Gluing to Atlas tie material?

[NARmike]

Can any of you offer a suggestion for what adhiesive to use to glue something to Atlas code 55 tie material... Nothing I've tried seems to stick to the stuff with enough strength to handle some amount of force. Maybe some of you have glued Caboose ground thows to it with success... Not what I'm doing but it should be similar.

Help me Obi Wan  .... your my only hope!

Mike

[Zox]

I suspect that, to handle "some amount of force," you're going to have to look at some sort of mechanical fastener (screws into the ties) or retention system (a way to clip onto/between the ties).

Epoxy might work, but even it's happiest when it's got something to "grab" rather than just sitting on the surface.

Tiny screws are here: http://www.trainaidsa.com/shop-fasteners.shtml

[M.C. Fujiwara]

For grade crossing made from surpluss replacement ties, I used Aileen's clear gel tacky glue with great success:



For things that need a stronger bond, I suggest... ready for it... Gorilla Glue!
Just a thin flim should do, and let it fully cure for 3-4 hours (unless you can clamp it).

[GP38-2freak]

I would suggest that your sand the ties a little bit so the glue and the whatever you want to glue to the ties will bond together better, I used CA for this

Tim

[Kisatchie]

For things that need a stronger bond, I suggest... ready for it... Gorilla Glue!

Hmm... I think you mean
Great Ape Glue...

[NARmike]

M.C.; I had tried the Gorilla glue but only let it set for about 30 minutes and I had not dampened the surfaces beforehand. On the second try with the Gorilla glue I dampened the surfaces before applying the glue, clamped the pieces and let it set for 3 hours. This gave me the bond that I was looking for... It looks like it will do the trick for me. Thanks to all of you for your suggestions, I can now quit cussing like a sailor

Mike

[Bob Bufkin]

Mike, I would like you to know that us sailors and ex sailors do not f------ , GD, SOB cuss.

[NARmike]

 .... Um.... that was a typo.... it should read "tailor"...  ya...cussing like a tailor..." f'in GD suits never f'in fit right anyway!"

[mmagliaro]

It might help if we knew what you were attaching and how much "some amount" of force is.

I have tried epoxies and plastic solvent cements, even the Plastruct stuff that works on plastics
here other solvents won't.  None of them really hold.   When I mount slide switches to my turnouts,
I'm using a screw and nut backed up with epoxy. 




And it is all embedded into the terrain with caulk
adhesive all around it.  So it holds well.

But I think if screws are not possible, you might try heat-melting.
I know I have attached things to plastic ties before by touching with a soldering iron and fusing/melting
the two things together (if they are both plastic).   I must beg off on remembering exactly what this
was.  I can't!

It takes a light touch and a bit of luck.  But it is very strong as I recall.

[nkalanaga]

I think the ties are Delrin, or a related material, and doubt that any common glue will stick to them.  For grade crossings, my solution is simple.  Wet the ballast, if it's been ballasted, apply enough Elmer's or similar yellow carpenter's glue to fill any gaps between the ties and lightly coat the tops, then put the crossing in place.  The carpenter's glue dries hard, even in thick coats, and will glue the crossing to the ballast or roadbed rather than the ties.  Wetting the ballast allows the glue to soak in a little, getting a better bond.

As for gluing Caboose Industries ground throws to it, I never found a glue that would stick to THEM, so doubt that they can be glued to Atlas (or Micro-Engineering) track.  On my last layout I used them, and even when filled with dried white glue, from sloppy ballasting, the ground throws still worked.

If you can dig a hole under the track, I'd put a piece of wood there, large enough to hold the track and ground throw.  Spike the track, nail or screw the throw, and forget about attaching the two to each other.

[Chris333]

I've never had problems using ACC with Atlas ties. I don't know about the ground throws though. If I had to try it I would sand both surfaces with something like 120 grit before using ACC.

I used small switches to throw Atlas turnouts, but I ACCed styrene to the bottom and installed the switch to that: