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Hey guys, is it possible or a good idea to use normal Elmers glue instead of PVA? I usually use GW or equivalent hobby materials for stuff but I was wondering if this is one corner I could cut. I'm planning on just using it to glue flocking to bases. Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Elmers white glue is essentially PVA, however on advice from a friend I've been useing wood glue, and I will never go back.

Isn't wood glue essentially PVA as well?

I've bought giant bottles of PVA from DIY stores for about the same cost as GW glue.

More PVA than you can briefly shake a stick at before gradually getting covered in PVA

I doubt GW's glue is any better than standard Evo-Stik, just a lot more expensive.

I've used super cheap Chinese no-brand stuff from a 100 yen shop and it worked fine.

I've been picking up bottles of "extra strong" Elmer's glue for basing for awhile now and love it.

Additional related question. I hear a lot people saying to water down PVA glue. Why? I use my straight from the bottle and it works just fine for me.

Just buy pva ! I sell a gallon /5L tub for 5pounds whats that $8 go to ur local Walmart or hardware store and you will get it for next to nothing.

elmers is fine. Whatever you have lying around is probably fine. I use a glue stick, if I'm doing the base in advance. Otherwise, I use wood glue.

I didn't see it directly stated, so I thought I'd ask.

Would Elmer's work for the modelling snow/grass? Saving that kind of money on stupid glue would be awesome.

i take it elmers glue is the U,S name for pva ? then yes . wood glue is pva with added resin for more grab and a harder cure . i use pva neat for most baseing and if im useing sand then give it a wash of pva to seal it .

CURNOW wrote:i take it elmers glue is the U,S name for pva ? then yes . wood glue is pva with added resin for more grab and a harder cure . i use pva neat for most baseing and if im useing sand then give it a wash of pva to seal it .

I don't believe so. I think PVA is an acronym for something....Painter's volatile adhesive? Player versus animal?

Wikipedia wrote:Polyvinyl acetate, PVA, PVAc, poly(ethenyl ethanoate), wood glue, white glue, carpenter's glue, school glue or PVA glue, is a rubbery synthetic polymer with the formula (C4H6O2)n. It belongs to the polyvinyl esters family with the general formula -[RCOOCHCH2]-. It is a type of thermoplastic.

Yeah, Elmers is fine. Elmers Glue-All white glue acts exactly the same as the 5-gallon tub of pH-neutral PVA adhesive I used in bookbinding at the library. The big jugs aren't a different product, they're just a different volume with a bulk discount.

Aduro wrote:I hear a lot people saying to water down PVA glue. Why? I use my straight from the bottle and it works just fine for me.

It's just to help it spread a little easier without building up too much thickness.Also, like paint, PVA tends to thicken over time.

Lowes has a gallon of white glue (elmers) for about $15. Thats what I use and it works great.

Anyone who buys GW PVA, spray paint, etc. is just wasting money. Elmers is PVA for 1/8th the cost, black/whihte spray paint/primer is the same stuff for a fraction of the cost.

I use Elmers for basing, usually coarse ballast type rock. I use undiluted for the initial dip, then, after that dries, wash with a water/glue mixture to seal. After that dries, add static grass, etc. with undiluted glue.

Hell, for a while I used my left-over glitter glue and it works just as fine.

PVA, white glue, wood glue--they're essentially the same thing. It's like asking the difference from a cougar and a mountain lion.

And Elmer's is not cheap if compared to other brands.The quality is basically the same. They can't alter the substance to make it more or less different from other glues of its kind, so just buy the most cheap brand.

I won't recommend glitter glue, though.