Weldwood Contact Cement in CANADA???

[MtlBiker]

I've really been wanting to try this contact cement, but it seems to be unavailable in Canada.  And Home Depot in the States won't ship the product, even within the US.

Does anyone know of a source for this stuff in Canada?

Amazon (Canada) lists it, but a 16oz (1 pint) can costs $72.01!!!!!!  Meanwhile Home Depot US sells 32oz cans for $16.98!!!  Crazy prices!  If I check with Amazon US, because (probably) I'm accessing from Canada, it doesn't even list prices because they won't ship it to Canada.

And even ignoring current challenges in driving across the border and returning, it would be almost 200 miles round trip for me to drive to the nearest place in the States (Plattsburgh NY) that has it.  So that's not worthwhile either.

In the meantime I've been using something called Lepage's Heavy Duty Contact Cement.  It seems alright, but if I understand correctly, with the Weldwood you can apply it and immediately join your pieces together.  And that would be cool.  With the Lepage's, I've got to let it dry for about 10 minutes before joining and if I get distracted and forget, it's too dry to work later on and I've got to reapply.

 

[Northmount]

52 minutes ago, MtlBiker said:

With the Lepage's, I've got to let it dry for about 10 minutes before joining and if I get distracted and forget, it's too dry to work later on and I've got to reapply.

Heat it up with a heat gun.  That works with others, so worth a test.

[MtlBiker]

Does anyone know if all contact cements are neoprene rubber based?  Most of them don't say, but I just found on How Stuff Works a description that implies all contact cements are neoprene rubber based.  I suspect that isn't correct because it also implies these cements are dry on application.  I know that the Lepage's Heavy Duty Contact Cement I use goes on wet and needs to dry for a few minutes before joining the pieces.  That appears to not be the case with neoprene based contact cements.

What a pain... living in Canada and seemingly not being able to get neoprene based contact cements here.  I did find a Durapro contact cement which is said to be rubber based (neoprene is rubber, right?) but doesn't say neoprene.  It's only carried by one hardware chain up here and it's out of stock everywhere.  But everyone has Lepage... sounds like a racket to me. 

 

[MtlBiker]

Those of you who have used Weldwood Contact Cement, would you please clarify something for me?

When you apply it to both surfaces to be joined, do you (should you) let it dry for 10-30 minutes before joining the two pieces?  Or can they be joined immediately after applying the cement?

I managed to find a product here in Canada which might be the same or at least very similar to Weldwood... it's DuraPro Contact Cement and like the Weldwood it is a neoprene based cement.  (Almost impossible to find in Canada also, and the company told me on the phone that there are major production delays which is why just about everyone is out of stock.)  I did manage to order a small tin of it though.

Thinking that with the Weldwood you can join the pieces immediately, I was surprised that instructions on the DuraPro say to let the surfaces dry for 10-30 minutes before joining them.  And that's no different than the Lepages Heavy Duty Contact Cement I've been using, which is not neoprene based.

Thanks.

[chrisash]

Quite honestly I think you will find little difference between and contact glues, In the UK the best places to buy are builders merchants maybe the same in Canada

[Tugadude]

52 minutes ago, MtlBiker said:

Those of you who have used Weldwood Contact Cement, would you please clarify something for me?

When you apply it to both surfaces to be joined, do you (should you) let it dry for 10-30 minutes before joining the two pieces?  Or can they be joined immediately after applying the cement?

I managed to find a product here in Canada which might be the same or at least very similar to Weldwood... it's DuraPro Contact Cement and like the Weldwood it is a neoprene based cement.  (Almost impossible to find in Canada also, and the company told me on the phone that there are major production delays which is why just about everyone is out of stock.)  I did manage to order a small tin of it though.

Thinking that with the Weldwood you can join the pieces immediately, I was surprised that instructions on the DuraPro say to let the surfaces dry for 10-30 minutes before joining them.  And that's no different than the Lepages Heavy Duty Contact Cement I've been using, which is not neoprene based.

Thanks.

I apply the contact cement and then let both sides at least skin over before putting them together.  In my experience, that's good enough.  You can hasten the condition by blowing on the surface of the adhesive.  When the cement is first applied it is typically shiny.  You want to wait for that shine to dull, indicating the adhesive is beginning to dry.  If you put the pieces together right away you will get adhesion, but it will not be as effective in my experience.

As far as availability of adhesives and such, it is an ongoing problem due to the lack of raw materials throughout the world.  This has been discussed in a number of other threads.  It will eventually get better, but will take some time to work itself out.

[Tugadude]

Found this helpful article online.  

 

Contact adhesive... also fondly known as "contact cement"... is a special adhesive for a special purpose.  When spread on a surface, it dries by the quick evaporation of a flammable solvent.  Like other adhesives, it sticks things together.  But it has a unique characteristic no other adhesive shares. For a period of time after it appears to be completely dry and no longer tacky, it will still stick to itself with abandon!  This makes it an excellent adhesive for gluing together materials that are nonporous.

In your home, the most common use of contact adhesive are plastic laminate countertops in kitchens and bathrooms.   Envision the perplexing problem solved by this product.  You have two very wide pieces of material and both have limited porosity... particle board (the standard countertop substrate) and plastic laminate.  Virtually every other adhesive would fail because the glue would never dry... the moisture or solvent could not escape from between them.  Or drying would take so long that special clamps would be needed to keep the materials in contact for the lengthy drying period.   Since the contact adhesive is already dry before assembly, this problem is... well... not a problem!

Once the contact adhesive is applied to both surfaces and allowed to dry, the actual assembly of the two parts takes but a few minutes, and the countertop is useable immediately!  Of course, there is no room for error with contact adhesive.  Once it sticks, it is stuck for good!  Disassembling items glued with contact adhesive usually requires damaging one or both of them.  And does it stick fast... momentary contact is all that is needed for adhesion, making positioning and planning vitally important for success!

Contact adhesive can be finicky when not used correctly.
Most problems with contact adhesive failure are caused by:

1) not allowing the adhesive to dry fully before assembly
2) waiting too long before assembly
3) applying too thick a coating of adhesive
4) not applying enough adhesive.

When used on a porous or semi-porous material such as wood or plywood, a first "priming" coat of contact adhesive may be needed to preseal the material.  Otherwise, some areas may absorb too much adhesive to form a strong bond.  This prime coat is followed by a second gluing coat.   Following the label directions concerning drying times, application thickness, and using the proper tools will keep you on the right track!

Contact adhesive is available in the traditional solvent-based formula and a newer water-based formula.  Solvent-based contact adhesive dries in under 15 minutes but releases a highly flammable solvent into the air.   Precautions must be taken to assure adequate ventilation to prevent accidental ignition of the fumes.  Read the label for all precautions!  Also, the article Level-Headed Low Down On Loose Laminates And Crappy Countertops has more on this topic.

Edited April 22, 2022 by Tugadude

[tsunkasapa]

Common 'rubber cement' can also be used as a contact cement. Available at almost any store.

[MtlBiker]

@tsunkasapa - Thanks for all that info.  Maybe they should make it into a "stickie".     

I'd been happy with the contact cement I'd been using but based on the rave reviews about Weldwood from the members here, I was anxious to try it (or a comparable product).  As I said, I did get something that's neoprene based (DuraPro Contact Cement) and my test with it today didn't show me that it was significantly different from the Lepages I'd been using.  I'd been under the impression that with the Weldwood you could join the surfaces immediately after applying the cement, but that's not the case with the DuraPro, so unless Weldwood is different, I'll just stick with the Lepages.  Works fine for me and easily available here in Canada.

 

[alpha2]

Weldwood contact cement is not designed to adhere properly when wet. Also, as stated above, it doesn't need to be a thick coat at all, in fact fairly thin is best. Especially when you are going to have a visible edge. You can sand and burnish on edges with too much cement, and you'll still have a line between the parts.