Glue Removal

Bob Collins

Active Member
I found that I needed to take up a turnout to make an adjustment in my track alignment. No problem at all getting the turnout up, but now I have the glue residue left on the cork trackbed. It is hard, of course. I'm wondering if the most accepted method to remove it is just to carefully chip away at it, or maybe I should wet it and this would allow me to wipe it off?? Any suggestions?

Bob
 

Gary Pfeil

Active Member
Bob, If it was white glue, you should be able to wet it and remove the glue. If it was the yellow carpenters glue, I would just take the cork up and replace with new. If you are realigning track you probably need to realign the cork as well, no?

Gary
 

Bob Collins

Active Member
Sorry gentlemen. after I shut down the computer last night it dawned on me that I hadn't specified the type of glue :eek: :eek:

It is Elmer's white glue. I think when I have a few minutes today I will try to wet it and see if it will wipe off.

I don't need to realign the cork because it is at a place where several tracks come together and I had used a piece of a sheet of cork I bought at the auto parts store. That was part of my problem. I wouldn't hesitate to take up regular cork roadbed if I couldn't get the glue off, but this piece of cork, the majority of which went into this particular place cost about $6.00US and I wanted to try to save it before I just pitched it and started over again.

Thanks

Bob
 

justind

Member
similar question

I used a 50/50 spray of white glue and water (actually way more water than glue) to affix some scenery on a module. When I was done everything was coated in white goo, which dried into the ground cover and affixed everything wonderfully...except Lichen. The Lichen looks like it has a coat of dust on it, which is really the residue of dried glue. I am not sure why it didn't seep into the lichen like it did everything else, but my question is this. If I wetted those areas a couple of times a day would the lichen start to absorb the softened glue or is it just there forever? And why is it there?

Thanks all.
 

roryglasgow

Active Member
Lichen is like a sponge. It's probably soaking up the water and leaving the glue behind outside because the glue particles are too large to pass through the walls. If you could immerse the lichen in water, then the glue might come off...but then you'd have to wring out your lichen!

I tried gluing it down with 50/50 like the ground foam, but couldn't get it to work either. The best solution I found was to wait for the ground cover to dry, then hot glue the lichen "bushes" down.

-Rory
 
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