Dolmetscher007 Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 I am making and hanging wainscoting in my dining room, which requires me to glue hardboard to the wall. I have never worked with hardboard before, and now that I've bought 6 full sized sheets and transported them home, I can honestly say... hardboard is not really all that hard. It wobbles and bends like a cartoon hand saw. I am afraid that if I just tack it up with brad nails, it will "bubble out" slightly, and dent and give-in if you were to touch it. If I use wood glue to try to really laminate it to the wall flat and true, the glue will soak into the hardboard, and not only not work to glue it down properly, it might swell the hardboard and ruin it outright. There are no "to-the-wall" clamps out there, so how do people glue hardboard to a wall for wainscoting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 Hardboard is actually pretty hard, it's just thin, so it's not very rigid. Construction or "No More Nails" adhesive will work well. Just apply it to the wall or the back of the hardboard & tack it in place with brads to hold it till the glue dries. Place the brads so they'll be hidden by trim later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 On smaller pieces , less than 3' x3' , you can use construction adhesive and a few blobs of hot melt to hold it in place while the caulk dries, then you don't have to nail it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolmetscher007 Posted December 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 Guys... what do you think? I have a lot of questions that are more DIY, home improvement, how-to's than they are woodworking. For example, I need to buy a caulk gun, and a YouTube video (my main source of information ) said to make sure to buy a top quality caulk gun so that you don't waste product with squeeze out, or have to rebuy a new one every project because it just fell apart. But, Home Depot sells caulk guns from $4 - $169... not even kidding. They also come in different sizes. Can you buy a heavy duty, big caulk gun, but use smaller caulk tubes, or does the gun have to match the caulk tube??? Anyway... my main question is... do you guys think it is lame for me to post these types of questions here, on a woodworking website? If so, do you have an alternative site that you go to for asking/answering DIY home improvement questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Coop Posted December 7, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 Nah, you're good! You kind of get what you pay for, but a caulking gun is a caulking gun. I wouldn't opt for a piece of tin, but buy the gun that fits the tube. Those big suckers get heavy after a while. Good luck on your project. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 I find that just tripping the release lever isn't enough. I usually pull the plunger back a notch or two, and I still get a bit of oozing from the nozzle. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 if you have a big job i would go with the bigger caulk gun, more bang for the buck and not changing tubes so much. all i would go with a gun that has the ratchet mechamism (looks like a gear) as as opposed to the type that just pinch the feed rod they don't slip, no need to spend a ton of money for one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bankstick Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 I got my calking gun for $1 someplace a long time ago. Handles the standard tubes with no trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 I caulked several things a day every work day for ten years. There are definitely junk guns. The bigger deal is the tube. Any tube that stretches and swells will relax over time with thick caulking. Caulk will squeeze out as that tube relaxes and the pressure built in the tube relaxes even after the release of the gun pressure. Always keep a rag or scrap handy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brum Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 Get the caulk gun with the release lever/button. It'll back off the pressure on the tube just enough to prevent squeezing out. I think i spent 7$ on one at Lowes the other day. Construction adhesive by far works great for hardboard/masonite. I used that and 18ga brad's in the corners to hold it in place on my wainscoting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 I would use contact cement for hardboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 If you don't get the most expensive caulking gun, you will lose credibility here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 9 minutes ago, Llama said: If you don't get the most expensive caulking gun, you will lose credibility here. Now that's funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 Just now, TIODS said: Now that's funny! After spending $1200 on a shoulder plane, $169 sounds like a good deal on a caulking gun! lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 7 minutes ago, Llama said: After spending $1200 on a shoulder plane, $169 sounds like a good deal on a caulking gun! lol Can't believe you bought a cheap shoulder plane 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 Just now, TIODS said: Can't believe you bought a cheap shoulder plane I'll sell it to you for $1199. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 Just now, Llama said: I'll sell it to you for $1199. 2 bucks and not a penny more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 I heard Festool has come out with a caulking gun. Seriously though, a really cheap gun will get the job done, maybe. But it will be awful to use. Something in the $10 - $15 range (in Canada) will be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplemons Posted December 9, 2016 Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 I know you've already bought the hardboard, but I did something for a similar look awhile ago. I put up a chair rail and then from there down I used anaglypta wallpaper. It looked great and allowed me to remove it a few years later when we wanted a change. Being wallpaper, it was still a pain to get off but at least my wall was intact. With hardboard and liquid nails, I think you'll do some serious damage to the wall if you decide to remodel, especially if it's Sheetrock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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