Originally Posted by RCMoeur

I tried to find my earlier post on the process I use when I patch hundreds of tubes per year with a 95+% success rate. But BikeForum's search function is as useless as usual. But I do have the photo of the battery-powered dremel with the sanding drum attachment that makes the most important step so much easier. Used it tonight, in fact.






(pulls out soapbox)
Proper and thorough tube surface preparation is by far the most important step - much more important than patch or fluid brand, post-application rolling, etc. There must be clean dark black exposed virgin rubber for the entire patch surface and a bit extra around the edges to be sure. Skimping or skipping this step, as I've seen so many others do, is almost a guarantee of failure and muttering of "all patch kits suck" or "this kit or brand isn't any good". The dremel admittedly makes it very easy to complete in seconds. But if you have to do it by hand, it's all too easy for people to get tired of all the repetitions and pressure needed to get a large enough and clean enough surface - and so they say "good enough", apply the fluid and the patch, and then find out they wasted all that time and effort due to a faulty bond due to insufficient prep.
(puts away soapbox)