Contact Cement Good Enough?
 

I just found out that my patch kit vulcanizing fluid is all dried out. Can I use Contact Cement I bought from The Dollar Store?

Will it be durable as a patch kit when used with my Rima patches?

Thanks for all responses.

As long as it is Rubber Contact Cement and not for Plastics. It will work.

I use Elmers rubber cement on all my paches and have yet to have a patch failure.
(120 psi road bikes mostly)

Enjoy

Most bike shops carry new tubes of vulcanizing fluid. bk

Me, too!

True for about $2 / 0.4oz (one tube).
The Elmers is $1.50 / 4oz

Enjoy

You can get cheap kits at wally world or the car parts store. I keep a can of glue at the house for patching and a tube from the car parts place in the bike bag.

There's a difference between elmer's cement and stuff intended for tire and tube repair. Go to an auto parts store and buy a can. While the bike tube is a pretty undemanding application, a proper cement doesn't really cost much, and works much better.

What does much better mean? As powers2b and I have said, Elmer's seems to be working flawlessly for us. I couldn't be more satisfied than I currently am, even at double the price.

"Better" could be numerous things.

Heat-resistance is one factor I've noticed between cements versus vulcanizing fluid. If you do fast downhills on rough tarmac with maximum-braking going into the corners, you may heat up the rims to the point where rubber-cement softens. The squirm of the tyres on the rough surface and under braking can work loose a patch that's using cement (gee, wonder how I now that).

Durability of the patch is variable as well. If you leave the tube in the tyre until it wear out, you probably won't ever notice the difference. However, if you're someone who changes tyres often, man-handling the cemented patch may work it loose. The ultimate comparison is to peel off a cemented patch versus a vulcanized one. While not representative of actual use, this worse-case-scenario will have the cemented patch coming off cleanly. The vulcanized one will require considerably more force and end up ripping and/or taking parts of the tube withit.

So basically, if cement is good enough for you, that's fine. For some people, the higher performance and durability may be factors that affects their usage.

It's pretty cheap at auto supply stores.....

A proper cement causes the patch's rubber to become cross-linked with the tube's. (That is, after all, what vulcanizing is.)
That means you can't move or remove the patch without damaging the tube. Elmer's won't, and the patch can be peeled off (or, as I've seen happen, peel off on its own, when the tube is folded for storage.).

Maybe. But maybe not. How about a side-by-side test? I can use both types of glue and patch two patches. Then test them, somehow. How? You can do the same. Interested in an experiment? I'm curious to see what we find.

Contact cement from the dollar store probably will not work.

The active ingredient in Rema cold vulcanizing fluid is either naptha for the tube http://www.rematiptop.com/technical/...id-201_202.pdf or trichloroethylene http://www.rematiptop.com/technical/...03_204_205.pdf for the can. Both are solvents that work by liquifying rubber and then evaporating.

You may find a patch kit at that dollar store, if you look harder. Otherwise, you may want to get your LBS to stock tubes of Rema cold vulcanizing fluid, if you don't want to buy a complete patch kit.

What's more interesting is the N-ethylcyclohexylamine, which is a very commonly used vulcanization accelerant. (there will be some other things of interest in the cements, like a a sulfur donor, and possibly other accelerants, but mostly they'll fall below the requirement to be listed on an MSDS.) The solvent used doesn't make a practical difference. (Elmer's uses heptane, Park uses naptha and heptane.)

get a jar of Elmer's rubber cement at your local supermarket and fix 'em at home -stuff works great and is inexpensive and will last a couple of years

Reviving a really old thread here. I am considering using the rubber cement, just wondering if it works similarly to the vulcanizing fluid in terms of method. When I use the vulcanizing fluid, the steps are
sand tire to make rough and clean
apply fluid sparingly, but in an area bigger than the patch
allow to dry
press patch on without moving - instant bond formed here
press firmly, rolling the tube/patch between my fingers for 10-15 seconds
let sit over night
good to go.

I presently have a stock of rather large patches (25mm) which I am using on 25mm tubes. So the patches don't just plot down on the tube, you need to bend and roll them to get full contact area. I have had no real problems with the patches, but i am running low on fluid and exploring my replacement options.

REMA still makes tire patch glue and it works great. Why bump an old thread to add no info and "explore your options" rather than just buying something you know will work? :crash:

What is the point of having a forum if you can't ask other people for information/advice?

Did you have a question that wasn't answered in the thread, or by searching? By all means, go try some rubber cement and report back on how well it works.

I buy inner tubes in quantity and save up the punctured ones in a box. When a day comes that I don't have anything else to do, I take out a brand new patch kit and patch them all at one time. Then I throw what's left in the patch kit away and buy a new one for my next session. My glue or vulcanizing fluid or whatever never dries out.

You are correct, I never stated my question. Here it is. I described the method I use with vulcanizing fluid. My question is, would one use rubber cement using the same method? I am sure most of the step would be the same, but I am curious if one waits for the rubber to cement to dry (as I do with vulcanizing fluid), or if one puts the patch on wet and holds it in place some how.

At the grouch, my vulcanizing fluid has not dried out,it is running out. I have patches and little fluid, so I am looking for the proper method to use a lower cost replacement.

A few years ago, I bought an 8oz can of the Rema "Cold Vulcanizing Fluid", figuring it would last for many years.
I'll be damned if that can isn't less than half full now, and I *know* I have kept the lid tight.:mad:

If anybody is interested here is my story.
i was having the same problem with the tire cement as everyone else. Dried out in the unopened tube when I needed it.

what I did.
purchased a bottle of rubber cement at my local Office supply store .
took a bicycle tube and punched a small hole in it.
sanded the spot , applied a thin layer of some of the rubber cement, let it dry and then applied a patch.
Immediately filled the tube with air to see if the patch would stay on. It did and did not curl at all
put the tube with air in the sun for a couple of hours to see if the patch would come off from the heat. It didn't. Not even close.
Tried taking the patch off with my fingers. It could be done but it would not be easy.

conclusion.
the rubber cement is working just as well as the glue that comes with patch kits. It is acting just the same with an applied patch.

now I have to find a small air tight container to hold some of the rubber cement in my bike bag.

any ideas on that?

george

Contact cement works but does eventually get hard dries and you can peel the patch off.
I buy these cans one will last years! and I patch a lot of tires for the kids.
Vulcanizing fluid melts the patch and tube together making the bond.
I buy vulcanizing fluid here at Gimplers
For the road you can find small tubes around but I patch at home and swap tubes on the road so the can works for me.
I keep one small tube and some patches with me on road but try not to use those tubes of vulcanizing fluid.