Best Glue For Leather On Leather?

[zaynexpetty]

So far, I have been using Tandy's rubber cement stuff to hold two pieces of leather together so that I can sew. The problem I have been having is with wallets in particular. I make the inside portion of the wallet shorter lengthwise than the outside, in order to assist the wallet in folding. So the cement I have been using doesn't work great because the two pieces wont hold in place while I wait for it to set up (I tried using clamps, but they mark the leather).

Long story short, does anyone know of any glue that hold leather on leather really well that isnt extremely messy or overly toxic? I have read that Barge's is extremely toxic and contains carcinogens. Does anyone have experience with Weldwood? I guess I am looking for more of a permanent bond to hold the leather in place without clamps.

[dirtclod]

I used Barge for 20 plus years and quit when it got to where it cost so much to ship. After reading about the Weldwood in the red can on here i've been using it for the last 2 or 3 years and i like it as well as Barge. I get it by the gallon at the hardware store.

[ClaireAshton]

Rubber Cement excellent if you need to assemble then disassemble, such as putting in a gusset for marking up, as you can pullit apart and even reassemble again. Very helpful for intricate assemblies where you can't get it right first time.

Used many of the common glues, but for me it comes down to 2 main factors. First, 'holdability' when assembling and Second, issues when finishing.

By hold, some contact cements hold well immediately but difficult to get lined up well. Most respond well to heavy clamping, but where damage from clamps is an issue, try to use an overall 'press' by placing protected piece of wood etc and a heavy weight or clamps over the whole job. Prefeerably have the work oversized and cut to size when the cement has set. For positioning sew through layers outside if the work area to ensure correct alignment. PVA is poor for getting into position easily but responds well to clamping directly or indirectly.

Second issue for me is problems finishing. There is nothing worse than rubber cement (glue? I never know the difference between glue and cement) for sewing through and for messing up edge burnishing. Best is probably PVA.

Hmmm...... Spreadability is important, but so is convienience of a small tube to allow small applications and don't like having thinners but........

SO you see it is what you like best for a particular job. Now believe this or believe it not, one of my favourite (we in UK spell this correctly, unlike those across the English Ocean in the USA ) jobs is pulling dried up rubber cement out of one of those Tandy tins so I can put my own stuff in, such as Evo Stik Impact.

Then there is .......

What I really want and can't find anywhere is the white glue that Nigel Armitage uses in his videos that comes in a nice little dispenser he squeezes. My reason for wanting some of this is that everything he glues turns out into a really nice bag, or wallet or whatever.

My final advice, learn like most of us - by trial and error, mainly the latter

Oh... PS Barge is good when I can get it in the little tubes. And, nearly forgot, really strong double sided tape is great for holding just while you stitch. After all, if you are stitching, glue is only for holding. And... if it is a thin lining, some glues will soak through.

Edited July 15, 2014 by ClaireAshton

[Dwight]

I've been using Weldwood for some 40 years or so, . . . haven't developed a third eye, . . . no extra ears, . . . still got only 8 fingers and two thumbs.

Seriously, . . . it does have an odor, . . . and there is a flammable warning on it, . . . but figure a way past the odor, . . . and you have THE strongest of the glues. Some will equal it, . . . none will surpass it.

It can be thinned a tad with acetone, . . . works better on really small stuff, . . . and they make a gel that is also neat for putting just that little amount EXACTLY where you want it.

You're only out 7 bucks if you don't like it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[DavidL]

Regular acetone and contact cement should be use with a respirator. The red can weld wood may be okay without a respirator.

[cgleathercraft]

+1 for Weldwood,

My wife complained of the smell of the red label kind. I decided i'd test the flammability of it since there are tons of warnings on the label about pilot lights being an issue and I'm just a few feet from the furnace. Coated a 2 inch square patch on a scrap piece of leather and it light up like it was gasoline.

Since then I have bought and used the green label formula (non-flammable) . Doesn't hold quite as strong but still better than anything else for a permanent hold that i've tried so far. I'll switch back to the red label when I can get a vent hood set up.

[electrathon]

Then there is .......

What I really want and can't find anywhere is the white glue that Nigel Armitage uses in his videos that comes in a nice little dispenser he squeezes. My reason for wanting some of this is that everything he glues turns out into a really nice bag, or wallet or whatever.

Leather weld. It looks like white glue. Holds well during wallet assemble\y. Very friendly to sew through. Water soluble. Sets up reasonably fast.

[rawr66]

I've had the same problems as you with Tandy's rubber cement. I bought it by accident, but I've found ways to work around it. If you're worried about marking the leather you can cut out strips of cardboard or something similar and place it on both sides of the leather.

[StrigaMort]

I tested Barge (Tandy label, Barge in small print) and Weldwood red. Both cements held very well, but the WW maintained its integrity while the fibers ofthe leather tore apart. I go with WW because it's so inexpensive and easy to find. It does dry very hard on the glass (4oz) bottle, but that's really only a problem because I refill it from a large can. I believe I'll be buying one of those Teflon coated pots. I've read good things about them.

I had never heard of glue soaking through thin leather. I'm doing an inlay right now and I *really* hope that it doesn't because it'll ruin the window panel, but worse, I won't know how to deal with it. I'll report back on how it goes.

[oltoot]

So far, I have been using Tandy's rubber cement stuff to hold two pieces of leather together so that I can sew. The problem I have been having is with wallets in particular. I make the inside portion of the wallet shorter lengthwise than the outside, in order to assist the wallet in folding. So the cement I have been using doesn't work great because the two pieces wont hold in place while I wait for it to set up (I tried using clamps, but they mark the leather).

Long story short, does anyone know of any glue that hold leather on leather really well that isnt extremely messy or overly toxic? I have read that Barge's is extremely toxic and contains carcinogens. Does anyone have experience with Weldwood? I guess I am looking for more of a permanent bond to hold the leather in place without clamps.

You will receive numerous 'best ever' endorsements of a variety of products, often the result of extensive trial and error. USE them in formulating YOUR personal 'good enough' experience. You don't have to repeat a process that resulted in a firm conclusion.

Unless you plan on drinking your cement on a regular basis and part of your selection criteria is palatability, I wouldn't eliminate Barge's products without a close look.

Me, for 50+ years have been using Rubber Cement to just hold things together while I sew, or lace and Barge's for places where hold needs to last. I use other adhesives in specific instances; including but not limited to: WW in its various iterations, Dextrin paste, Elmers in its various iterations, Ol Yeller non-sag, etc.