Latest posts for the thread "Glue for Basing"

Glue for Basing

pgowdy13 — GMT

Hey everyone,

I've recently completed the first 1000 points of my Space Marines, and the last thing I did was the base. I'm doing a sort of gravel/urban base style, but I'm running into a bit of trouble. I used Elmer's glue on the bases. I used a gakky paintbrush, brushed a bunch of glue onto the base, and then sprinkled the gravel all over it (I got the gravel from army painter). It seems, even after 2 days of drying, that it is often falling off, and in general makes a huge mess. Should I add another layer of glue? Did I use the wrong type of glue in the first place? I'd really like my bases to stay together and not flake off. Thanks!

Glue for Basing

Praxiss — GMT

I use white PVA glue on mine.

let it dry overnight, then tap off the excess. add another layer if you need to, then use soemthing to seal it on (paint or varnsih for example)

Glue for Basing

Rimmy — GMT

Praxiss wrote:
I use white PVA glue on mine.

let it dry overnight, then tap off the excess. add another layer if you need to, then use soemthing to seal it on (paint or varnsih for example)

Elmers glue IS white PVA. (actually surprised me but so is wood glue)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_acetate

OP: you might have used too much glue, and not enough sand. you really need to coat the glue in the basing material, not sprinkle it.

if its a problem, you CAN pre mix the glue and sand, just add more glue and apply that way. a crappy paintbrush is a good thing here.

if you don't like them, just remove it and try again. should pull right off.

Re:Glue for Basing

BrotherVord — GMT

I'd put some varnish over the top of it, or even try using super glue...I use some lighter super glues for my bases without any problems (the not-so-heavy-duty glues don't leave the white residue)...GW glues work for this, as well as zap a gap and krazy glue

Glue for Basing

Foxfyre — GMT

The problem with using straight PVA is it can begin to dry before you're finished applying it evenly, adding a (literal) couple of drops of water and mixing can vastly improve flow.

Once applied to a base I quickly dip the base in then set it aside for 24hrs.

After 24hrs I tap the base to remove any pieces that haven't adhered at all (not too vigourously, you don't want to remove any material that would adhere after the next step)

Once the loosest debris has been removed a 2nd coat of watered down PVA is applied and allowed to dry for 24hrs.

I have hundreds of bases using the above method and not one has shed its basing material.

Re:Glue for Basing

pgowdy13 — GMT

Oooooh, so I should definitely paint it after I use glue on the base? It sounds like the "seals" it. I'll also try watering my glue down a little bit, and using that over the top of it.

Re:Glue for Basing

Fango — GMT

I know its a little late now, but I tend to base my models before priming...That way the basing material gets a good coat of spray primer paint before I start in with base coating, etc. This helps to seal the top of the basing material so when you go to paint it, it doesnt take a tons of paint....I use a mixture of beach sand (I live near the coast in California) and woodland scenics balast/gravel (comes in different grain sizes). This ends up looking like dirt with some small rocks interspersed. I use standard Elmers white PVA glue, non-diluted.....unless its kinda old and gunky, then I'll add just a little bit of water to help it spread out more. I keep the sand mix in a re-sealable container, like an instant coffee tin, and dip the models base in after covering it with the glue using an old paintbrush.

I find that if I don't spray prime the basing materials, the sand ends up soaking up tons of my paint when I try to brush it on....plus, the watered down paint will sometimes dissolve the glue a little and make the sand come loose...

This is after years and years of trial and error. Some people swear by basing after the model is fully painted...my way just works better overall for me, by saving me some time and effort.

Glue for Basing

davethepak — GMT

I use craft glue, its usually better than just the white elmers "school glue".

All the other advice here is very good, only a few other things to add:
* paint your base first. that way any pieces of basing that fall off, or do not cover it well, you have a color underneath.
* you can mix paint in your glue, if you want a bottom layer color (may not work with all effects).
* a later coat of watered down glue can help.

best of luck!

Glue for Basing

Eilif — GMT

There are different types of PVA. The white stuff you used in school is not ideal.

The Craft store PVA you want is called "Tacky Glue". It's sold under a variety of brands (Aileens is common and comes in a gold bottle) you can get it at any craft store. It is thicker and stickier than any elmers.

You can seal in the basing with a coat of PVA, but while you're at the craft store pick up some "Acrylic Matte Varnish" from the arts and paints section. It goes on thinner than PVA and provides good protection.

Glue for Basing

oadie — GMT

Plain old Elmer's has always been enough for me, although a good wood glue or Aileen's Tacky Glue would likely be stronger (more PVA, less filler is what I've been told). The thing with simply spreading on glue and sprinkling on grit is that there isn't necessarily good contact between all the grains and the adhesive. Applying a thick enough layer of glue and gently tamping down an excessive amount of material will help things from getting sparse when you knock away the loose grains.

I also seal things down afterward, which really helps keep the basing in place in the long run. I use a mixture of white glue and craft paint (in the color I'll prime with), thinned a bit with water and slathered over the top. As it dries, it settles down into the cracks pretty well, locking everything in place and, because of the paint, coloring the recesses that subsequent spray may not reach (assuming I've based before priming, as I do with my orks - still, it should help with painting the base, even when doing so by hand). Unless your basing grit has an incredibly fine grain, the thinned PVA/paint should preserve plenty of texture.