Best Glue For Leather To Leather, And Leather To Fabric

[Handstitched]

I have in the past used  craft glue sticks ( like you would find in a stationary or craft  shop)  to stick some fabrics to  leather before sewing, like an extra pair of hands. Adhesion from one brand to another will vary, but you'd be surprised what they can stick. 

While on the subject of contact adhesive, I've used toluene to soften it up if it gets a bit ' gluggy'   or starts to go off due to frequent opening & closing of the tin. 

HS 

Edited July 24, 2019 by Handstitched

[toxo]

I'll just throw this out there for what it's worth. I've used "Gorilla" glue a couple of times. It works on moisture so the work has to be dampened. Don't know how flexible it is but for stickability on leather I can vouch for it's effectiveness after I weighed down the work with some books but inadvertently moved the work. Next day I had to cut the leather to get it apart. Doh! Have plenty of clamps now.

[splinters]

On 2/14/2019 at 4:32 PM, Dwight said:

 

But seriously talking about glue, . . . I use Elmer's white glue if I need to move something around after I stick it the first time.  Other than that, . . . it's Weldwood.  I found using only a couple of products allows me to know what I'm going to get using it.

May God bless,

Dwight

 

I was going to post a question about Elmer's white glue today and then saw your comment. Thanks Dwight. I've been thinking about using it to temporarily hold a gusset until I can align and stitch it.

[fredk]

What you have to bear in mind is the affect certain glues will have on your leather.

When I use PVA glue on chrome tan nothing much happens except it sticks. When I use in on veg tan on my game boards the water in the glue soaks into the leather and when it dries out it shrinks the leather a bit, not much, but enough that I need to let a covered game board dry out for far longer than I would using contact adhesive before I carve in the lines or press in the fancy design stamps. If I don't the drying and shrinking can pull the lines askew

When I use contact adhesive, a bit too much can seep through to the front, or near the front of the leather acting as a dye or finish inhibitor, which PVA seems not to do

Also available for sticking are two other adhesive products;

1. double sided tape, good for holding gussets in place

2. iron/heat activated sheets. you need to test on scrap leather first. its too easy to get too high a heat and totally ruin a nice bit of leather (yeah, ask how I know,  )

[splinters]

39 minutes ago, fredk said:

 

Also available for sticking are two other adhesive products;

1. double sided tape, good for holding gussets in place

 

That's one I had not considered.