Anybody know a good adhesive?

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electricocomics

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Hey, I'm new technically not new here but I never actually went back after my first week. I have quite a few done pieces but I'll show some of my work later

Now that this is out if the way, I need to know if anybody knows of a good glue that will not leave much seam lines on Styrofoam since I have had that problem with hot glue and I am getting tired of a prop ruined by spacing between two pieces that isn't supposed to be there.

My dad talked about ABS glue (I think it's that) but I have yet to see if it melts my extruded polystyrene foam as is the case with some materials I experimented with. I thought maybe wood glue but that's specifically for wood.

Any ways what I need is for the glue to hold Styrofoam together well without making ugly seam lines. Can anybody help?
 
You can use superglue and then caulk to perfect them. You could probably use caulk with hot glue too.
 
I haven't tried superglue on polystyrene, but it'd probably be fine. I use superglue on pretty much everything, unless it mates so badly that it needs a filler, where I use 5 minute epoxy.

My first instinct was actually to say contact cement, like Barge or DAP WeldWood. That shouldn't create any seams and you can use multiple coats on each part to ensure a good solid connection on a dimpled surface. If you don't go all the way to the edge, you'll have a clean spot to rub in caulk seam filler.

Might be easier to diagnose the problem if there are pictures of it.
 
This is what I mean.

untitled_by_electricocomics-d8jqukm.jpg

I tried to fill the seams with hot glue but that is becoming a less than desirable option since I want my next project to be really, really cleaner than anything I did before
 
I think the main thing for cleanliness is making your cuts cleaner. Sure filling will make some difference but the rough/wobbliness of cuts makes much more of one especially once the piece is sealed/primed/painted. Plus, cleaner lines will mean you need less, if any, filler, so you could be killing two bird with one stone. If you still have them, caulking should solve the filler problems as that what it's made for.
 
Thanks for the tip. My cuts are usually pretty clean as I replace my blade every 30min to an hour depending on how big an area I have to carve so I dont think that's the source of my problem, especially since here, I was using the face of the foam plank I started off of. I ckecked and the problem really was that the hot glue isn't viscous enough to spread out evenly and prevent one side of the seam from bumping out.

The reason I don't like caulking with hot glue is because it often leaves a drastic change in texture after the paint stage since half of my paints are dollar store acrylics. I still do it but I avoid that technique when I can.

I am happy that both of you mentioned superglue though, I am slaping myself for not thinking about it before right now. Contact cement is a really good idea too, it seems sort of overkill though. On the other hand, it would be better for conventions where you pass the gun to multiple people.

Thanks for the tips!
 
If you're using Styrofoam, I'd do some tests with super 77 spray. It goes on super thin due to it being sprayed on. You have to put the adhesive on both pieces you're gluing together and you MUST let both sides dry before putting them together. If you're using craft foam, i.e. EVA or L-200, I'd use contact cement. Same process: apply to both sides and let dry before putting them together. The only difference is rubber cement will need to be brushed on rather than sprayed. Contact cement is awesome for materials like this because if done properly, the bond it creates will be stronger than the material itself.
 
A good adhesive is barge contact cement, but it can't get a little pricey. If you're looking for a gap filler I would suggest poly filler it's a plumbers epoxy comes in white and red tunes and stays flexible after it dries. Only downside is you can't sand it once it dries, not easily anyway.
 
Thanks everyone, I already knew about contact cement for EVA foam and it will replace my hot glue gun for that. I didn't know about super 77 tough so I'll try that when I can go buy it and test if it melts the Styrofoam or not.
 
Super 77 is just aerosol contact cement (I meant to include it in my list, but forgot). While you're on that shelf, check out Spray 90. Or Hi-Strength 90, whatever. I believe it's super-Super-77.

As always, test before you commit (ideally, just take a couple bits of foam to the store and spray on them).
 
I know, I do that test for spray paint so that I see after how many layers of primer/acrylic paint/mod podge my foam is sealed. I stilol have to do further testing. Anyways I will definitely check it out at my Rona. Sounds awfully practical.
 
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