For the strongest bond we recommend:
- Elmer's Probond Polyurethane Adhesive
- LePage's Universal Adhesive
- Gorilla Glue
- or any other Polyurethane adhesive
but remember you must clamp this bond
while it cures.
For an alternative that requires no clamping we recommend:
LePage's Press-Tite Green Contact Cement
Other alternatives that require no clamping but are a stronger bond if
you can clamp, we
recommend:
- LePage's Bulldog Grip PL200
- No More Nails
For the fastest bond we recommend:
- Hot Glue
but remember to put the glue on the wood first,
then contact it to the styrofoam.
And for the least toxic alternative we recommend:
Weldbond
Styrofoam is a plastic that has been whipped up like a milkshake and then
cured that way. That's what makes it light. Like plastic, there are many
different formulas for styrofoam. They may contain any combination of
styrene, urethane, neoprene or vinyl. For this reason choosing the
correct adhesive is not easy. For our tests we used polystyrene which
is a composition of styrene, chlorodifluoroethane and ethyl chloride, for
those of you who care. The most important things
to remember when choosing an adhesive for styrofoam are:
- Never use an adhesive that contains a solvent. It will erode the styrofoam releasing all
sorts of toxic fumes
- Choose adhesives that are suited for not porous materials (remember styrofoams are
plastics and plastics are non-porous)
- Never use hot glue directly on to styrofoam. There are some cases when hot glue is an
appropriate adhesive, but it should be applied to the material you are bonding the
styrofoam to and left to cool a few seconds before contacting the styrofoam. The glue
will get lost in the hole that it has burned, and burning plastics releases toxic fumes.
- Remember, a glue is only as strong as the weakest material in the union. Styrofoam is
easily broken and has very little tensile strength. In our tests, if the styrofoam broke
before the bond, the glue was considered strong enough.
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