Strongest Adhesion But Most Flexible Contact Cement For Leather

[Toddo]

13 hours ago, Tugadude said:

I've been in the construction chemicals business for a long time and have sold various adhesives during my tenure.  I know of no adhesive that will be reliable 100 years from now.  I agree with the above that felt is probably not your best option here.  If you want long term durability and the bag is  really going to be used, a leather lining is the way to go.  Folks here glue flaps of all sorts with Weldwood and Barge cements all the time and I've never heard of anyone complaining about the adhesive being too stiff.  Never happened in my work either.  I think you are right in testing what is out there but you might be overthinking this a bit.

Well after a 24 hour wait I tested my Weldwood test piece for adhesion and flexibility. Adhesion factor is A++. You can't rip the felt off without also pulling some of the leather off. 100% happy with that. I can't see that felt ever coming of that thing unless someone intentionally tries to pull it off with a pair of pliers. As for flexibility, I'm like about 90% happy with it. It' no where near as rigid as it seemed that Weldwood 1-800 info line guy inferred. I was imagining the thing drying stiff as a piece of glass after talking to him. It's actually fairly flexible. It  won't ever be as floppy and flexible as a well worn piece of naked leather. Like I said, I'm about 90% happy with. I think it's gonna make it look (and feel) awesome. It'll definitely be unique. I guess if the Weldwood doesn't hold up for an entire 100 years someone can do a repair sew along the border of the flap.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Toddo

[Joanne803]

I worked in the costume department of a large summer theatre for a number of years. It had a full time shoemaker on staff and he used only Barge. (I'm guessing it was Barge original formula, as there was only one type back then.) The theatre used to get it in gallon cans. Barge is the "go-to" glue for shoemakers and cobblers, even today, so it has to be strong and flexible.

[Rahere]

The land of latex workers have looked for something which would glue sheet latex which has been surface-filled with chlorine molecules, "Chlorination", filling in the holes on the surface which create the rubbery friction. The headache is that that roughness was what rubber cement, otherwise known as contact adhesive, gets a grip onto. Nothing would glue it reliably, even sanding it to roughen the surface. Not ever Barge would work.
Then last year, I suggested what cobblers use to hold shoe soles on around here, Renia Colle de Cologne. The company which invented chlorination tried it - and you don't get a more demanding test than that - and it worked. They were over the moon. The only issue is that it's far more expensive than ordinary contact adhesive, so they're keeping it for repairs and alterations.

But if you're looking for the toughest flexible glue known to leatherwork, that has to be it. It'll cope with a 150kg man for months if not years (not me, I hasten to add), on a surface the size of a foot. I'll leave you to calculate that for yourself.

It's nice for cross-crafting to work in both directions!

Edited June 29, 2021 by Rahere