Foam safe contact cement

[john_hartman]

I have a (3"H x 16"D x 14ft.L) arch cut from pink insulation foam. I plan to veneer it with .25" maple ply. I purchased a WB contact cement which does not seem to work at all on the test pieces. Does anyone have another idea or know of a product which would do the job?

There isn't a form/mold so using a slow dry glue probably won't work, not to mention that I don't have 100 clamps...

[bcammack]

Would it benefit to "seal" the foam with a skim coat of something to fill the pores and promote a better bonding surface for the contact cement?

I've used the water-based stuff with good success on laminate and even bonding Marlite shower enclosure panels to plywood for a show display booth.

[john_hartman]

"Would it benefit to "seal" the foam with a skim coat of something to fill the pores and promote a better bonding surface for the contact cement?"

I'm already on this. I sprayed 3M contact cement (the industrial kind that eats foam) over a piece which had WB contact cement and it seems to work. I'm also going to try WB Primer. It would be nice not to have to do the extra step though..

[billp]

Have you looked at any of the foam in a can products (like "Great Stuff", or "Enerfoam" - http://building.dow.com/na/en/products/sealants/enerfoam.htm) ?

[nschlee]

Not a Contact Cement but PL makes a Foam Adhesive, PL300, might not set fast enuf for your needs tho.
http://www.stickwithpl.com/Products.aspx?ID=300-Foam-Board-Adhesive

[john_hartman]

Bill- I was not familiar with Enerfoam. It sounds like it might work. But I'm not sure about its dry time.

Neal- I actually got a tube of the PL Foam adhesive today as a last resort. I still haven't figured out how I might hold it all together without using brads or a 100 clamps.

Thanks for the product info guys..

[ron brown]

Not a contact adhesive but epoxy works. Any of the urethanes should also work.

Ron

[bcammack]

Obviously, if you're bonding a veneer to it, the surface isn't too complex a shape (engraved, etc), so I was thinking of Bondo or something similar skimmed onto it to fill the pores.

[ron brown]

BONDO eats EPS foam ... or at least it did the first and last time I tried it.

Ron

[bcammack]

"or something similar"... I included that caveat because I did not have that info regarding Bondo. I was hoping that, as a catalyzed product, it might not.

How about latex caulk as a skim coat? How about spraying iterative coats of latex "oops" paint from the $5.00 shelf at Home Depot? Or brushing on coats of thinned plaster of paris to fill the pores? Model railroaders have been using those last two techniques for some time to construct layout terrain with built-up and carved insulation foam sheets.

Conversely, Harbor Freight often has good prices on spring clamps if you decide the 100s-of-spring-clamps route is the only option.

[john_hartman]

Guys I found the solution. As it turns out 3M makes a contact spray adhesive just for foam! I used it today with great results. Thanks for all the ideas...