Which Adhesive Is Best

[stu925]

I'm a DAP Weldwood user also. I've had zero trouble with it. I let it set up 10-15 minutes and then press the pieces together then thump them with a deadblow hammer. I can tear the pieces apart if I have to but I'm actually tearing the leather not making the glue joint fail. I very rarely have to clamp if I follow that procedure, the glue will hold it all together and I usually star stitching within 15 minutes or so of gluing. The bottom of the can of glue tends to get very thick and snotty, I usually dump it and pick up another can when that happens as I'm usually down to the last 1/2" or so anyway when it happens.

Stu

[camano ridge]

I like Dwight and others use Weldwood contact cement exclusively. As has been said before once it is no longer tacky stick the two pieces together press. Now walk away and let cure for several hours. Like Dwight said it will pull apart but you are going to have to work at it because will be tearing leather not separating the glue. If you are easily separating the two pieces something is wrong. Are you using the Red Label (flammable) or the water based green label?

TheKaptin, Like Halitech said it is generally best practice to glue and stitch, however I have made some things with glue only because of their application, Including a couple of straps. Those straps have never separated. Take a couple pieces of scrap glue them together with the weld wood. Then over a week or so bend flex what ever you want to do to the leather and see if it does what you want it to.

[splinters]

Thanks very much gents for the choices and side effects.

[OLDNSLOW]

when using weldwood contact cement can the item to be sewed be left for a few to several days before going back and sewing or does it have to be sewed together soon after gluing? From a quick search it looks like weldwood is available at lowes and other big box suppliers, is that correct, or is it a completely different product.

Thanks

[Colt W Knight]

when using weldwood contact cement can the item to be sewed be left for a few to several days before going back and sewing or does it have to be sewed together soon after gluing? From a quick search it looks like weldwood is available at lowes and other big box suppliers, is that correct, or is it a completely different product.

Thanks

You can let it sit however long you want as long

I buy mine from Lowes and Ace hardware, but I have also seen it at Wal Mart and Home Depot

[Dwight]

You can also buy it in both a gel form and liquid form. For certain applications, . . . the gel is really great, . . . but it is a bit more pricey.

May God bless,

Dwight

[OLDNSLOW]

where can the other 2 types be purchased at.

Thanks

OnL

[johnv474]

In the shoe repair world, Barge and Master are among the biggest sellers for cementing leather, rubber, and just about anything. Weldwood is used less in that world, but is quite available and my experience with it has been positive. Renia has a loyal following but is about $40+ vs Barge and Master at about $15-20/quart. Other names for adhesives that can work on leather would include Shoe Goo, Freesole, Emu, Du-All, and just about any latex or wood glue. The contact cements are more common than glues, though.

Super glue is strong and fast, but also hard and brittle.

Before using glue or cement be aware that oiled leather doesn't stick as well, and smooth leather doesn't stick as well. If you can sand/scuff the mating faces that will help. If you can wait to oil your project until after using glue/cement, that will help.

Back to the main question. If adhesion is an issue, try thinning the cement with, preferably, the corresponding thinner and applying a thinned coat (or just apply a light coat if not thinned). This first coat acts as your primer and helps adhesion.

After that has dried to the point that it has lost most of its sheen, apply a regular coat over the lighter first coat. Wait until most of the sheen is gone again, and press together firmly. Tap it or use a roller to press down if you like.

Ideally, then leave it resting in a position that is not stressing the bond. Come back in a day and sew, or whatever else you plan to do. Contact cements gain strength as they cure. I think about 90% of its strength is there after 12 or 24 hours.

Shoe soles and heels are often attached only with adhesive. In some cases, they are also stitched. Sometimes they are also nailed or even screwed on, but many use only adhesive.

[OLDNSLOW]

Thanks for the info

[Gump]

Don't know if it's available stateside, but LePages Premium contact cement is the best available in Canada. It is relatively thin and absorbs well. Let it sit for ten mins. and press together firmly and your done, it won't come apart, so make sure its in the right place.

[OLDNSLOW]

ya I did a search and it is not letting me search here in the 48 for it.

[niftycurly]

I'm going to cast a vote for the Renia water based glues (Aquilim line, water resistant as is waterproof if you use the cross linker additive). They work GREAT and are completely non toxic. Cost more per quart than Barge, etc but they are also more concentrated so you use much less, only a thin coating. Plus you save brain cells and can use them indoors without tons of ventilation.

There's a contact cement (apply both sides, let dry, press together), one that behaves like a rubber cement (temporary and moveable) and one that bonds permanently but you put on one side then stick together while wet which is a time saver. There's also a water based cork filler product which is great since we can't get any type of cork filler in the U.S.

They've just started setting up a U.S. warehouse but Lisa Sorrell has been carrying them for a couple years.

[Panpan75]

On 6/6/2015 at 5:30 AM, Dwight said:

The rules for Weldwood are simple:

Put in on thinly, . . . let it dry to the point that there are no sticky places at all on what you are doing.

Rough up any hair side parts, . . . and don't be gentle. It will not be seen once the glue it put on and glued together, . . . rough it up good.

I have never found any reason to clamp anything I've done with it, . . . been using it for over 50 years. Press the two pieces together using the flat palms of your hands, . . . and whatever upper body weight you can bear down on it, . . . then leave it for several hours.

And YES, . . . acetone will thin down Weldwood, . . . I had an order for 3 belts not long ago, . . . and my can was near the bottom, . . . kinda thickened. I added a couple ounces of Acetone, . . . stirred for 5 minutes, . . . back in business. All three belts were put together with no problem at all.

Another YES, . . . you can pull two pieces of leather apart that have been properly bonded with Weldwood, . . . but if you take a good look at what really happened, . . . you will find that the glue did not give way, . . . the leather fibers separated, . . . allowing the two pieces to separate. The only exception to this rule is when you use it on the hair side and don't properly scuff up the hair side surface.

May God bless,

Dwight

Wonderful advice!

 

[Sonydaze]

In western Canada, my favourite contact cement is Dura Pro.  It is sold in some of the hardware stores around here.  It's work window is pretty flexible... when you are in a hurry or forget about it.  I think it bonds as well or better than anything else I have tried. (Barges, Weldwood, Lepages etc.)  I put an even coat on both pieces and when it isn't too tacky, stick them together and give them a pound with a mallet.  I use a scrap of sole bend (smooth side to the leather) to hit on when I'm pounding something to prevent marks from the mallet.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Sonydaze
edited for a typo

[Reegesc]

"Best" is a subjective superlative (hey, there's a word combo you don't see everyday) and I agree with all the previous suggestions -- they all are good adhesives if applied correctly.  But if the criteria is "Best Value", then I gotta go with Weldwood which is half the cost of Barge and available at any hardware store ($30/gal versus $60/gal).  That said, if they were the same price and could be purchased within a 15 minute drive until 10:00 pm any day of the week (or 24 hours if you count Walmart), then I would buy Barge.  

[MADMAX22]

Weldwood is alright and usually works pretty good. I finally tried some Masters and will get some more again when I can. It is a little thicker then weldwood but provided a great bond and I didnt have the occasional inconsistent results like I did with weldwood. 

Gonna have to try some of the others listed here. I dont mind paying a little more and ordering it (have to order everything else anyways) if the performance is there and repeatable every time. Nothing worse then doing a project that took several hours to make and possibly worth some decent money and have the seams look bad because the cement wasnt holding. 

[wlg190861]

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2015 at 1:56 PM, splitrail said:

Thank you both for responding. You might be right about the "freezing" on the Barge's I did have it in storage in Canada for a while. I think that can is a goner.

I just performed a burnishing test with the Weldwood and it burnished fine, and has nice flexibility. But it does peel apart with very little effort. I let it set up for a good 20-30 minutes, seemed dry to the touch. I then clamped it for a couple hours, then beveled and burnished, Looks good. Still concerned about it seperating. Wondering if the high humidity and heat here right now is warrenting a longer dry time?

Thanks again for your thinning tip. I do love the consistency of the Weldwood, easy to work with!

I use contact cement from any hardware store, the secrete is to let it dry, up to 1 hr , after a dry time of up to an hr, you cant pull it apart.  if using in a humid place, let it dry longer.