White Glue Or Contact Cement? Which Do You Use And Why?

[Bobby hdflame]

I'm getting ready to make my first leather holster and I've been watching a bunch of videos. One was with John Bianchi making a western holster. He is using a white glue from Tandy. I was looking at Fiebings white glue and thinking about ordering some.

Haven't had any problems using contact cement so far. Just been using the same high temp Weldwood that I use in my upholstery. Is there a reason to use something like white glue? I know it's low odor and non-flamable....maybe that's enough reason to use it.

I know a lot of people use Barge cement but that's just a brand name of contact cement...right?

Does white glue hold as good as contact?

Thanks for your comments.

[Ferg]

Never used white glue on leather. My experience with Elmer's white glue would not give a nod for leather.

I like Barge cement but I have been using Weldwood Contact Gel lately. Trick is to allow to "set" until both pieces you are joining are dry enough to be tacky. After I put the pieces together I hammer them with a leather hammer. I have some items that have never been sewn that you would be hard pressed to pull apart.

I have often wondered what the glue is that is shown in some of the European leather goods factories. It might be a white contact cement I don't know.

There are some instances in purse and wallet liners that have no stitching.

I would think Fiebings would be a good place to try the white glue.

ferg

I'm getting ready to make my first leather holster and I've been watching a bunch of videos. One was with John Bianchi making a western holster. He is using a white glue from Tandy. I was looking at Fiebings white glue and thinking about ordering some.

Haven't had any problems using contact cement so far. Just been using the same high temp Weldwood that I use in my upholstery. Is there a reason to use something like white glue? I know it's low odor and non-flamable....maybe that's enough reason to use it.

I know a lot of people use Barge cement but that's just a brand name of contact cement...right?

Does white glue hold as good as contact?

Thanks for your comments.

[Chief31794]

I use both, contact cement when I install liners (always oversized and then cut to match what I'm lining.

I use Tanner's Bond (probably what you saw them using) when I close a seam or put welts in a seam and close it before stitching.

They both seem very durable and hold pretty much the same in my opinon, the reason I use Tanner's Bond instead of Contact Cement is when I want time to make sure every thing is lined up perfectly such as closing a holster or sheath, I normally use closepin style plastic clamps of various sizes to hold the two leathers together until they set (about 30 minutes). That gives me time to get them well aligned. Contact Cement pretty much sticks as soon as they touch and it doesn't come loose or give you much opportunity to align the pieces.

That's just how I've always used them, each has it's place in my opinion.

Chief

[Bobby hdflame]

The white glue is definitely not Elmer's.

I think Chief is right about the Tanner's Bond. I looked and even did a search for glue on Tandy's site and couldn't find the Tanner's Bond until I actually searched for it specifically! Problem was, I didn't know what it was called. John Bianchi just called it white glue from Tandy. He also applied it to both sides like using contact cement but I don't remember him clamping it. On Tandy's site, they said clamp it just like you do.

I'm going to be ordering some more leather from Springfield, so I think I'll just try the Fiebings brand of white. I imagine it's very similar.