Contact Cement advice?

weo

Joined
Sep 21, 2014
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Hello all. I mainly do kitchen knives, but occasionally forge out hunters, and also like making the sheaths for them. However, they are few and far between, my last ones being last winter.

My questions are: Because I make sheaths only occasionally, what is the best way to store my contact cement? I just opened my can and it was a solid gelatinous glob.
Also, I have Chuck Burrows CD and he has a good idea about having a can half-filled with thinner to store his brush in. Is the thinner just acetone, or is it something different?

Thanks

as always
peace and love
billyO
 
I use Weldwood low VOC contact cement. It's the green labeled can and you might have to ask for it at Lowe's, Home Depot or Ace Hardware. Water based and can be thinned with water as needed. For brushes we buy acid brushes off EBay, 12 dozen cost about $20. They clean up with water and when they're too gunky, just toss'em and get a fresh one. Allow the cement to dry completely before sticking together and does not do well with more than one coat. It does not have quite the sticking power that the regular does, but the benefits of no fumes and easy clean up make it our choice. Been using it about 5 yrs now and have had no complaints or issues.
 
Sorry, I don't have a contact cement storage answer what I do have is a glue suggestion. I make leather bags, clutches, purses, and the occasional sheath. I switched from contact cement to a vinyl repair glue called Instant Vinyl. The glue has an amazing holding power, but it does take a few min. longer to dry. It comes in a tube with a thin applicator nozzle which has taken the need for a brush out of the equation.
It's strength mix with the ability to have precision application is why I switched. Also I've never had a tube solidify on me.
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You can also get Weldwood in 4 oz. containers, which is what I recently switched to--I personally like it a lot better than the Barge I was previously using. (I don't think the small bottle of Weldwood is low VOC, though). It's also super convenient to be able to get it at the hardware store when you need some, rather than waiting to have something shipped.
 
That's odd, I have a 1/2 used bottle of Weldwood that I hadn't opened in months. Just cracked it the other day, it's still good to use.

Weldwood has a seal under the cap that also helps keep the slop under control. If your bottle had something that effect, and you removed it, I could see it bricking up.

-AJ
 
I'm with Rick, I use the green can of Weldwood too. Have been for a long time, probably 8-9 years now. I buy gallon cans of it at Home Depot. I put it into a ketchup type squeeze bottle from the .99 cent store and that's how I keep on on the bench. Many projects I just squeeze it directly out of the ketchup bottle and spread it out, for detail work I'll squeeze some into a little Dixie cup and dip my brush into that. For brushes I buy those foam disposable brushes. I get em from Hobby Lobby in 50 packs for like 5 bucks. Use em and toss em, don't even bother trying to clean em up. I got turned onto it by a buddy that is also a professional leather crafter. When his now 10 year old daughter was born his wife wouldn't allow her to come out into the shop because of the Barge fumes. This hurt him pretty bad because he would watch the baby during the day while his wife worked. So he wasn't getting much done because he wasn't in the shop. He found this stuff and turned me onto it. It was a life saver too as here in the People's Republik of Kalifornia ordering in Barge was very difficult and expensive. It could only be ordered on the Tuesday after a full moon and then besides paying for it there was a $20 hazmat fee and then a $50 fee to the Central Committee and yep its easier to run down to Home Depot, specially since its across the street from the ranch. its not like I have to make a big special trip or anything.

I do keep a small bottle of the regular Weldwood contact cement on hand (and I have had many of these gum up and dry up on me over the years). The only thing I have found in leather work that the green stuff won't stick too is the ribbon on a zipper. If I'm making a pair of chaps with zippers I glue them on with the regular, eat your brain out, Weldwood. I have found the green formula of Weldwood to be superior for sticking a wide variety of leathers together. I sometimes use some really oily leathers in chap work and the green stuff works better on those leathers than the regular Weldwood, Barge and various other "leather glues" in common usage.

Give er a try I think ya like it.
 
Sure like the ketchup squeeze bottle idea! I'm using the foam brushes today to cement split liner into a couple rifle scabbards and it sure spreads faster. Lost full weekend to contact cement fumes about 5yrs. ago and went to the green can and never looked back. Beer and good bourbon killed enough brain cells in the early days, so couldn't afford glue fumes taking the rest.
 
Good deal Rick! Ya find that ketchup bottle handy for big projects like your scabbards. Sure saves a lot of time. I have found that only bad whiskey kills brain cells. Good stuff makes em multiply. The top shelf in the cantina in our house is pretty top shelf:

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Yeah, just squeeze and spread with the foam brush, I like it, thanks!
Those labels would have to be a tad higher up to stay safe even today. Very nice indeed!
 
Show ya how much I hate dyeing leather one of those bottles of Laphoaig was a bribe to get me to make him a black sheath. Bottle on top of what the sheath cost!
 
Good choice of hootch Dave but no sharp tools when ya got the scotch out.....I’m also a fan of the green weldwood cement it doesn’t make my eyes water either and I need what brain cells I got left
 
Good deal let me know how it works for ya Rick Lowe Rick Lowe . Makes a guy wonder if he could just use a regular ketchup bottle all cleaned out, instead of the diner special? I was working on a pair of chaps couple evenings ago, sewing in the zippers. Wow forgotten just really how bad the regular Weldwood is.
 
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