Using barge glue in living space

[Mark842]

13 hours ago, Michellleatherworks said:

Do I need to look for a certain cfm rating for this kind of thing?   I want to be sure I'm moving enough air. 

Like I said earlier I use bilge fans. The average bathroom fan only moves 50-80CFM and cost in the $50 range. I went and looked up the two bilge fans I picked up. They are 270CFM each and unlike a bathroom fan the motors are sealed. I would compare the noise to that of a computer fan. the two drawbacks are they are 12V fans. I pulled an old computer power supply and it works great. The second drawback is a recommended run time for no more than 4 minutes. That is why I put in a second one so I can get 8 minutes if I'm doing a bunch of gluing. For the average project I'm spending about 1 minute spreading the glue max and few waiting for it to get tacky. if you go this route take some screen and put it over the intakes for the fan. They will pick up a piece of small leather and suck it in. I had to go out in the yard a few times to find pieces of my project. As for fumes, I smell nothing when using them. I'm using Seaflo 4". $30 each and they are specifically made for venting explosive fumes before starting a boat engine so the motors are completely sealed so the fumes can't detonate. They have a 4" PVC flange on each end so you can hook up a cheap dryer vent hose and run it anyhow you want....my 2cents.

[fredk]

To put cfm in perspective; my work room is about 12 x 12 x 7ft, allowing for stuff on shelving units etcetera. there is air volume of about 504 cf. So an extractor working at 80cfm takes 6.5 minutes to change the air. At 270 cfm it takes 1 minute 52 seconds. 

Obviously the faster the change the less anyone will smell the glue vapours, but if you have the fan running from the time you open the tin of glue and its right near the fan then a lower cfm will be adequate

[Mark842]

2 minutes ago, fredk said:

To put cfm in perspective; my work room is about 12 x 12 x 7ft, allowing for stuff on shelving units etcetera. there is air volume of about 504 cf. So an extractor working at 80cfm takes 6.5 minutes to change the air. At 270 cfm it takes 1 minute 52 seconds. 

Obviously the faster the change the less anyone will smell the glue vapours, but if you have the fan running from the time you open the tin of glue and its right near the fan then a lower cfm will be adequate

And I'm betting using a airbrushing booth or similar 3 sided hooded work area would make it disperse even faster...

[Geary]

Tom, that is best explaination. It is always about the concentration. Hard for a leather worker, working on projects that can be done in apartment end up with those concentrations. 

But for comfort, I would move the work area closer to a window and use a regular box fan.

[Northmount]

1 hour ago, Geary said:

But for comfort, I would move the work area closer to a window and use a regular box fan.

That's a good solution as long as your work space fits.  I have MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) so am more concerned about keeping the vapours out of my space.  "Comfort"

Tom

[jcuk]

If it was me the long term health implications to my families and myself would take preference over every thing else this kind of thing may come back and haunt you and your family in later life. I know you have have said you have tried other adhesives i would for sure would for look something a lot less toxic and work out a way to a make it work. To be honest i don't glue much of my work and if i do always open my workshop door and leave it to set and then go back to work,  most of my work in lightly tacked together prior to stitching.

Hope this helps

JCUK 

[ljk]

I have two problems with glue in the shop in the house.  One my wife complains

about the smell and two I worry about the fumes. My solution is small

tubes of contact cement (limited exposure) Seal All at the Dollar Store

great stuff. 2oz for $2.99 (1-2 minute setup) I also use Elaines leather

glue filled in a Grout Sealer Applicator Roller (Home Depot etc.)

Modge Podge outdoor is good stuff and waterproof when it dries

I use it on wallets it can be washed off surface. (can be a problem

with contact cement.)  Please note Seal All sets up fast the other

needs to be clamped.

[williaty]

I am aware you've said you've tried many other adhesives, but have you tried Tandy's EcoWeld contact cement? If you use it correctly, it will tear the leather before it'll come apart at the glue line. The issue is that I see almost no leatherworkers using it correctly. It's MUCH more picky about being actually dry before you stick the two pieces together than Barge is. Almost everyone I work around coats both pieces, gives it about 30 seconds, slaps the pieces together, and then complains about the lack of holding power. I coat both sides, pay attention to something else "for a minute", totally forget that I just coating some work, and come back 20 minutes later cussing up a storm to find completely dry pieces that stick like a SOB.

 

Also, thanks for the tip on the bilge fans! I do wet plate collodion photography, which uses a lot of ether, alcohol, and nitrocellulose, so I need a better basement venting fan. You saved me a fortune!

[carmela]

Hi guys - Have you tried Renia yet? It is 100% odorless and carried in the U.S. by Lisa Sorrell Notions. I was getting headaches from barge so I switched and it is very comparable. I like the Aquilim 315 and use to glue plonge & devine leather liners into leather handbags. Also soak edges with it prior to clamping up gussets and  it sets up quickly. Just press edges with your fingers prior to clamping and it holds well enough to pull clamps off and sew.  

 

https://sorrellnotionsandfindings.com/product-category/glues-and-adhesives/

 

Lynn

[Hildebrand]

I also just tried the Renia.  I got an email from Montana Leather, they were running a special on both the contact cement and rubber cement. I ordered both and they seem great. The rubber cement is much stronger than the regular stuff I have been using and the contact cement was easy to use, odorless and grabs quickly and securely. 

Todd