Contact Cement My Nemesis - Dear Lord Someone Help Me!

[ChriJ]

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.

Thanks for passing that on.. Hadn't thought of that one. I'll be hunting up an empty can in the morning

Chris

[Sluggo001]

I put contact cement in squeeze bottles for better control.

[Windrider30]

Thanks for the ideas, the dripping is one problem that has plagued me in the past I just use a paper towel and run it down the brush to wipe off the extra crap. The problem I have especially with this neck corset is when I bend the parts (and there is a lot of bending) unfortinatly once in a while I will go over the seam allounce and spread the contact cement to a smaller part of the leather that was NOT suppose to go there. I will try the rubber trick a bit later and yeah need to get an old can to use thanks for that information and thank you one and all for the help you have given me some great ideas to try!

[DS STRAPS]

I put contact cement in squeeze bottles for better control.

Sound like an awesome idea! Is there certain type of squeeze bottle your using?

[Nuttish]

This works on the grain of some kinds of leather and the flesh side of everything:

[billybopp]

I bought one o' these to help eliminate drips from the brush shaft ... it works great, but be sure to rub a little vaseline inside the cap threads to prevent them getting cemented in place! http://springfieldleather.com/16721/Jar%2CPlastic%2CCement%2C32oz/

Solder flux brushes are also excellent for use with contact cement, and they're inexpensive and disposable! ( you can buy 100 for about $20 if you shop )

Nuttish has the right idea too .. blue tape works great for masking, but do be careful about what type you use. Not all of them have the same amount of tack for the adhesive .. you want very low tack for the grain side, and even then do not leave it on longer than necessary.

Not necessarily part of the original post problem ... but cool in any case ... If you need to contact cement a large area, or long line ... glue up both parts, twice if necessary, let them get tacky and then put a big piece of thickish plastic or a piece of waxed paper between the parts and slowly pull it out as you align the pieces!

Bill

[Windrider30]

Bill mate that is a cool idea about the wax paper that is a must try thank you for that idea, man I so do love this forum I have learned a lot just from reading and some of the posts that people have helped me with.

[Dwight]

I finally got smart a few years back: went to Harbor Freight, . . . bought a whole package of brushes, . . . 36 brushes for 3 bucks.

One will last a whole day, . . . pitch it at the end of the day.

Contact cement is in the can with the pry up lid (from Lowes), . . .

No drippy, . . . no droppy, . . . no sloppy, . . . well, ............most of the time anyway

I refuse to do it any other way, . . .

May God bless,

Dwight

[MorningStarL]

I've done it too. Sometimes, if I'm dying black, I'll go over the spot with a permanent black Sharpie marker before I finish coat. That helps.

[MorningStarL]

I've done it too. Sometimes, if I'm dying black, I'll go over the spot with a permanent black Sharpie marker before I finish coat. That helps.