Contact Cement My Nemesis - Dear Lord Someone Help Me!

[Windrider30]

Still learning the ropes when it comes to dying leather. Been running into a problem when I accidentally get contact cement in a spot I do not want. As contact cement does not take dye, how the heck do I remove the contact cement without having to take a chunk of leather out of my project. Too scared to use methylated spirits as I do not know what it may do the leather or dye. Tried sandpaper with limited success. Any other ideas? thanks in advance ...p.s. do not scratch nose with contact cement on finger you lose flesh!! ~)

[Bob Blea]

Unfortunately contact cement makes a really good resist, and (depending on the type) the solvents can really penetrate the leather. There may not be much you can do to remove it. Any chance you can hide that spot somehow?

[JAZZMAN]

I too learnt this lesson the hard way, contact cement i a great product sadly sometimes that can work against you, i really do not think there is any way to get round this one, so sorry.

[Windrider30]

Ugg was hoping there was away around it other then just hacking a layer of leather out and as for hiding it no unfortinatly it is on a seam and it shows up since I am using black antique gel.

[Colt W Knight]

had the same problem, now I dye before I glue.

[Matt T]

I use a block of rubber to take off extra rubber cement but it's hard to get it all off.

[Troy I]

Use a rubber eraser and gently rub it over the contact cement... as long as it is on the smooth side of the hide , it will come off without a problem. I then clean the entire project with a rag and rubbing alcohol.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Troy I

[Windrider30]

Cool thanks for the idea of using a rubber eraser. And as for dying before I put it all together I might have to start doing that again. The project I was working on in question is a neck corset and I wanted to be able to punch all the holes then dye it as one whole piece it came out ok but you can see a few small marks where I had to cut some of the leather to remove the contact cement.

[Troy I]

I should have the added, make sure the contact cement is dry before you rub it with the eraser. If you don't wait till its completely dry you will rub it into the leather and cause problems when you dye it.

[TexasJack]

The list of people who have had this problem includes everyone who has ever used contact cement.

The best solution is to not drip it on the project in the first place. You can keep a piece of foil or wax paper nearby and cover the area near where you are gluing to keep stuff from dripping on it.

But the best solution is one offered by Chuck Burrows on his sheathmaking video. The most likely source of a drip is from the cement that's on the stem of the brush when you take it out of the can. (It oozes down to the brush and then drips off just as it's crossing your leather.) What he did was keep an old cement can (and he may have put some solvent in it) and he uses the brush from that empty can to do his application. That way only the tip of the brush goes down into the jar full of cement.