Sticking sheets of polystyrene

Started by Orcs, 09 May 2017, 08:05:44 AM

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Orcs

By this I mean sheets of expanded polystyrene - like ceiling tiles (if you remember those).  Apparently lots of glues ((ie PVA) will not fully dry when sticking them together. while others will eat the polystyrene until  you end up with a sticky mess.

I am planning on making some terrain and costing them with filler mixed with PVA to give me a hard surface to flock.  But I do not want to buy a £20 bucket of tile glue if at all possible as I am only making a few hills

So suggestions please gents
The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson

Techno

You can usually get smallish bottles of PVA (also known as kiddies') glue from somewhere like a newsagent, Mark....Or even a supermarket in their stationery section.

I think the last bottle I bought was around £2 to £3.

Cheers - Phil.

Orcs

Quote from: Techno on 09 May 2017, 10:41:55 AM
You can usually get smallish bottles of PVA (also known as kiddies') glue from somewhere like a newsagent, Mark....Or even a supermarket in their stationery section.

I think the last bottle I bought was around £2 to £3.

Cheers - Phil.

I have a gallon of PVA in the garage £4.50 from Wickes) which is excellent for most stuff but  the problem is it only dries on the edges when used to stick polystyrene. 
The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson

Techno

Aaaaah....Sorry, Matey.....Can't advise on that.
Someone must have an answer.

Cheers - Phil.

jimduncanuk

My Ego forbids a signature.

Astronomican

09 May 2017, 12:05:21 PM #5 Last Edit: 09 May 2017, 12:08:36 PM by Astronomican
I use PVA from Poundland - it's a thicker formula than normal and dries quite well.

I've been building stuff out of polystyrene for decades and always reinforce the glue with toothpicks pushed into the polystyrene at various angles. This helps the pieces of polystyrene stay together while the glue dries.

Also, I don't use filler to finish my polystyrene creations off - I use the same PVA glue and lay sheets of kitchen roll over the top. The kitchen roll doesn't dissolve, absorbs the glue quite well, and dries to a rock-hard finish.

Orcs

Thanks for that, I have some No nails and the PVA soaked Kitchen roll should save some weight and be less likely to chip.

Cheers

Mark
The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson

sunjester

Mark, I've got loads of offcuts of the high density insulation foam in the loft, left over from last year's building work. It will be more durable than polystyrene if you want some to experiment with?


toxicpixie

What Astronomican says re: bracing with tooth picks; I also find you need a very thin coat and squish it down really well so there's as little need for the air to get into it so it dries in the middle!

Like the PVA and paper towel idea, if I ever get round to making some more scenery (Time! Ask me for anything but time!), I might try that :)
I provide a cheap, quick painting service to get you table top quality figures ready to roll - www.facebook.com/jtppainting

fsn

Make sure it's plain paper towels. An embossed pattern tends to stick around.

I can confirm though, that white glue and paper towels makes a nice tough surface.
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toxicpixie

Wise words :D

I'm tempted to try it on a card Roman style "watch tower" I got from Hobbycraft in the Xmas sale. It's a brilliant piece for 28mm gaming, & was about three quid! But has no detail and is very, very smooth... I know it'd likely be plastered (mines a pint of stout, ho ho!), but whoever they got in to do the DIY on the finish it's better than anyone I've seen :D
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Subedai

On a hardboard base I use Poundland PVA on any polystyrene as well but I always place weights on the top to spread the glue around and force it into the gaps between the polystyrene balls. Once 'dried' I then cover the whole thing with strips of masking tape -also from Poundland- like a dry papier -mache(?) and then cover with sand and woodglue.  Made all my hills like this about twenty years ago and they are still in great shape.

MickS
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Westmarcher

I asked a similar question in January, Orcs (don't tell anyone, but the topic is cunningly hidden in the Scenics section under the heading, "Making Hills Out of Polystyrene Question"  :-$ ).

Here . is . a . link .   :P

http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,15370.0.html
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.

Orcs

Quote from: Westmarcher on 09 May 2017, 03:57:49 PM
I asked a similar question in January, Orcs (don't tell anyone, but the topic is cunningly hidden in the Scenics section under the heading, "Making Hills Out of Polystyrene Question"  :-$ ).

Here . is . a . link .   :P

http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,15370.0.html

:-[ :-[  You don't really expect me to look in the most logical place to find things do you as

a) I am a man
b) I am a wargamer

One of the teachers at my kid school used to say to them when they could not find something. " have you just ahd a Daddy Look? Now go and have a Mummy look"
The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson

Orcs

Quote from: fsn on 09 May 2017, 01:26:50 PM
Make sure it's plain paper towels. An embossed pattern tends to stick around.


As long as I don't get that Idiot "Juan" from the "One Sheet" advert  :)
The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson