Best Consistency For Contact Cement Is?

[McJeep]

As the topic asks, what is the best consistency for contact cement to be most effective? I find it;s too thick outta the can and have been thinning it but sometimes I find it's basically barely painting the leather and other times it's rolling into balls or dragging itself along the piece instead of spreading on it.

What signs can I look for during the thinning process to know that I've got it the right consistency? Can I count the drops that come off the stir stick like we used to do when mixing car paint?

Any advice welcome

Rob

[Art]

Hi Rob,

I will preface this by saying I do not know about the new Barge, I gave up on it. You can thin Master and Colle de Cologne down till they will spray with a larger tip. I remember when I first started, I used to get Barge in tubes, that stuff was thick and awful, and I thought there had to be a better way. I asked a cobbler about it and he laughed. He told me to make it as thin as I liked, I could always paint on a second coat if I wanted, just let them dry 10-15 minutes between and after. I add enough thinner in the glue pot so it doesn't cling to the brush, it come right off, no goops or globs, just streams off and drips. That is how I prefer it, some might like it thicker. With it thinner, it will soak into the leather a little more and might require a second coat. After you put the cs on and let it dry, you can see if you have a good coat, it will go hard and shiny, if it is dull re-coat it.

When you start using accelerators things get a little different.

Art

As the topic asks, what is the best consistency for contact cement to be most effective? I find it;s too thick outta the can and have been thinning it but sometimes I find it's basically barely painting the leather and other times it's rolling into balls or dragging itself along the piece instead of spreading on it.

What signs can I look for during the thinning process to know that I've got it the right consistency? Can I count the drops that come off the stir stick like we used to do when mixing car paint?

Any advice welcome

Rob

[Ferg]

We used to build commercial cabinets and furniture, used many many gallons of contact cement, namely latex. I find using the latex contact for leather work edges doesn't work too well because of it's color, ours was green. Before using the latex we used 3M solvent based and many gallons of it also. Never thinned one ounce of it. I use it for leather because the color just blends in. Solvent based contact cement seems to age very quickly when you open the can repeatedly, latex does not. Aging makes the glue get stiff as you know. Place your can of glue beside a heat register, NOT ON IT !!!!! The stuff will burn. Just enough to get it warm, remembering that prolonged heating will dry it out. You just need to get it room temperature. I spread with a stiff brush or plastic "squeegee". Works for me.

My thoughts on thinning? Probably weakens the holding power.

ferg

As the topic asks, what is the best consistency for contact cement to be most effective? I find it;s too thick outta the can and have been thinning it but sometimes I find it's basically barely painting the leather and other times it's rolling into balls or dragging itself along the piece instead of spreading on it.

What signs can I look for during the thinning process to know that I've got it the right consistency? Can I count the drops that come off the stir stick like we used to do when mixing car paint?

Any advice welcome

Rob

[McJeep]

Thanks guys - good food for thought - I'm just using old lepages contact cement presently but am going to try the weldwood once this can is empty - think I'm gonna trey the thinner method first as most of my gluing is for stitching edges of tool bags etc and usually it's only a half inch wide strip so squeegy is out ;0) I think that's what I'd use for things like holsters or sheaths with wider edges on em though. Am presently just using those disposable foam brushes - that way when the edge hardens I just trip a bit of it off - kind of like mini squeegees I guess.

Muchos Gracias for taking the time to answer a pretty basic newb question