UK contact cement options

[hughlle]

I've searched, and a number of brands have come up be it barge, weldwood, master etc. But to hell if I can find anywhere in the UK that sells the stuff. 

I'm in need of a glue that'll near permanently hold two bits of leather together, such as a watch strap that doesn't have stitching along its length.

What are you guys using? I'm after something economical in larger quantities (e.g 500ml tins), rather than a tube of UHU or superglue etc. 

[Ferryman]

Hi Hughlle 

I use Evo Stik 528

 

Ferryman

[fredk]

B&Q's own contact glue. Its available in 'liquid' or 'gel'

https://www.diy.com/departments/diall-neoprene-contact-adhesive-250ml/3663602709305_BQ.prd

Screwfix does their own contact adhesive as well;  https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-contact-adhesive-beige-1ltr/34758

[hughlle]

Thanks guys. Just got a tin of evo-stik impact, and it's pretty naff. I'll have a look at those two. 

[chrisash]

2 hours ago, hughlle said:

Thanks guys. Just got a tin of evo-stik impact, and it's pretty naff. I'll have a look at those two. 

Strange are you following directions and letting both sides touch dry before joining and hammer down after

Edited February 15, 2020 by chrisash

[hughlle]

1 hour ago, chrisash said:

Strange are you following directions and letting both sides touch dry before joining and hammer down after

I didn't hammer, but I got a can of coke and gave it a good roll. After 24 hours it just pulled apart like it was prit stick. Both sides were touch dry. I've done another couple of strips using the B&Q stuff to see how that comes out. 

Edited February 15, 2020 by hughlle

[Ferryman]

528 is an industrial strength Evo Stick which I have had excellent results with when bonding leather to wood

[fredk]

5 hours ago, hughlle said:

Thanks guys. Just got a tin of evo-stik impact, and it's pretty naff. I'll have a look at those two. 

a, has your leather any oils on it?

b.are you gluing the flesh side or the grain side? the grain side needs roughing up before sticking or it won't stick very well.

c. I used to use Evo until it became impossible to buy in N.I. for a while, then I switched to the B&Q and Screwfix glues

[hughlle]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

a, has your leather any oils on it?

b.are you gluing the flesh side or the grain side? the grain side needs roughing up before sticking or it won't stick very well.

c. I used to use Evo until it became impossible to buy in N.I. for a while, then I switched to the B&Q and Screwfix glues

It does have oils in it, and I am indeed doing flesh to flesh. 

[fredk]

The oils may be preventing the contact glue from working.

Can you remove the oils or use non-oiled leather?

 

PS. I use UHU a lot too. I get it in a Poundland shop. If you go to get it beware they sell two sizes of tube for £1. One tube is 60ml and is in a plain box, the other size is 30ml in a fancier box. Home Bargains also sells the UHU / 60ml for 99p or £1, depending on the local shop

[Matt S]

Normal red tin Evo stik works well, but some has clearly been sitting in inventory too long. I found that it's more effective if thinned a little, and not noticed  much improvement from the 528 in the green tins.

I now use Abbey's 441, proper stuff -- cheaper and more effective than Evo, it comes the right consistency, wets the leather better than Evo, dries in a few minutes and it's still got toluene in it. It works well on greasy/waxy/oily leather but I would never rely on it without stitching or riveting.

When I have issues with contact cement not sticking properly it's usually because I've let it dry too far before pressing. It can be reactivated with heart, but I find potting on a second coat is better. Don't wait till it's completely dry before pressing the two pieces together, I find best results when it's still a little tacky.

[toxo]

Have got this stuff from Toolstation. Don't like it much but it holds stuff before stitching.

https://www.toolstation.com/contact-adhesive/p14503

I actually like the Wilco stuff in the tube. It's wetter and easy to apply. But if you want permanent try Gorilla glue. Stuff has to be damp and it foams and expands a bit but by Christ does it hold. I made a mistake once and I had to cut the leather.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323073322446

 

[Handstitched]

I just put ' contact adhesive uk' ( not contact cement)  in the engine thingy, clicked on 'images'  and quite a few brands came up.

Here in Oz, I use ' Parfix, , or 'Selleys Kwik Grip'  adhesive , both do the same job but Parfix is cheaper. 

If it gets a bit ' gluggy' in the tin from constantly opening the tin , I use toluene to thin it out, so it lasts longer, and so does my $$   It gets ex$y to throw away the dregs at the bottom  of the tin. 

Hope this also helps

HS

[hughlle]

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

16 hours ago, Matt S said:

Normal red tin Evo stik works well, but some has clearly been sitting in inventory too long. I found that it's more effective if thinned a little, and not noticed  much improvement from the 528 in the green tins.

I now use Abbey's 441, proper stuff -- cheaper and more effective than Evo, it comes the right consistency, wets the leather better than Evo, dries in a few minutes and it's still got toluene in it. It works well on greasy/waxy/oily leather but I would never rely on it without stitching or riveting.

When I have issues with contact cement not sticking properly it's usually because I've let it dry too far before pressing. It can be reactivated with heart, but I find potting on a second coat is better. Don't wait till it's completely dry before pressing the two pieces together, I find best results when it's still a little tacky.

Thanks Matt. Perhaps I did let it go too far over. It was touch dry as per the tins instructions. I'll have another go and just wait for it to become tacky. It's all a bit new to me. So far all my work has had full stitching so the glue has not been too important. 

Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of stitched watch straps and prefer ones with 2 stitches at the spring bars, and a V at the tip of the tail end.

[hughlle]

An update to this. It was the leather, not the glue. the flesh side is just too slick and smooth on this leather. I had a sample delivered and the skin side was similar to the flesh side on my existing leather. So I grabbed some sandpaper, roughed it up a bit, and jobs a good un  every day is a learning day. 

[CWLeathercraft]

My leather mentor, who is in his 80s, with 40 plus years experience, swears by copydex... smells rank, but works a treat and is more forgiving if you line things up wrong than contact cement is... you can also peel off bits if it gets where you dont want it and dont notice in time.

 

But omg the smell.... dead fish x 10.

[fredk]

The latest Copydex I've bought has no smell at all.

I miss that fishy smell

ml for ml Copydex has got really expensive

[LumpenDoodle2]

Screwfix own brand works well, and because of the turnover, you know the contact cement hasn’t been sitting on a shelf for too long.

It’s also cheap.      

[Frodo]

On 2/15/2020 at 9:25 AM, hughlle said:

I didn't hammer, but I got a can of coke and gave it a good roll. After 24 hours it just pulled apart like it was prit stick. Both sides were touch dry. I've done another couple of strips using the B&Q stuff to see how that comes out. 

I have run into that.  

what is happening is the glue is soaking into the material.  your material is porous

what i do. is after the glue dries i add a second coat of glue.  that will do the trick.

 

curious.  what does ''naff'' man? 

[fredk]

46 minutes ago, Frodo said:

curious.  what does ''naff'' man? 

naff = not good at all. or very poor

[Frodo]

20 hours ago, fredk said:

naff = not good at all. or very poor

AH... "POS "    piece of ------

[Art]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aquilim-315-dispersion-adhesives-500g/dp/B00DJ3KHSA 

Renia Aquilim 315 it works very well. Water based, no VOCs. I stayed away from anything like this for the longest time. This is all I use now even though I have a gallon of Master in the shop.

 

[philg9]

On 3/30/2020 at 7:30 PM, hughlle said:

An update to this. It was the leather, not the glue. the flesh side is just too slick and smooth on this leather. I had a sample delivered and the skin side was similar to the flesh side on my existing leather. So I grabbed some sandpaper, roughed it up a bit, and jobs a good un  every day is a learning day. 

Hughlle,  I'm a harness maker in the UK,  the contact glue I use is the solibond 949 contact adhesive from Abbey and I find thiis covers all I need,   it isnt stringy when you put your spreader in the tin and it soreads lovely onto the leather with no after mess to deal with and if left for the correct time to go a bit past tacky to the touch then it will glue and stick well. I only work with Bakers oak bark tanned hides for my work and that can be a bit greasy as it's hand stuffed with natural grease and the only way is as you have now found out,  sandpapering both surfaces before glueing is the only way.  

The biggest problem I see folk struggle with when it comes to using contact adhesive is they put too much on.  

Edited June 10, 2020 by philg9

[ASAuLTCases]

im evo contact and just got a tool centre contact that is runny, i am not sure on that yet,

but for watch straps Gorilla glue classic will beat all the others but it would cost more than the leather on bigger builds, but i would say its ideal for you, I've glued my souls on old boots and they are still stuck, after months, that is all the proof i need, i tried loads over the years and would not even bother trying the others, i have a Gorilla glue and tried it not expecting it to work, brilliant stuff and you damp one side and a bit goes a long way, we don't have better in the UK.

[toxo]

4 minutes ago, ASAuLTCases said:

im evo contact and just got a tool centre contact that is runny, i am not sure on that yet,

but for watch straps Gorilla glue classic will beat all the others but it would cost more than the leather on bigger builds, but i would say its ideal for you, I've glued my souls on old boots and they are still stuck, after months, that is all the proof i need, i tried loads over the years and would not even bother trying the others, i have a Gorilla glue and tried it not expecting it to work, brilliant stuff and you damp one side and a bit goes a long way, we don't have better in the UK.

+1 for thye Gorilla glue. The leather will tear long before the GG gives up. If that Tool Center stuff is Everbuild I was getting really ticked off with it until I bought a bottle of Toluene. Can have it as runny as I like now.