Spray bottles for applying diluted glue?

[hornblower]

Lots of good ideas from all here!  I'll add just one more.  Most of us know someone that wears contact lenses (it may even be you). Ask them to save you their empty solution bottles for you as these bottles give you the metering accuracy of a pipette with enough capacity to do an entire scenery job without refilling.  As throw-away items, they are cheap, too!  Some of the smaller travel size or special cleaning solution bottles are just the right size for getting into tight spots.  The different solution brand bottles use different designs but they all have some type of tip that easily pops in and out, or on and off, multiple times without causing leaks.  As a contact lens wearer myself, I try to bring a few empties to all of the operating sessions I attend in case someone else is doing scenery work on their own layout.

[mlehman]

Excellent tip, Hornblower. Another source of such small mister bottles is the eyeglass cleaning solution bottle that usually comes with a new pair of glasses. I usually use these for weathering, but you can also use them to spray adhesives. The nozzles don't usually adjust on these, but thta's OK for most applications.

In fact, if you're a beginner to spraying adhesive and need something with a limited learning curve, these bottles would work well because of the small size. This would let the rookie to more easily maintain control, get in close and limit overspray.

When you're finished, ALWAYS remember to spray clean water through whatever rig you use to spray adhesives until it runs clear.

[hon30critter]

hornblower

Lots of good ideas from all here!  I'll add just one more.  Most of us know someone that wears contact lenses (it may even be you). Ask them to save you their empty solution bottles for you as these bottles give you the metering accuracy of a pipette with enough capacity to do an entire scenery job without refilling.

Great suggestion!!

Thanks

Dave

[Medina1128]

kasskaboose

No success here with spray bottles for diluting glue.  The spray mechanism gets hosed from the glue drying out.  I might try the spoon since it's much easier than the spray and don't feel bad for wasting. 

I can also see the value of using the long plastic containers for mustard and ketchup.

 

After using the spray bottle, fill a plastic cup with hot water. Remove the pump mechanism and dip it in hot water. Pump the hot water until it comes out clear. That prevents the glue from clogging the pump.

[dehusman]

Medina1128

After using the spray bottle, fill a plastic cup with hot water. Remove the pump mechanism and dip it in hot water. Pump the hot water until it comes out clear. That prevents the glue from clogging the pump.

Even better way.

After spraying glue, thow the bottle away and never spray glue again.  Spraying glue gets it on EVERYTHING.  Rails, ties, scenery, buildings cars, anything that's within a foot or so of the spray.  

Spray water.

Then add the glue in a more controlled manner, right where you need it.

[Medina1128]

dehusman

 

 

Medina1128

After using the spray bottle, fill a plastic cup with hot water. Remove the pump mechanism and dip it in hot water. Pump the hot water until it comes out clear. That prevents the glue from clogging the pump.

 

 

Even better way.

After spraying glue, thow the bottle away and never spray glue again.  Spraying glue gets it on EVERYTHING.  Rails, ties, scenery, buildings cars, anything that's within a foot or so of the spray.  

Spray water.

Then add the glue in a more controlled manner, right where you need it.

 

I was talking about gluing large areas, which I think the OP was referring to. I even noted that he'd need to protect things near the area; track, structures, etc. For large areas, other modelers have even done videos on the subject.

Retraction: I reread the OP's original post, and you are correct, he was referring to spraying the glue to ballast. I agree. Spraying glue for ballast is a PITA. I spray the wetting agent, 70% rubbing alcohol, then apply the glue using either a condiment bottle or a medicine dropper.

[robert sylvester]

I have to go with Dr. Wayne on this. Years ago I thought of a brilliant idea, of using a spray bottle to adhere ballast to the railroad. So I made up a batch of diluted white glue, after spraying the ballast with the water I sprayed the white glue all over the ballast and track. Just as I finished I realized I was going to have to clean off the tracks, and I did not protect the turnouts and the glue mixture mixed into the switches, that's not good. So there I was, all surfaces glued, track and turnouts. The turn outs got stuck and I had a devil of a time removing the glue residue.

I decided than and there never to use a spray bottle on the track, scenery only. I then started using ETOH in the spray bottle then a pippette to apply the glu to the ballast. Much better, and the ETOH doesn"t cause the turnouts to get stuck.

I also will use the Elmer's glue bottle , mix the glue and water, 1 part glue to 4 parts water and dribble the glue mixture on the tracks an ties. You have good control when you do it that way.

When I've just laid some track I will ballast it without glue for a while and allow the ballast to settle in and make adjustments as needed. Once I have added the glue mixture is completed I let everything dry for a day or so, then I use a fine wire brush to remove the excess ballast from the tracks.Then I go over the rails with rail cleaner then add Labelle 101 oil to the rail heads to improve electrical pick up.

Thanks,

Robert Sylvester

Newberry-Columbia Line, SC

 

 

[hon30critter]

Thanks Robert and everyone,

As I said earlier, I'm not a fan of spraying glue but I said that I would ask the question on behalf of the club members who do want to use sprayers. The majority of respondents advise against spraying glue and that is exactly what I'm going to tell them.

Dave

[kasskaboose]

Spray glue was OK on the 1st layout.  The problems I encountered were inconsistent coverage and clogging the bottles from glue drying.  It seems using a eye dropper is the only viable solution.

[davidmurray]

Dave:

 

I use a child's medicine dropper, big than an eye dropper.

Dave

 

[RealGomer]

I'm glad I found this thread. Parts of my first layout in 40 years are supposed to have gravel or dirt areas. I use very fine ballast for the gravel areas. Any way, it appears the best way to hold the stuff in place is 1) Spritz a light coat of alcohol over the area, and then 2) dribble diluted white glue or equivalent, over the area. I though I had the "grit" secured until I tried vacuuming up the spillage. Nope. The hand held vacuum's exhaust blew down so the grit got even more fouled up.

[rrinker]

 It coming up easily is typically a symptom of the glue not penetrating all the way. There are two things to do - more alcohol, so it's dfefinitely wet, not just slightly damp, and, if like me, your area had hard water, either buy distilled water or use alcohol to dilute the glue. As I mentioned, the common method of a couple of drops of dish soap plus water to dilute the glue has NEVER worked for me, I only ever get the thin crust effect. More soap and it just gets foamy. 

                                 --Randy

[joe323]

With alcohol, in particular, you need to work in small sections say 2 to 3 feet at a time so it does not have time to evaporate.

I use eye droppers to apply everything.

[jjdamnit]

Hello All,

After discovering this thread I changed my method of ballasting.

Rather than spraying or applying the glue I now spray the wetting agent. The glue is built into the ballast, so to speak.

I recently had to Remove & Replace a turnout and add a modified curved turnout to reroute the mainline.

All I had to do was wet the ballasted sections with an isopropyl alcohol/water mix, wait a few minutes and violá! The track sections released.

I cleaned the track sections to be reused with the same solution that I took them up with.

The "used" ballast was cleaned with the same wetting solution, dried and reused.

The ballast that remained from the uplifted track sections helped align the new track sections.

I re-ballasted the new section, using the same method, and within 24-hours the new track was ready for service.

As long as the ballast/glue mixture does not get into the workings of the turnouts the sprayed alcohol/water mix simply evaporates and will not clog them.

Hope this helps.

[RR_Mel]

I use Beauty Product Applicators for all of my scenery.  I mix Elmer’s General Purpose White Glue with tap water (we happen to have very good water) at 1 glue to 8 water.  This is the applicator I use for the gluing and alcohol process.  The needle point nozzle works out very good for me.

 

 

I use a slightly larger applicator for material.

 

 

I cut the nozzle for the proper hole needed for good application.

 

This is what they look like ready to use.

 

 

Notice the different nozzle lengths for the different size material.

 

I use Harbor Freight brushes for spreading the alcohol.

 

 

This is a mountain road done with this process. 

 

 

 

With the gravel mixed to mud like it’s easy to spread with a putty/taping blade.

 

As for ballast the picture below shows what it looks like applied with the above process over 15 years ago.

 

 

 

The road was done using the same process and Arizona Rock & Mineral Asphalt Power mix also spread with a taping blade.  It too is roughly 15 years old.

 

 EDIT:

 

Sorry I didn't check page 1

 

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[BRAKIE]

I use a recyced tall mustard squeeze bottle for the basic application of ballast glue then I follow up by covering the area being worked on with a light overcoat of diluted white glue in a spray bottle. For ground cover I use a 2" brush to brush the diluted white glue  on,sprinkle on the ground cover,followed by a light spray of diluted white glue.