A Sticky Question

[MtlBiker]

Talking about glue here, specifically glue that works best with leather.  I've been using contact cement so far, mostly LePage Heavy Duty contact cement (not sure if that's available in the States or only here in Canada).  I've also tried Barge, but gee it smells really really bad and if you're not in a well ventilated area it's awful.  Anyway, I just picked up some Eco-Flo Leather Weld with my last order from Tandy Canada.  I glued a couple of small pieces of leather together with it, and it seems to be holding as well as contact cement.  And it didn't have a bad odor.

What glue are you using for leather?  Is there any odds on favorite?  Does it depend on what you're doing or the type of leather?  Do you stick with one glue for all your leather work?  I can't remember the name but seem to remember there was a contact cement that was highly recommended here that I haven't been able to find in Canada.

There was no information with the Leather Weld about curing time but I let my test sample sit overnight under a weight.  I'm not sure how long it takes before you could actually work on the piece you glue... with contact cement you could stitch the pieces in about 20 minutes or less.  This stuff might take longer...  I don't know.

So, what glue do you use, and for what?

[Dwight]

I did a bunch of counter tops back "in my day" . . . and Weldwood contact cement was my product.  We stuck down pieces 6 ft long by almost 36 inches wide . . . trimmed them . . . and then had lunch or dinner on them.  Far as I know . . . some of them are still out there . . . and the first one I did was probably 1970 or so.

When I got serious about my leather work . . . it followed me over into it.

I don't use glue very often . . . because of the setup time needed . . . to say nothing of "what happens if it moves and you don't see it?" . . . 

Weldwood does have an odor . . . and just maybe I've gotten used to it . . .  but I use it and don't really have a problem with the odor.  If I'm doing say several belts . . . as I glue em up . . .  they will go hang in the garage . . . or if the weather permits . . . sometimes I'll take the gluing process out into the garage.

What I love about it is . . . when I stick something together with Weldwood . . .  I can go answer the phone . . . check my UPS guy . . . hit the bathroom . . . go to lunch . . . or any of  a hundred other things . . . and when I come back to those pieces I stuck together  . . . they are still stuck together and stuck the way I put them.

It is my recommendation . . . and the only one other thing I use . . . and it is super rare . . . I've got a bottle of white Elmer's glue . . . and I can't recall when or why I even used it last . . . but I had some kind of project maybe back in 2020 or 2019 where I used it.

But that is just me . . . and my story.

May God bless,

Dwight

[chuck123wapati]

i use weldwood also mainly because its the best stuff that i have found readily available here in my town. I don't think i would switch unless i found something was just as good and cheaper.

[Tugadude]

I also use Weldwood, the red can.  No complaints.  Odor is what it is and you obviously want to have good ventilation.  Depending on the project I've also gotten good results from double-sided tape, Tanner's Bond from Tandy.  

[MtlBiker]

@Dwight, @chuck123wapati and @Tugadude - Weldwood is the name of the product I couldn't remember.  And it's very hard (impossible?) to find in Canada other than from Amazon Canada.  And then it's quite expensive (1 pint for $62) and it takes 10 days to 2 weeks for delivery.  Must be coming from the US.  So it's not a product I can easily and economically obtain.  It's a DAP product and even DAP Canada does not list it as being available... they only have a high heat industrial version of it listed.  It does seem though to be readily available in the US.  (For the Lepage Heavy Duty Contact Cement, I only pay $12.50 for a quart - 32 oz.)

So I guess none of you guys have any experience/thoughts about the Eco-Flow Leather Weld.  I'm amazed at how well my little sample piece is holding up, and I may give it a shot for the welt I'm making for my axe sheath.  The only drawback I can see with it over the contact cement I have been using is that it takes longer before you can actually work with the piece you glue.  But it also has just about no odor and it's really easy to apply and smooth out.  No stringy mess like there is sometimes with contact cement.

Is there any other adhesive you've used and liked?

 

[tsunkasapa]

I used Henry's All Purpose for counter tops, acres and acres of Formica! I use Tanner's Bond from Tandy for leather. It smells about like any other contact cement, but it doesn't bother me. Life is too short to wait overnight for glue to cure.

[toxo]

The stuff I use is like a light beige colour. Couldn't tell you what it is cos my leather shop sells it in jam jars with no  label but I love it. Slightly more runny than new contact adhesive and is forgiving when you forget to put the lid on. I don't use enough to use a glue pot so I'm gonna look for a decent size squeezy tube with a pointy nozzle which I find much more convenient than jars/tins.

One thing I wouldn't be without is Toluene. cleans brushes/spatulas etc and thins glue easily.

[LatigoAmigo]

@MtlBiker  Found this on Rocky Mountain Leather's website regarding Seiwa, a water based glue. Looks like it might be worth considering:

"This Seiwa water-based glue is some of the best glue for almost all leathercraft demands.

"It is water-based, non-toxic, and has no foul smells like many of the glues out there. The largest benefit is in its bonding strength to leather and the fact that it goes on white but dries completely clear.  Because this is not a contact cement, you will want to put glue on both pieces of leather and then secure together right away. The leather allows for some time to work with it (2-3 minutes) yet dries fully in only 5-10 minutes allowing you to move on to the next steps in your project

"The glue has a nice balance of drying strong, yet is pliable and able to move/flex with your leather. Because it is water-based any excess on the edges cleans up with a damp rag in the natural process of burnishing your leather edges."

[MtlBiker]

@LatigoAmigo - Thanks for that.  It sounds like it's very similar (maybe even the same product) to the Eco-Flo Leather Weld.  I'll test tonight to see how long it takes to fully dry.  Last night I just glued a small test piece and left it overnight under a weight.  If it does dry in the "only 5-10 minutes" it's going to be great!  I tried to separate the piece I glued last night and it was so strong that the leather came apart before the glue did.

[battlemunky]

Aquilum 350 isn't bad either and is water based and non stank. I've gone back to Barge and Weldwood stank glue though...that stuff just holds too well not to use it. I'll throw in another nod to Tanners Bond as well.