That's not true. There are "glueless" patch kits out there, very prevalent, that are just stickers, and I have not found them to be effective. And there are "glue" kits that are not vulcanizing (the glue is the same I think as "contact cement"), but with a true "vulcanizing" patch kit, the vlucanizing liquid causes a chemical reaction with an ingredient in the surface of the tube, as well as the patch, such that the tube and patch "melt" (actual technical term: "vulcanize") together.

Should be an easy test, just use vulcanizing glue to stick two pieces of tube together, and see whether it works. I think you'll want to make sure you use the outer surface, not the inner, because (a) as mentioned the talcum on the inside, and (b) the outside of the tube is prepared for vulcanization with some compound (I'm not a chemist, ask cyccommute), I don't know if the inside has that.

So 100 patches; do you have a big container of vulcanizing glue? What I'd like to know is, what's a good solution for packaging small amounts to keep on the bike for road repairs?

[MENTION=252435]RubeRad[/MENTION], my memory seems not to go back four years to asking that question. I don't remember the bike I was dealing with. But anyway, I use Elmer's rubber cement in a bottle I get at the drug store. I know that according to the chemists, this can't work. I must be either lying or delusional, but whatever it is, it's been like this for years.

I use the little tubes that come in patch kits but only for roadside repairs. Occasionally I check my tool kit to make sure it hasn't dried out. You could probably put glue in a small vial to carry. Hmm I just threw some unused vials out today, thinking I'd never need them. I better fish them out of the garbage. Your question is well timed, so thanks for asking. It will lead to an experiment.

I hope the vials work out, but I don't have much hope for the Elmer's, that I think would be contact cement, not vulcanizing fluid. Rema sells large (8oz) cans of "cold vulcanizing fluid", but they also sell "special cement", so there's a difference and you would want the Big V.

Where would one get vials, perhaps at the Crack ***** Supply Depot?

Last time I saw on of those patches I was like 8 so thats like 50 years ago LOL I do not think they are made any more.

Hey all! I just patched a tire last weekend using the type of patch you're discussing. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ennV0BVFZVw

I last purchased these types of patches in bulk more than a decade ago. I only have one left

Why so many newbies (now and in the past) posting in this curious thread with their first or second posts? Something smells funny here.

It's probably because this forum post is a very high Google match for search queries related to "vulcanizing patches". That, and people remember them, but nobody can find them anymore.

The smell must be from the burning vulcanizing patches.
Must be of specific interest to auto enthusiasts, judging by names like 67chevelle. I don't remember ever hearing of this type of patch in 40+ years of cycling.

[MENTION=252435]RubeRad[/MENTION], as I said, since I don't know about chemistry, it works for me. I suppose if I knew why it could not work, it would not work for me. The results, as far as I see, are indistinguishable from those from using the officially right stuff. Now go to back to the drawing board and try to figure out how this can be, because I'm not qualified to do so.

I used to buy mine at Western Auto. As I remember. the ones I got were the size that the large patch in modern patch kits (these were the small ones for bikes). I used them on my tube (had a Schwinn Wasp) and never had a problem. I tried to find them a month or so ago without any luck. I think when cars went to tubeless tires, the demand was not worth the production cost. I remember them as being the 100% sure way to patch a tube.

I've been patching bike tube flats since 1957. It was always a very easy patch job. While on the road, I could simply stop, pull just part of the tube out from under the tire where the leak was, (no need to take the wheel off the frame) and quickly glue a patch and shove the tube back in, pump it up, and GO! Patched many, many tubes while on the road, never thought about carrying a spare tube or two. The glue was strong and patches ALWAYS stuck firmly and for forever. Some tubes ended up with as many as ten patches on 'em and NONE ever leaked.

Now, I have to really scrub, a lot, the area around the leak to roughen it up more than ever before. Then the applied glue has to set, then apply the patch, and clamp it firmly using two small pieces of wood and a small C-clamp or ViceGrips and let it set for 15 minutes or more. Can't normally do this along side the road. And they can still not be firmly adhered to the tube's surface.

So now I carry three spare tubes AND a patch kit. It seems to me the current bicycle inner tubes have a changed rubber formula so the patch kit's cement does not work very well at all. Most patches are too thick and they do not stick nearly as well as they used to. Is this a conspirancy to make us buy more tubes than be able to repair them?

Wow, I get an email notification that I was quoted on a post from six years ago. I had to take a look. I still stand by what I said.

Ditto. +1

Much of the patch cement sold today has no cross-linking catalyst (e.g. "slime" brand from Walchinamart). Unfortunately, BigBad government no longer requires much disclosure on MSDSs so you can't tell which brands will work, except by experience.

When I was a kid I used the Camel version of these. One of the best patches around. Heck, I had tubes with patches on patches. In fact, the more patches the better as they were harder to puncture. When you wear tires down to the cords before going down to the local monkey ward store for new one flats happen. I used to wear out several tires a year. Heck I even wore out a single speed hub, and shattered bearings in petals. Life BEFORE the internet. How did we ever make it.

I'm gonna experiment using a cut up bike inner tube (cleaned up, of course) as a possible thin rubber patch. Just gonna glue it over a prepared hole (punctured by me), clamp it, and then later inflate it to see if the patch holds and expands a little bit. Experiment #2 , will also try the same thing while using normal rubber cement originally bought for art projects. I mean how hard is that to try?

The "sticker" type from Park Tool are not temporary patches. They are cheap, extremely easy to use, they last year's and thousands of miles, and work awesome even on tubes with 120 PSI. I don't see any reason why anyone wants to use these "messy" patch kits with a glue.
Park Tool Co. » GP-2 : Super Patch Kit : Tube & Tire

I've tried non-Park 'stickers' before, they didn't last long. Maybe I'll try a pack of the Parks some day.

I fou d some of these at an estate sale today. Camel brand vulcanizing patches from the late 40's. Cant wait to try them, lol. Google Camel vulcanizimg patches, looks like fleabay, etc. can get them to you still.

Just my experience, but I've never had a Park patch not eventually fail and conversely, I've never had a Rema patch fail ever. But I've always used the Park ones in the field and the Rema ones in the shop, so I don't have any data on using the Park's in the shop or Rema's in the field.

- Mark