Epoxy + insulation board?

[Thomaston]

Does anyone know if 2 part epoxy glue works with insulation board? I remember epoxy can get pretty hot as it cures, would it melt the board?

Are there stronger/better alternatives? I need to glue insulationboard to plastic and need it to withstand some rough handling.

Tired is enough.

[Tony S]

I seem to recall that contact cement and styrofoam is a very bad combination. The solvents in the glue just melt the styrofoam almost instantly.

I’d test a bit of the insulation if I were you.

There is a product called “liquid nails” which might be appropriate? It’s fairly tough and robust.

[willz]

Tony S wrote:

I seem to recall that contact cement and styrofoam is a very bad combination. The solvents in the glue just melt the styrofoam almost instantly. I’d test a bit of the insulation if I were you. There is a product called “liquid nails” which might be appropriate? It’s fairly tough and robust.

I am with Tony on this one, use “No more nails” or “hot glue gun” both will work equally well.

[Thomaston]

I’ll give ‘no more nails’ a try.

Tired is enough.

[Andrew Beasley]

Just be aware of a couple of very minor drawbacks with No Nails:

1. Any glue that seeps out of the layers is a right pain to cut when dry.  Wipe it off with a damp cloth as soon as it shows else you risk cutting the foam as the knife slips when trimming it (not that I have every had that issue grrr).  This can give later shaping with a hot wire / knife a problem.
2. It sticks well – check for any slips before you cannot correct them…

Look for the ‘industrial glue gun’ variant – lots cheaper than the home squeeze / toothpaste tube style if you have a handle.  It does not spread as well or as easy but you need a lot less with this than PVA.  I normally use a small off-cut of foam to spread with as this ruins paintbrushes in seconds and is a right pain to get off your hands / gloves – the latest set of adverts on YouTube show the plant box / tire box being applied to the wall WITHOUT any spreading – I’ve not tried that.

Maybe try one of the many ‘look alike’ copies – they seem to work as well for wood but I’ve never tried any on foam TBH

The glue does not seem to suffer the PVA ‘dry from the outside’ issue.  I’ve often found that the PVA I used (normally WS Scenic Glue / Hobby-Tac etc not cheap £1 a tube stuff) has dried where the air had reached but was still wet days after in the middle.  I know this is the way PVA works but its still a little advantage if you change your mind a week later (or suffer from #2 above – not that I every have).

 

[Author]

Posts