Awl Sticks from glue in welt

[MrLentz]

Hi,

I am making a knife sheath that is causing me some trouble and am wondering if anyone has a solution. I have the welt glued in with  reina aquilim 315 which is a water based contact cement. It works great and I do follow the directions about applying to both sides, waiting until clear (around 30 min), then pushing pieces together and hammering. Then I waited at least 24 hours before using my awl and it seems as though the glue gets stuck to it creating little boogers. It makes it hell trying to punch the holes as well as slightly dangerous and prone to error when trying to hit the groove on the back side.

I have been gluing the entire piece, so my next thought is I should try gluing everything except the area close to the approximate location of the stitch line. I think that would help, but on a welt - there really isn't much space there. I really don't want to resort to using Barges or the other hardcore cements, anyone else have this issue and have a solution for it?

Thanks!

[VYO]

When I use Renia 315 I use a glue spreader to apply the glue by dropping a line of glue by just touching the end of the paddle to the material I'm gluing leaving a thin line (maybe 1/16th to 1/8th inch) of glue. I stay away from edges and stitch lines. I've not done a welt before so I'm not sure how hard that would be. 

Glue spreader - https://www.rmleathersupply.com/collections/dyes-stains-finishes/products/glue-spreaders?variant=4319359683

[YinTx]

Same issue for me.  The longer I let the glue cure (as in, DAYS), the less of a problem I have.  Still, when I am stitching, the needles grab glue, the thread grabs glue, it's a mess.  Have to put it on pretty thin.  Hitting it with a heat gun before putting the pieces together helps... some.

YinTx

[dikman]

Would sticking the awl into beeswax first help? It does with non-glued parts.

[Matt S]

I find that Renia 315 is much easier to sew if I only apply a very very thin layer. Diluting just a tad with water helps this.

I also usually speed drying with a heat gun, which might reduce stickiness I dunno, I'm just in a hurry.

19 minutes ago, dikman said:

Would sticking the awl into beeswax first help? It does with non-glued parts.

All the beeswax I've bought has been sticky rather than slippery. Never quite understood the idea that it's a good lube for anything other than drawer runners etc. where it fills in pores in the wood. I stab into a block of glycerine soap if my awl starts to get gummy.

[YinTx]

4 hours ago, Matt S said:

All the beeswax I've bought has been sticky rather than slippery. Never quite understood the idea that it's a good lube for anything other than drawer runners etc. where it fills in pores in the wood. I stab into a block of glycerine soap if my awl starts to get gummy.

This!  Always kinda baffled me, only figured if the tool was so rough that the beeswax filled in the rough... might help.  Or maybe glue and wax don't get along so well.. I could see that helping.   Hadn't thought of the glycerine idea... might try it sometime.

YinTx

Edited February 11, 2019 by YinTx

[dikman]

Maybe we get a better quality beeswax down-under? Mine is all hard (bought from a beekeeper I know) and only gets slightly sticky when it softens under heat.

[Matt S]

5 hours ago, dikman said:

Maybe we get a better quality beeswax down-under? Mine is all hard (bought from a beekeeper I know) and only gets slightly sticky when it softens under heat.

Could be. I've noticed differences in beeswax off one beekeeper or another, or from a hardware store. I suppose it depends what the bees were eating (heather honey anyone?) and how it's processed. The hardest stuff I've had was 10+ years old, out of a big pile of tools that belonged to a saddler. I bet most of the volatiles had evaporated off.

9 hours ago, YinTx said:

Or maybe glue and wax don't get along so well.

This could be it, it's difficult for glue to stick to anything waxy. (Just see the Novichok  toluene based glue I use on waxed leather!) I still find a 50p bar of glycerine soap from the grocery store works better, and lasts about forever.

[SilverForgeStudio]

Strop or hone your Awl a bit as well- the cleaner the surface/edges the less glue you pick up. In another life I did some rope and cord work where the core fibers were rubberized- a smooth needle/awl would not stick or "gum up" as bad. We knew we needed to hone/strop when it became "Sticky"

Just a thought

[YinTx]

@MrLentz, have you tried any of these things?  Any of them working for you?

YinTx