How to use glue

Arizona Heat

New Member
Well here I go asking another question. I am going to use small pebbles and large pebbles as my ground cover. I know through this forum posts to use white glue and my question is how to thin it down so it flows into the pebbles. I am thinking maybe a 2part glue to 3part water. Any suggestions would be appreciated.:D :D
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
The key to getting the glue water mix (some variation on the 50/50 will be about right) to flow is "wetting".

This can be done a variety of ways. Many people advocate a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in the mix (don't shake it! ;)).

I prefer to "pre-wet" the whole area using a 50% isopropyl alcohol. It comes at that strength right from the Dollar Store. I use an eyedropper to apply it to the scenery. Once it is wet, the gue mix will flow wherever the alcohol went. I don't need to add the d/w liquid to the mix at all.

Andrew
 

doctorwayne

Active Member
I also use a 50/50 mixture of white glue and water, but no dish detergent in the glue mix. Instead, I use a large, hand operated sprayer loaded with plain tap water and 4 or 5 drops of dish detergent. Simply spray the area with this "wet" water before you apply the glue mixture. If you're using lightweight ground foam as ground cover, aim the first few spritzes of "wet" water upward, so as to not blow the foam all over the place. Once it becomes dampened by the falling mist, it will stay in place better and can be sprayed directly. And when you apply the glue, it should soak in immediately. If it beads up on the surface, you need more "wet" water. Also, don't skimp on the application of the glue mixture either, especially if you've got a thick layer of scenic materials. When ballasting track, I usually do, where required, rip-rap, coarse stone fill, cinder under-ballast, and the finished ballast layer in one application. It sometimes takes 2 or 3 days for the glue to set up, and even longer for it to fully harden. I use a small plastic applicator bottle, which allows me to work much faster than with an eyedropper. If you're going to be doing lots of this type of work, it's much cheaper to buy your white glue by the gallon, at any hardware store or home improvement centre.

Wayne
 

jim currie

Active Member
i on the other hand use a cheep house paint to put down ground cover just dob it on thick and sprinkle ground gover over it .
 

Arizona Heat

New Member
doctorwayne said:
I also use a 50/50 mixture of white glue and water, but no dish detergent in the glue mix. Instead, I use a large, hand operated sprayer loaded with plain tap water and 4 or 5 drops of dish detergent. Simply spray the area with this "wet" water before you apply the glue mixture. If you're using lightweight ground foam as ground cover, aim the first few spritzes of "wet" water upward, so as to not blow the foam all over the place. Once it becomes dampened by the falling mist, it will stay in place better and can be sprayed directly. And when you apply the glue, it should soak in immediately. If it beads up on the surface, you need more "wet" water. Also, don't skimp on the application of the glue mixture either, especially if you've got a thick layer of scenic materials. When ballasting track, I usually do, where required, rip-rap, coarse stone fill, cinder under-ballast, and the finished ballast layer in one application. It sometimes takes 2 or 3 days for the glue to set up, and even longer for it to fully harden. I use a small plastic applicator bottle, which allows me to work much faster than with an eyedropper. If you're going to be doing lots of this type of work, it's much cheaper to buy your white glue by the gallon, at any hardware store or home improvement centre.

Wayne
Here is what I did? I mixed glue to 6 parts water to 4 parts glue and I mixed this combination into a plastic bowl (old butter container) and dropped all of the stones into the mixture and then spread them out on my layout with a teaspoon and here is what I came up with. It seals it self very well with no glue showing:D :D


 

doctorwayne

Active Member
For the size and type of material that you're using, your method may be the best solution. Just curious: what's the material that you're using for the top surface of the layout? Is it plaster or foam, or something else altogether?

Wayne
 

Arizona Heat

New Member
MilesWestern said:
Arizona heat: any way you could make the pictures larger so we could enjoy more of you work? Thanks if you can!
Just left click on the pics and they will explode so you can view them. Sorry this is the only way photo bucket will work. Thanks for your inquiry:thumb:
 
N

nachoman

Ken, it looks like you have a creative knack for this hobby :)

seriously, sometimes the best way to learn this stuff is just experimentation. What works for one doesn't always work for another. Considering where you live, a hobby store must be a long way, eh? I lived in williams for a few years, and would have to drive to prescott to visit a hobby store, about an hour and a half drive. When you live so far from a hobby store, ya kinda have to make do with what you have on hand. maybe some twigs from a sagebrush lining the river as driftwood. I've made prickly pear cactus from twist ties from the produce section of the supermarket. Here is a link to a tutorial I posted:

http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=17052&highlight=prickly+pear

kevin
 

Arizona Heat

New Member
doctorwayne said:
For the size and type of material that you're using, your method may be the best solution. Just curious: what's the material that you're using for the top surface of the layout? Is it plaster or foam, or something else altogether?

Wayne
doctorwayne I am a newbie here so this is my first layout. I didn't know about the plaster or foam so I just put this layout on a 4x8 plywood and began from there. But since I have learned a lot from the GAUGE forums I will incorporate my next layout on something other than basic plywood. I think that my method would probably work good with whatever top surface you may use but it is very time consuming. But all I have is time to enjoy my new hobby.:D :D
 

Arizona Heat

New Member
nachoman said:
Ken, it looks like you have a creative knack for this hobby :)

seriously, sometimes the best way to learn this stuff is just experimentation. What works for one doesn't always work for another. Considering where you live, a hobby store must be a long way, eh? I lived in williams for a few years, and would have to drive to prescott to visit a hobby store, about an hour and a half drive. When you live so far from a hobby store, ya kinda have to make do with what you have on hand. maybe some twigs from a sagebrush lining the river as driftwood. I've made prickly pear cactus from twist ties from the produce section of the supermarket. Here is a link to a tutorial I posted:

http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=17052&highlight=prickly+pear

kevin
Kevin: Yes I am experimenting on my first layout. I have never tried this hobby before but I enjoy it so much that I either have to drive to Prescott or Boulder City Nevada to get my items so I figured out why do that when there are so many freebies around here that you can utilize for your layout. So what I did was went and found a pile of landscape rocks behind a new company that was building here and ask if I could have some of the landscape rock and was told take all you want for your hobby. I loaded up 3 five gallon containers and brought it home. I then sifted it out through my wife's flour sifter for the fines and then I drilled holes through old butter containers from 3/32, 5/32, 7/32, 3/16 and left the bigger ones for boulders. (I know, a lot of people would rather buy the material than do it my way) but when you enjoy your hobby so much and have nothing but time like Nike says Just do it...lol. And by the way, I am experimenting with your prickley pear info. Hope it is not patented:D :D I will keep my progress posted via pics. Thanks for your reply:thumb:
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
Ken,

Your method sounds very similar to what Paul "Shamus" Templar has advocated - mixing the ballast with powdered wallpaper paste and water and then smoothing it on with a spatula of some kind.

Andrew
 
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