Gluing printed plans to cardstock or other paper

[lostinthedark]

Hi Everyone, I am an absolute beginner.
I know that my printer will not take paper heavier than 120gram. Does anyone have experience of printing plans on ordinary paper and then gluing that to heavier paper?
Thanks for any suggestions.

[Kevin WS]

It is not an issue.

• I use a roller to ensure the paper sheets are evenly glued together. Source at a hobby shop.
• My preference is white glue, but be careful not to apply too much.
• Apply and then a bit of scrap cardboard/steel ruler or something similar, to spread quickly and evenly.
• Start the join at one corner. Generally, if the two pages are out slightly this should not matter.
• Cardboard boxes are useful as well - the ones food is packaged in -these are often very thin.
• If you can glue small areas at a time, you will have more success. So if you can cut up sheets into smaller ones, do so.
• Practice with plain paper to start.
• And ensure your hands and work surfaces are clean to avoid marks or finger prints!

Good luck!

[SCEtoAUX]

You can use spray adhesive to glue the printed page to the thicker stock.

You can also try necroscoping:
Bonding (gluing) with cling film (food wrap). IT WORKS!

If you use glue have some heavy objects like books handy to apply weight to the glued together paper while it dries to help avoid curling. I have two pieces of thick and heavy plate glass to provide smooth surfaces. I put the glue up between the glass and add weights on top. Make sure you have some sort of barrier between the weights used and the glue up in case the glue oozes out. You do not want to glue the pages to the weights.

[Kevin WS]

Spray adhesive yes, a great option.

Doug - joining with cling film. Very interesting. Have you tried it?

[SCEtoAUX]

Originally Posted by Kevin WS

Spray adhesive yes, a great option.

Doug - joining with cling film. Very interesting. Have you tried it?

Yes, I have tried it a few times. It worked pretty good. I have not used that method in years, though.

[airdave]

Spray Contact Adhesive (solvent based glue) is better because:
1. the bond is stronger (if the you prepare everything properly)
2. no water content, means no wrinkles and waves
3. its easier to cut through when dry. (some PVA glues dry as hard as rock!)

Thats my opinion and choice for laminating large areas of card/paper of any thickness.

Use a brayer roller when laminating.
Follow the adhesive instructions to the letter (usually a light spray to both parts and let set up for a few minutes before contacting)
I do my best to line up one end of my sheets, and roll out to the opposite end.

Then (if you are concerned about warping) allow the sheets to dry under flat weight for at least 24 hours.
With most projects, the parts are small enough that the page warp doesn't show on in small areas.

----------------
...using a hand Iron?

It sure sounds interesting.
But I am not sure the melted film will bond well enough to the paper surface?


I just reread that thread about Necroscoping...
I totally forgot about that....my memory of forum stuff is not great. lol I can't even remember my own posts!
But theres a lot of information there.
Did anyone get anywhere with the plastic film bonding?
is it something that anyone is using on a regular basis?

[Kevin WS]

Yup Dave. Spray adhesive is the way to go.

I did not really think of it initially - it is hard to find here and very expensive if you can get it, so in this place not an option. But that does not, of course, preclude it as the stuff to use when it is available!

[Sakrison]

Originally Posted by Kevin WS

Spray adhesive is the way to go.

I respectfully disagree.

Spray adhesive should be used only in a well-ventilated area -- preferably outdoors -- while you wear a good filter mask ($$) to prevent inhaling the stuff and latex gloves ($) to prevent contact with your skin. Reading the fine print on some spray adhesive cans will make your hair stand on end--even before you start spraying.

I once used a spray adhesive in the basement and the whole house smelled like glue for a day and half. (If glue-sniffing is your thing, you can ignore this post.) Add to that the waste through overspray and you have an expensive and toxic method.

I have had the best luck with Avery® permanent glue sticks. They are relatively cheap and non-toxic (unless you eat them). They dry clear. UHU also makes good glue sticks but I can't get them around here.

The back of the piece you want to glue down should be coated more or less evenly. Slap the two pieces together, tamp them down with a wallpaper seam roller (a couple of bucks from the hardware store), and clamp them with a couple of heavy books. I sometimes have to reseal corners or small bits with regular white glue (Aleene's Tacky Glue is my favorite.) but that's a minor issue.

I buy my glue sticks in packs of two or three -- enough to l cover a couple of square yards (or meters) of paper. And I can clean the glue off my fingers with soap and water. Spray adhesives may require stronger (and more toxic) brews to clean your hands.

[Kevin WS]

Sakrison - noted and you have a point re the health side.

PVA glue remains my choice (but you need to practice to get the timing and amount right), but I do use glue sticks (UHU) often - when I want to attach small parts and have a longer drying time so I can reposition the parts.

I have tried the glue sticks for larger surfaces but find that "lumps" come off and these then cause unevenness. Is there a way to work around this and get the glue evenly spread?

Temperatures are usually fairly high here so I am sure it is not a temperature issue.

[airdave]

Spray Glue will not hurt you...my brine is fain!


I spray 3M Super 77 almost every day in my basement. No lie.
Thats evidenced by the amount of printing I do, and the amount of test and re-test building I do! lol!
I use my spray glue for a wide range of art projects, as do thousands of other artists and studios (indoors).

My house does not smell of contact cement...no glue fumes are smelled upstairs!
I literally spray within 6 feet of my Furnace/Air Conditioner...Paint fumes do tend to get sucked in.
When I SprayClear a model sheet, you can smell it upstairs for a few minutes.

I also use a "spraybox" to contain the majority of overspray,
but I have learned to spray carefully and sparingly to avoid excessive overspray.
3M Spray 77 is expensive glue and so I don't waste it!

I've never worn gloves when using contact cement, but then I avoid painting it directly on my hands.
Illustration Artists have used contact cement for decades as masking material.
We use our bare fingers to remove it from the work with no ill effects.

I do agree, that a respirator, or good quality spray particulate mask is always a good idea, no matter what you are spraying.

Occasionally I grab a freshly glued sheet the wrong way, and get excess glue on my fingers
...which I clean easily with a small amount of Lighter Fluid on a rag.

The cautions on most products are serious stuff and shouldn't be taken lightly,
but lets face it, a lot of it is there to protect the manufacturer
in case some idiot decides to do something really stupid with the product!