure has been in place, it can be easily picked up and moved to a new location, without need to apply fresh Accent Cement.  When the re-used grip becomes unreliable, simply rub off the old, and make a fresh application.

A lot of HO figures don't stand on their own very well, so it's useful for everyday scenes, but I especially like it for setting up photos like the ones I posted, where the figure is there only for the photo, and removed or placed elsewhere afterwards.

Wayne

 

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 12:04 PM

RR_Mel
I use CA or Super Glue and attach a straight pin (.024” Dia.) to a leg then drop them in a .03” predrilled hole.

.

I am with Mel on this one, except I use Detail Associates 0.012" stainless steel wire and drill 0.015" holes.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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Posted by RR_Mel on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 1:19 PM

SeeYou190

 

 
RR_Mel
I use CA or Super Glue and attach a straight pin (.024” Dia.) to a leg then drop them in a .03” predrilled hole.

 

.

I am with Mel on this one, except I use Detail Associates 0.012" stainless steel wire and drill 0.015" holes.

.

-Kevin

.

 

I’ve also done the same as Kevin and it works but for me it’s easier to glue a foot to a straight pin than risking dinging a figure drilling holes.  I cast 90% of my figures from resin and the resin isn’t as strong as a store bought figure.
 
EDIT:
 
All of the figures in the yard swimming party with the exception of the ones in the water and the one on the board are mounted on straight pins and just drop in place.
 
 
 
Even the kid peeping over the fence watching the girls is mounted on a pin as is the barrel.  Makes it real easy to change the look of my scenery by moving things around.
 
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 3:20 PM

Great-lookin' pool par-tay, Mel!  I'd knock that kid off his perch, pin-or-no-pin, for a look!

The advantage of the Scenic Cement is that it's re-useable anywhere - you could do a series of photos, with people appearing to have walked along the street between photo intervals, or re-position a figure a couple of feet away from where it was previously or perhaps in another town altogether, with no hole to drill or, once drilled, to locate.

Wayne

PED
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Posted by PED on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 7:43 PM

As the OP, I tried the Scenics Accent glue based on above recommendations. Very happy with it.  Works great for my application. I also like the approach to insert pins but I do not consider it practical for my N scale figures. However, I do think it is practical for some of the assorted accessories I am inserting into my scenes. Will be trying that later.

Paul D

N scale Washita and Santa Fe Railroad
Southern Oklahoma circa late 70's

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, August 16, 2018 9:06 PM

It is good you found a solution that works for you.

.

These foums are great.

.

-Kevin

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Posted by wvg_ca on Friday, August 17, 2018 3:14 AM

you can always try and find some 'hobby tack'... its a flexible adhesive in a sheet , reuseable and fairly handy, i use for figures that move maybe once a month or so, and you don't have to reapply it

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