Advice needed, Paper/card bridge repair

[DakotaLove39]

Hey guys. I got myself in trouble by noticing some damage that had been done to a bridge on our club layout. It was constructed by a local legend modeler who is a friend of our club. Unfortunately it's developing some wear and tear from people trying to work around it, or de-railing on it. The bridge girder plates are made of card or paper.

Being that I noticed the wear, I get to fix it, but I am totally unfamiliar with how. What sort of glue should I be using to fix this thing? Is white/craft glue good enough without warping anything?

 

[ianacole]

I would use CA glue, but that's always my go to. If the cardstock is heavy enough, a light application of CA won't warp the paper or cause expansion like a water-based glue might.

 

[GeeTee]

I usually use carpenters glue like titebond , squirt some out on to some cardboard , let it get tacky (dry a little) and then either dip the part in , or use a cheap brush (25 fer $1) to apply it . It will usually set within 4 or 5 minutes and fully cure overnight. If surfaces are rough like sawn plywood coat both and then press together ..You want it t, dry enough it wont warp but wet enough that will still penetrate into the paper and get a good bond, once it gets to the right consistency you can work pretty fast with it.

I have stuff that was glued with carpenters glue 40 years ago and its still together. Paper is so porous you can use just about anything to hold it together , you could even use paint.

Don't use Elmer's School Glue , moisture can cause it re-liquefy and your stuff will fall apart. I wouldn't use Gorilla either , it expands.

 

[logandsawman]

Hi,

I checked this area out in the nice youtube video you posted and I don't think card is the best product for this area. That is a pretty long span to keep it straight, and some changes in humidity will undoubtedly help it to go out of whack periodically.

Maybe someone knows of a plastic product that can be strung together?

Dave