richhotrain I am planning to use 0.020" styrene sheet to build roads on my layout. I came across an old thread that talks about how to secure the styrene sheet to plywood. http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/39902.aspx Would Elmer's Rubber Cement work? Other methods? Rich
I am planning to use 0.020" styrene sheet to build roads on my layout.
I came across an old thread that talks about how to secure the styrene sheet to plywood.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/39902.aspx
Would Elmer's Rubber Cement work?
Other methods?
Rich
I just use Elmer’s white glue to glue plastic styrene to plywood or MDF or even on top of 'grass' paper. If it pops up I just glue it down again but I haven’t really had any problems with it coming loose. And if I want to make changes it is easy to remove. I also use white glue to glue the styrene in between the rails at crossings.
Mel, I have never had any luck using rubber cement for anything.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
Wayne, thanks for that additional commentary. It is very helpful.
Like you, I am raising the styrene sheet road up onto the tie ends and against the outside of the rails. There is a small gap between the underside of the styrene sheet and the plywood surface in that raised area that I will deal with later. It is not necessarily onbjectionable.
I have been experimenting with Alene's Tacky Glue since I have plenty on hand. I am finding that it is sufficient to use it only on the ends of each sheet and at the joints. The styrene sheet lays flat on the plywood surface, and the plywood is cabinet grade, so it is a perfectly smooth surface. If that proves insufficient, I can always apply more Tacky Glue later.
Alton Junction
richhotrainWayne, any thoughts on using Elmer's Rubber Cement as an alternative to Weldbond or LePages? How about DAP Weldwood Contact Cement?
Rich, the Weldbond to which I referred may have actually been DAP Weldwood - depends which store I bought it from, as to which brand is available. The important part of the name is the "Gelled", as it's less likely to "string" during application. It also seems to have a longer shelf life.
I've not used rubber cement of any type, so am not qualified to comment on its properties. What sold me on the gelled contact cement was when I used it for the first time to veneer the kitchen cabinets I built shortly after building my house. That veneer has, in over 30 years, never separated from the wood to which it was applied, despite some of it being on cupboards directly over the stove or, even more impressive, over the counter, where everyday, several times a day, the electric kettle is used to boil water for a drip-type coffeemaker - if we're not there immediately to unplug it, the face of the veneer becomes covered in condensation, and even with the bottom edges of the veneer open to such direct steam, no hint of the grip of that cement loosening.Because the styrene road surface needs to rise wherever it meets the tracks, I install it on the tie-ends first (using solvent-type cement, which works well with the styrene ties on the Atlas track), then press the rest of the "pavement" onto the plywood below. This obviously leaves a gap under the styrene between the ends of the ties and the point where the underside of the styrene road meets the plywood. Simply pressing down on the road's surface makes the slope up to the crossing gentle enough to not look unrealistic, and the point at which the styrene meets the plywood is where the bond is made, and apparently stays that way.
dknelson....for my city streets I used the Walthers concrete street system because I liked the "crown" that is built into the system....
While the street area with the track in the pavement is more-or-less flat, it does rise slightly, as noted above, wherever it abuts the rails.However, in the third photo in my previous post, the one with the guy trying to unlock his car door, the road is crowned, although it's not overly apparent in that shot.Here's a better view...
Wayne
I would (and will) use sheet styrene for a siding embedded in an industrial paved area (shown in one of Dr Wayne's photos) but for my city streets I used the Walthers concrete street system because I liked the "crown" that is built into the system. I used adhesive caulk to secure it, smoothed with a spatula made from one of those "your name here" fake credit cards that come in the junk mail.
Dave Nelson
I'd use Tacky Glue or Weldbond. They both hold well to plastic and wood. They stay flexible and won't dry out. They're also easy to use since they come in a squeezable tube, can be cleaned up with water and are easy to smooth out. You don't want anything that could be thick and cause your street to be wavy.
Jim
doctorwayne The styrene roads are atop plywood, and are secured using Weldbond or LePages gelled contact cement. I first use a 2" brush to apply lacquer thinner to the bottom surface of the styrene - this "preps" the plastic, reducing its tendency to draw the solvent out of the contact cement.
The styrene roads are atop plywood, and are secured using Weldbond or LePages gelled contact cement. I first use a 2" brush to apply lacquer thinner to the bottom surface of the styrene - this "preps" the plastic, reducing its tendency to draw the solvent out of the contact cement.
How about DAP Weldwood Contact Cement?
I use styrene for many in-town roads, but it's the .060" thick stuff, which I buy in 4'x8' sheets....
This road is also styrene, but because the sidewalks were already in place, it's only .010" thick.
There'll be similar roads in some of the towns on the upper level of the layout, too, but pretty-well all of the other lower-level towns have roads made of Durabond.
The styrene roads are atop plywood, and are secured using Weldbond or LePages gelled contact cement. I first use a 2" brush to apply lacquer thinner to the bottom surface of the styrene - this "preps" the plastic, reducing its tendency to draw the solvent out of the contact cement. Both the plywood and styrene then get coated with the contact cement, then it's allow to sit for at least 15 minutes (it remains useable up to at least an hour but must be dry to the touch to ensure a good bond).
If you have multiple or interlocking pieces to apply, it may be helpful to lay sheets of waxed paper over the dried contact cement on the plywood, which will allow you to position the cut-out styrene sheet exactly where you want it to go - carefully withdraw the waxed paper from beneath the styrene, pressing the plastic firmly to the plywood and following along with the pressure as the paper is removed. Properly used, contact cement actually does cement on-contact, and will not damage the styrene.To do the street trackage, I taped a large sheet of paper over the tracks, then used a pencil, held almost parallel to the layout's surface, to delineate the position of the outside edges of rails, also marking reference points on the paper and the corresponding position on the layout. I then used scissors to cut along the lines, then used the cut-outs as a pattern, tracing it directly on the sheet styrene.The between-the-rails "paving" was done in a similar manner, and fits between the spike heads on the Atlas tracks, allowing flangeways for the train wheels. If you're using Atlas track, the styrene sheet material can be bonded directly to the styrene ties, using solvent-type cement.
I haven't done any weathering on the street material at all - the idea was to get it in place, then come back later (perhaps years later) to add such details.
As Bear says, rough up the surface and use adhesive caulk, but use a foam compatable type. Henry suggested avoiding Liquid Nails, however, they do have a foam compatable line. I just used cheap latex caulk.
Good luck,
Richard
bearman Score the styrene and the plywood and use adhesive caulk. The rubber cement will eventually crack and you are back to first base.
Score the styrene and the plywood and use adhesive caulk. The rubber cement will eventually crack and you are back to first base.
richhotrainI came across an old thread that talks about how to secure the styrene sheet to plywood.
That thread had a couple recommendations for liquid nails. Liquid nails does not play well with foam, which Ken Patterson has shown in a couple videos.
I am undecided on how I will do my roads on the current layout, so no advice for you Rich.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley