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I was pretty excited a couple weeks ago when I came across some plastic plants in a Goodwill store that I knew would make for some good jungle terrain. So I brought them home, took them apart and started hotgluing them to CDs. In general, the look was really nice. I took them to my FLGS and got in a few games with them, incomplete as they were. I packed 'em up and brought them home to add some sand and flock to the CDs to finish them off.

Here's where my difficulties began. I put down a layer of white glue on the CD and around the hotglued plants and covered it with sand. The next day, when I flipped the CDs over to shake off the sand, the sand stayed (good!), but the hotglued plants came off! Not all of them - but at least a few per CD. On a couple almost all the plants fell off. So, I hotglued the plants back on and added another layer of white glue and sand (the first layer was good, but I wanted to make sure I had solid coverage). Flipped them over again today, and the same thing happened - the hotglued plants came off again.

I'm wondering if the moisture from the white glue is seeping between the CD and hotglued plants and loosening the bond, causing them to come off. Has anyone had something similar to this happen? Any ideas on remedying the situation? I've got 11 CDs of jungle terrain and I'm not excited about the amount of superglue I'd have to use if that's what it will take to get the plants to stay on.

Try using liquid nails or an epoxy? Nothing should come loose if you use either of those!

Hm. Liquid nails is a good thought.

May pass on the epoxy, though. I hate using epoxy. The last time I used epoxy was trying to keep an old skool metal Wraithlord together back in the late 90's - such a pain.

Your problem may be more from the CD. Its a material that isn't exactly easy to bond with, and although it is rather Hard, there is still a bit of flexibility to it too which can eventually, through flexing, break the bond. Just like paint would if you tried painting a CD. Hot glue should work, as it allows the material to flex a bit which leads me to believe its the CD base instead.

I use something called Gorrilla glue. Anything that doesn't have a smooth surface i use it, so terrain, bases etc etc

Mm. Gorilla glue's another I hadn't thought of - that's another I'll have to look into. Thanks, Luna!

Da_Todfatha wrote:Your problem may be more from the CD. Its a material that isn't exactly easy to bond with

mmmm....not exactly, CD's are made from polycarbonate, a type of plastic, it is not the material does not bond well, it is the surface is so smooth there is not much to provide a solid weld. I would use normal superglue, but before sticking the 2 surfaces together, I would ruff up the area on the CD where the plant will glue, and on the plant, this will increase the surface area of the surfaces and provide more bite for the glue.

Ashton

Hot glue only works on porous materials. Try some plastic glue, whatever you use to put your models together, superglue etc...

My only suggestion would be to allow things to dry, and when i say dry i mean dry hard, dry and solid. before adding anything else like hot glued plants

I'd use some sandpaper on the CD to create a better surface to bond to and then use some sort of flexible adhesive.

Hot glue would be initial choice, then I'd probably lay down some PVA to seal things better. Once that was fully dry I'd apply more PVA and add the basing material.

Hm. More good thoughts. I very easily could've done a single layer of sand first, then the plants, then more sand...That would've solved some of the issues.

Man, I really don't want to have to take off all the remaining plants and start over again. That's part of what's keeping me from scuffing up the CDs with sandpaper or a grinder - I'd have to remove all the sand and plants I've already attached.