Water based leather adhesives?

[PEU]

Been using toluene-based contact cement for ages, I want to know if water based adhesives work for thick leather used in sheaths. Do you have recommendations and/or comments on its use? Thanks!!!

Pablo
PS: This video is amazing

 

[navman]

I have been using a Ecoweld water based adhesive since I started...works fine. I was recommended to use carpet glue next. Bought it from Tandy.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Eco-Flo Leather Weld works great for me. I use it on most all leather and fabric projects.

 

[PEU]

even for thick leather?

 

[navman]

I use 8-9 oz leather so I would say yes.. It's going to be backed up by stitching anyway.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I have glued up simple sheaths without stitching and the only way to get the layers apart was to tear them. With stitching, I have never had a failure. It makes built up welts easier, too.

TIPS:
I often build up the welt by gluing the layers on the back piece, and then skive or grind the taper in.

I like to glue all the sheath layers together and then stitch. No slipping or other issues when punching the stitching holes. This is very helpful for doing the belt loop on the back of the sheath.

Another trick for getting perfectly smooth inside seams on a built-up welt is to glue the layers of leather together and then draw the knife profile on them. Cut the waste out with then-bandsaw, taper as needed, and then glue the front and back pieces on. Grind the outside edges to shape. Now you can drill the stitching holes and go to the pony.

 

[JV Knives]

Not a common practice, but if you have any need for wet molding prior to stitching, water based adhesives obviously don't like being wet....this isn't an issue for contact cement.

 

[Lorien]

all my sheaths are wet molded, and the latex glue I've used dissolves somewhat, so I've decided to use up the nasty contact cement I already have and then get some of that latex glue that don't care about water so much

 

[C_Claycomb]

I preface this by saying I know I am inexperienced in the present company.

I have used Gorilla Glue with success, bonding 5/32 leather to 1/4 to 3/8 welt leather. Not good for gluing down belt flaps because it’s foaming action can mean it goes where you don’t want, but it is strong. I was wondering if other wood glues, like Titebond 2 and 3 might work. Titebond 2 is water resistant and dries pretty quick. Titebond 3 is lower viscosity and takes longer to dry, but is outdoor rated waterproof. On wood they are generally stronger than the wood.

 

[A.McPherson]

If you want to get super old school, you can get hide glue or fish bladder glue at various places on the internet.

Waterproof? No.
Super strong? Yes.

 

[Jeffinn]

I started using Ecostick 1804 a while ago and like it. No fumes and the holding strength is great.
Jeff

 

[Horsewright]

Weldwood Contact Cement in the green can. Water resistant when dry and water based. Get er at the Depot. Green can not the red can, different formulations. This is the only glue I've used (except for a few weeks during the supply chain crunch) in the last 17 years. I've used it on several herds of leather.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

This is a good thread. I recently had the Fiebings leather cement fail on the bottom of a sheath and expose the stitching, which got popped by the blade.

Now I'm using barge cement and man it reeks, not a fan. Going to try the ecoflow.

The fiebings is great if you're gluing up to punch and need to pull it apart after.

 

[PEU]

Wildwood Contact Cement in the green can. Water resistant when dry and water based. Get er at the Depot. Green can not the red can, different formulations. This is the only glue I've used (except for a few weeks during the supply chain crunch) in the last 17 years. I've used it on several herds of leather.

Added a 1 quart can to my amazon list for next year trip to the Bladeshow, in the meantime will look locally for polychloroprene waterborne contact adhesive (the description they provide)
How long you leave the pieces to dry before mating them?

Thanks guys for the replies!!

Pablo

 

[Horsewright]

Yeah it works very well for me. Depends on the temp, it’ll glaze over when its ready. Usually just a few minutes.

 

[A.McPherson]

Yeah it works very well for me. Depends on the temp, it’ll glaze over when its ready. Usually just a few minutes.

A bunch of other leather workers and crafty-type folk I follow on YouTube use the barge brand, and I know you've used it before right?
Why do you like WildWood better? Not trying to throw shade or anything, just curious.
SwissHeritageCo is right the stuff STINKS bad...

 

[Horsewright]

A bunch of other leather workers and crafty-type folk I follow on YouTube use the barge brand, and I know you've used it before right?
Why do you like WildWood better? Not trying to throw shade or anything, just curious.
SwissHeritageCo is right the stuff STINKS bad...

Yes I used Barge prior to switching to the green can of Weldwood. Barge has been the standard in leatherwork for a long time. I too had one of those glue pots where the glue drips down the sides. Barge works well but here is why after trying the Weldwood I threw that glue pot away.

I got turned on to the Weldwood by a friend, another pro leather smith that specializes in cowboy gear. He and his wife just had a baby and I know you know how that changes things some. He worked in his shop there on the place full time and his wife worked in town. So he was gonna take care of their baby through the day. Only, they decided it wasn't gonna be safe for his new daughter with all the Barge fumes floating around. His plan had been to work while she was sleeping. Only now he couldn't because they were concerned of the impact these fumes could have on the infant. So spending all this time inside the house and not in the shop he wasn't making a living. He called me up one day, all excited, and told me about this green can of Weldwood and that it had been working really well and he was back in the shop working and man I needed to try it. So I did. Never looked back. I know how long I've been using it cause that lil girl is now a senior in High School.

Advantages I've found.

Might even be stronger than Barge. Recently had to take a pair of shoeing chaps I'd was working on apart. Had the leg reinforcement on a lil crooked on one leg. I sat down with my scissors and a dental pick to pull the stitches and I couldn't get that dang thing apart even with pliers and another set of hands and using two sets of pliers. It was just easier to start over and I did.

Locally available. We have a Depot here in our lil town. I can go buy it without having to get it off the net. There are no haz mat shipping fees like there is on Barge, if I do buy it off the net. The thing with the fumes is real. It also doesn’t thicken up like the Barge with age. Barge makes a thinner, its probably worse for your head then the glue.

Versatility. I use to make a lot of chaps, leggings etc. Some of the leathers used for these things can be pretty oily. I've not found any leathers that the Weldwood wouldn't glue up. Barge there were some. The only thing I found that I couldn't glue up with the Weldwood was the zipper tape on a zipper. I use to keep a lil jar of the red contact cement to do zippers. Nobody glues zippers anymore. Everybody uses two sided tape for zippers these days.
It's a flexible bond as well as a strong bond. I did try some other glues years ago and I found them to be a hard firm bond. Not good for something flexible.

Kinda it.

 

[Horsewright]

Edit to add. Just rereading this. It is Weldwood by DAP. Not Wildwood, dang spellcheck!

Pablo I forgot to answer your question regarding thick leathers. Yes absolutely it works very well on heavy veg tan. This sheath is from 10/12 oz saddle skirting. So front/back and welt all the same skirting, three layers.

Lightweight flexible leathers too:

Its all I use:

Literally we have made thousands and thousands of items with this glue. A friend stopped by for coffee the other morning. He was kinda Horsewrighted up:

 

[A.McPherson]

Thanks Dave!

Once my bucket o' Barge runs out I'll have to see if they have it at the local Ace hardware. I don't live in an area that has a Lowes\Home Depot anywhere close...

 

[Horsewright]

Ya bet my friend! I didn’t use to but then they built one across the freeway from the ranch gate. Ya couldn’t believe how many months it took em to figure out that the M and the E wern’t working on their HOME DEPOT lit up sign. Advertising some other kind of depot I guess. Always good for a laugh with a group of cowboys gathered in the early morning darkness to work cattle and look to the south and see that brightly lit sign on the side of their building.