2 Glue Questions

[rmr]

I have 2 seperate questions pertaining to glues.

1) what do you use for a "glue pot" ????? I use a fair amount of Barge contact cement to hold pieces of leather together while its being sewed. After opening/closing the can ( with applicator brush) umpteen times- the lid starts to develope a crust/scum of glue around it- making it harder and harder to open each subsequent time, as well as get a good seal when closing can. From my standpoint- its hard to be careful and tidy when using the thick barge cement- seems to get everywhere. I periodically try the best I can to clean around the male and female portion of the lid with cement thinner- it does OK but not always great, and I find Im not getting a tight seal when I close lid and the glue inside the container gets even thicker and developes a scum on the top. I have been spraying a small squirt of Blow O2 in the container prior to closing which helps some.

So my question- does anyone have a great answer for a storage container for barge cement that will not only hold the glue but hold the applicator brush without all the issues Im having- or is this as good as it gets??????

2) I make shotgun cases and line them with wool fleece from Weaver. I have been using barge contact cement to attach the backing of the fleece to inside of the leathercase. Its always real thick and not always easy to put that much barge cement on that large of a surface area of leather- any other sugestions???? I have thought about using Weldwood contact cement I have seen at Home Depot- it seems a lot thiner and would be quicker and easier to apply to a large surface area- but Im concerned when it dies it will be stiff and not flexible like the barge contact cement.

Thanks

Bob R

[BAD HIDE]

I've been using Masters glue since I started, and so far haven't had much of a problem with a mess on the can, and it's thin enough that it spreads pretty easily. There's also thinners available for both Masters and Barge. But if you're doin a lot of gluin' I'd get a cement container, seals without threads and the top is teflon so glue doesn't stick to it.

Edited August 22, 2010 by BAD HIDE

[pete]

Let me make your life easier from now on.

Get ahold of a soda bottle with a SCREW ON cap. One of those soft plastic ones like you would get root beer or Sierra Mist in.

Punch a hole in the top with your scratch awl- about the diameter of a pencil lead.

Get a piece of wool scrap as large as you want. I use a 2x2" piece for WEEKS.

Pour in the barge, master, whatever you like.

Squeeze out the glue when you need it, use the wool as an applicator, and stick it to the top over the hole when you're done.

Never hardens, never clogs the hole- throw it away when it's empty.

end of story.

pete

[dirtclod]

I do the same as Pete, but i get the little coke bottles and drill about 1/4 inch hole in mine. Oh one other thing get the liner or as much of it as you can out of the top because it will come loose from the glue. One of them full will last for a long time plus i put some thinner in the bottle and let it set a couple of days before i use it if your glue is sort of thick

[bruce johnson]

I have pretty well tried them all. The pop bottles work alright but lack the control I need to squeeze a fine bead on zipper tape or glueing an opne pocket around the edge. A little tricky to fill (paper funnels help a lot). Ketchup type squeeze bottles are alright. The brush in the bottle containers or carboy type glue pots have stringers for me. The teflon pots with the conical top are pretty popular. You see them in a lot of shops. The problem I had besides stingers was that if the brush got knocked slightly off vertical, air got in and the glue went bad. Everyone else's mileage varies on these.

About 2 months ago I got the chance to try a Kabi glue pot loaned to me by a buddy who has worked in a few shops. It has an oil can type pump that pumps glues through the brush. No stringers, good control for fine work, and goes like a bandit on big areas. A squeeze now and again and just keep spreading. It is at least twice as fast as squeezing from a bottle, setting the bottle down and using a patch/leather scrap/credit type card to to spread the glue. I don't end up with glue on my fingers. You recap the brush when not is use. At the end of the day dip the brush in solvent and clean it. You put a little solvent in the cap and replace it over the brush to store it. The mouth is pretty big and easy to refill. The unit cost me $55 and I ordered a spare brush and cap for $17. They don't give them away, but well worth it for me. My impression is that I am using about half as much glue and getting more even coverage than before. A person will have to decide if they are doing enough glueing to warrant it.

[rmr]

Thanks everyone for your input- all these options are better than what I have been doing

Bob R

[katsass]

I have 2 seperate questions pertaining to glues.

1) what do you use for a "glue pot" ????? I use a fair amount of Barge contact cement to hold pieces of leather together while its being sewed. After opening/closing the can ( with applicator brush) umpteen times- the lid starts to develope a crust/scum of glue around it- making it harder and harder to open each subsequent time, as well as get a good seal when closing can. From my standpoint- its hard to be careful and tidy when using the thick barge cement- seems to get everywhere. I periodically try the best I can to clean around the male and female portion of the lid with cement thinner- it does OK but not always great, and I find Im not getting a tight seal when I close lid and the glue inside the container gets even thicker and developes a scum on the top. I have been spraying a small squirt of Blow O2 in the container prior to closing which helps some.

So my question- does anyone have a great answer for a storage container for barge cement that will not only hold the glue but hold the applicator brush without all the issues Im having- or is this as good as it gets??????

2) I make shotgun cases and line them with wool fleece from Weaver. I have been using barge contact cement to attach the backing of the fleece to inside of the leathercase. Its always real thick and not always easy to put that much barge cement on that large of a surface area of leather- any other sugestions???? I have thought about using Weldwood contact cement I have seen at Home Depot- it seems a lot thiner and would be quicker and easier to apply to a large surface area- but Im concerned when it dies it will be stiff and not flexible like the barge contact cement.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

As far as your second question goes, I use a spray-on fabric adhesive I get at the local fabric and sewing store......I'm out (haven't done a shotgun scabbard for a while) and don't remember the brand name, but it seems like it is always on the shelf at the store. Here is a pic of the last one I did.........not a 'case', just a go-to-the-range scabbard. Mike

[MADMAX22]

For the spray on stuff I stick to 3M either 77 or 99 I think they are. I have tried several different types of the spray on stuff and have consistently had the best hold with the 3M stuff. Its really not much more expensive then some of the other brands but always works. Just make sure you actually let the two sides get a little tacky before you press them together.

[hidepounder]

Katsass....I use the plastic bottles with the screw-on cap with a brush mounted in the cap. That has worked best for me over the years. The one I have my Barge in I've had since the 70's. I also use the "ketchup" style squeeze bottles depending on what I'm doing and I have some very small ones that I use for fine detail gluing. My experience with the teflon pots was similar to Bruces....the cap always got bumped and the glue dried up. Anyway, while the plastic glue bottles might not be the most efficient, I am happy with them.

Over the years I have learned to thin my glue, when necessary, to make spreading over large surfaces much easier. I rarely use Barge at full strength. Once thinned I pour the glue directly on the leather and spread with a plastic spreader with a handle or the cheap synthetic 2' and 3" disposable brushes (I cut the bristles short to make them stiff and rinse in thinner when finished). Sometimes a piece of woolskin is the ticket.

The Kabi glue pot of Bruce's is very interesting. This is the first time I've seen one and I'm going to have to look into it.

Bobby

[rmr]

For the spray on stuff I stick to 3M either 77 or 99 I think they are. I have tried several different types of the spray on stuff and have consistently had the best hold with the 3M stuff. Its really not much more expensive then some of the other brands but always works. Just make sure you actually let the two sides get a little tacky before you press them together.

is the 3-M product from a fabric store- or is this a hardware store product??

Thanks Bob R

[katsass]

is the 3-M product from a fabric store- or is this a hardware store product??

Thanks Bob R

[hidepounder]

is the 3-M product from a fabric store- or is this a hardware store product??

Thanks Bob R

Probably both. I would be surprised if Home Depot and Lowes don't carry them....

Bobby

[dirtclod]

I buy the 3M glue at a parts store and a couple of times at wal mart in the car parts section. Tell you want to look at headliner glue.

[gtwister09]

There are other manufacturers of the "pressurized brush cans" out there. Many years ago (30 or so) when we were doing some custom combine services, a farmer in Kansas used these for his chains to keep them lubricated in that dusty environment and to reduce the oil waste with squirt cans. We used these later in a manufacturing environment that required some foam laminated between various composites. We didn't want to use sprays because of the overspray issue on the assembly benches.

One of the things to remember about the high cost of the Kabi's is that they are almost solid brass internally and the pressurized pump is also calibrated as well. If I remember correctly they have 3 or 4 brushes from about 3/8" to 1" as well as a small tip (maybe a couple of sizes of tips also but I don't remember).

Regards,

Ben

[leevalley]

if your screw on cap gets harder each time you pour glue out, after you wipe off the extra just put a small layer of vaseline on the threads of the can, you can open the can easily after have used this for years.

[CDragonworks]

I have found Liquid Stitch Fabric glue(the water based) to be the very best for leather work...it is a clear when dry glue that holds tight and is waterproof. I can't use Barge as I am allergic so I had to find something that I could use...there is no stink and no mess(water cleanup while wet) and it bonds tight...I have used it for horse tack and I use it on all my applique and cutwork... also dries fairly fast. You can buy it by the case from Brewers Sewing Supply or by the bottle at Hobby Lobby! Cat