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Styrofoam, the soft, lightweight material that most are familiar with from its use as
insulation and product packaging, is a common material used in crafts and hobby projects.
Whether you're working on something for school or simply making your own crafts for fun,
knowing how to properly glue Styrofoam to a variety of surfaces (including other pieces
of Styrofoam) can allow you to make strong, sturdy projects (or, rather, as sturdy as
possible for something made of Styrofoam). See Step 1 below to get started!
Part 1 Styrofoam Glue Table
Part 2 Picking the Right Glue
Use basic craft glue for simple needs.. For simple, casual arts and crafts projects,
the easiest way to glue Styrofoam is usually to use an ordinary white glue. This basic
glue works reasonably well for a wide variety of uses, especially for gluing Styrofoam to
construction paper, cardboard, and wood. It's also usually the cheapest and most accessible
option, making it a great choice for simple projects.
/images/thumb/9/91/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-1-preview-Version-2.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-1-preview-Version-2.jpg Use Styrofoam glue..
Believe it or not, certain glues are actually developed specifically to be used with Styrofoam.
This glue, sometimes marketed as "Styroglue", is usually fairly affordable, but can also
be more difficult to find than ordinary school glue. Typically, Styrofoam glue can be purchased
at many home improvement or arts and crafts stores.
/images/thumb/d/d6/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-2-preview-Version-3.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-2-preview-Version-3.jpg Use spray adhesive..
Most aerosol adhesives (which are often available at hardware stores for $10 or less per can)
offer a quick, convenient way to glue Styrofoam. Additionally, because these sprays are usually
intended for multipurpose home usage, they generally work on a variety of surfaces. For
instance, one low-price multipurpose adhesive is billed as being able to bind foam materials
to metal, plastic, paper, cardboard, and wood. /images/thumb/d/dc/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-3-preview-Version-2.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-3-preview-Version-2.jpg
Use low temperature hot glue guns.. Ordinary hot glue guns can also work well
to bind Styrofoam to many different craft surfaces, like paper, cardboard, wood, and
so on. However, when using a hot glue gun with Styrofoam, the cooler, the better. Extra-hot
glue can burn or melt Styrofoam, which can release harmful fumes.
/images/thumb/f/f7/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-4-preview-Version-2.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-4-preview-Version-2.jpg Don't use a material-specific glue..
When it comes to gluing Styrofoam, you'll generally want to stay away from glues that
are specifically designed to work on certain materials other than Styrofoam (e.g., wood
glue, fabric glue, glues and epoxies used for construction projects, etc.). While some
of these glues may work fine with Styrofoam, many may not work significantly better than
cheap, basic craft glues, making this an inefficient use of your money. In addition, some select
specialty glues can even dissolve Styrofoam and other plastics (see below).
/images/thumb/2/2c/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-5-preview.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-5-preview.jpg Don't use a glue containing a plastic solvent..
Because it's fairly light and weak, it's easy to forget that Styrofoam is a plastic product.
Styrofoam is essentially "foamed" plastic-that is, it's plastic that's been mixed with air,
resulting in its light weight. Because Styrofoam is plastic-based, you'll want to avoid using
any glues that contain a solvent that can dissolve plastic. Using one of these may erode
your Styrofoam, creating a liquid mess and ruining your project.
/images/thumb/c/cb/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-6-preview.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-6-preview.jpg Part 3
Applying the Glue Clean and prepare your surfaces..
Once you have the right glue, Styrofoam itself is fairly easy to work with-all you'll usually
need to do is apply the glue to the Styrofoam, stick it to the other surface, and wait for
it to dry. However, before gluing, it's always a good idea to clear each surface of dirt
and debris by wiping with a clean, dry rag. Gluing over a dirty or dusty surface can interfere
with the bonding action of the glue, resulting in a weaker hold.
/images/thumb/9/97/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-7-preview-Version-2.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-7-preview-Version-2.jpg Apply the glue..
When you're ready to start, apply your glue to the Styrofoam surface. For the strongest
hold, use a thin, even layer that covers the entire surface. If you're not looking for
a very strong hold, it's also OK to use beads or lines of glue.
/images/thumb/8/8c/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-8-preview-Version-2.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-8-preview-Version-2.jpg Attach the Styrofoam..
When you're ready, press your piece of Styrofoam into the other surface. Press down gently
to ensure that all of the glue comes in contact with the other surface. Depending on the type
of glue and the amount you used, you'll usually have at least a minute or so during which
you can easily slide your Styrofoam around, so use this time to make any minor adjustments
that you need to. /images/thumb/7/71/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-9-preview-Version-2.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-9-preview-Version-2.jpg
Allow time to dry.. Next, all you need to do is wait! Depending
on the size of your project, the type of glue you used, and the amount of glue you used,
your drying time may vary from just a few minutes to many hours. Don't disturb your
project while it dries or you may need to re-apply glue and start the drying process
over. If necessary, use sturdy objects (like books, boxes, etc.) to prop your project in
the proper position while it dries. /images/thumb/4/43/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-10-preview.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-10-preview.jpg
Be wary of Styrofoam's relatively low strength.. Most of the gluing methods described in this
article for gluing Styrofoam are at least somewhat strong and shouldn't fail under normal
conditions once the glue has dried. The same can't be said of Styrofoam itself, which is
an exceptionally weak, fragile building material. Remember to handle styrofoam with care even
after drying is complete-it's not hard to accidentally chip or break Styrofoam projects
on walls, door frames, or other obstructions, glue or no.
/images/thumb/b/bd/Glue-Styrofoam-Step-11-preview.jpg/550px-Glue-Styrofoam-Step-11-preview.jpg Thank you for watching!