No debate, but I don't know what you are describing. "Sand area off"? "ends cannot be stitched in"? Are you patching a tube or something else? What kind of kits do you use? Tip Top works great for me, can't imagine any kit could be much smaller.
The sand paper or metal scraper is just for roughing up the tube so the glue sticks, that's all. Has worked for me for 58 years of patching tubes with zero failures.

Here's an eBay auction# for three TT01 (Small) Tip Top kits for $7.99 with free shipping. NFI
300789240438

It took six days for mine to arrive, including a weekend.

While on the question of patches......what about the Park Tool Tire Boot (TB-2)**********??? I've learned to ask B4 I order.

Thanks.

I will post a link in a few days with step by step instructions of what I learned.

Here is a short version by I will make it clear once I take the pics: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...light=patching

Stitching is used to make sure the patch edges do not come up. The buffing compound works better and faster then the sand paper.

Here is another link: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...light=patching

Stitching is like wielding for example. It bonds the patch on so well that you will end up ripping the tube before you get the patch off!

Just a different way of doing it. When most people have a hard time patching, its usually because the gloss is not taken off enough, they do not let the "glue" dry enough or they do not stitch or press the patch long enough.

And to be frank, most people use too large of a patch. I bought the smallest ones they make....16 mm I believe. Works wonders!

Just a different way.

Forget the kits. Make your own. You can buy 100 16mm patches for cheap on amazon. Get the "glue" and put a little in a bottle. Ear drop bottle works well.

You can accomplish the same with a dollar bill or a piece of Tyvek (any construction sites around?).

If it is a small tear, a business var works great.

Thanks. Tyvek is easy to find......bills not so!!!!

Tyvek weighs almost nothing. Do you just cut a piece and carry it in the "repair kit" then place it at the cut area or use patch glue to hold it. A temporary measure at best, I would assume.

At tube of glue would be better. You can get 5 g tubes for around $2 at any number of places like REI, bike shops, Jenson, etc.

I put them either in my CamelBak or my Trans-It saddle bag. I do this just in case something gets wet and I miss it. Good thing about stretch wrap, you can smooch the tube a little smaller. This is the real reason I do it, more than ozone protection. Usually things do get a little moist when I ride in the rain though. I pull it out of the bags and let it air dry and stick it right back in there. Like I was saying though, I'm good to use one at least every other month. Sometimes more. This month I have had 2 flats.

Unfortunately this evening I noticed my cool Crank Bros multi-tool had rusted up a bit. Must have happened last week when it rained on me. I thought that I had let it dry enough, but I guess the bag itself held enough moisture to allow it to creep in. I'll have to clean it up tomorrow at work. I'll spray PB Blaster on it before I put it back in the little anti-static bag I keep it in. That should take care of that.

:eek:

Oh yeah, I always carry a bunch of (Tyvek??)

What you do is cut off and save the tags from mattresses and pillows. You know the ones that say "It a Federal Crime to Remove this Tag..."

WHOOOOO - scary.

Anyway, those tags are made out of what I think you guys are calling tyvek. You can't tear or puncture or burn this stuff. And the pillow/mattress tags are usually a great size.

You know if I ever get pulled over and searched by one of ILTB's cop buddy's...they're gonna put my a$$ away for a long time, for all those tags I have in my saddle bag..... http://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Well, hellfire.............that makes you my hero.

Something weird just happened. I tried to edit my post, and somehow my edited post and non edited post both posted.

A really good source of Tyvek is some kinds of USPS priority envelopes or some other shipping envelopes are made of the stuff. Nice big swathes of the stuff. You don't even have to go out of your way, just save the envelopes when they come to you in the mail. Or I suppose you could stop by the post office and get one, though that would be slightly wrong :)

Why?

As I mentioned, I sometimes change out non-glue patches for vulcanized ones. After scuffing and glueing, I wrap the patched area in a small rag and press it in a table vice, overnight. When the glue is dry, the patch is completely bonded to the tire. I've never had one fail.

The little tubes of rubber cement can dry out even if never opened. It just takes longer.

Is Tyvek better as a boot than duct tape? I carry a bit of the latter in my tool bag. I wrapped around a small cylinder.

Chef Isaac's post reminded me of this link:
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-...er-tube-repair

Not in my experience. I've got tubes in my tool box that are several years old and I've not found a sealed tube of quality vulcanizing fluid, i.e. Rema, that had dried out. The point is to buy good patch kits, not the cheapest ones you can find.

There are several reasons. First, vulcanizing fluid isn't rubber cement. In the case of the above mentioned Remas, the vulcanizing fluid and the patches are a 2 part system. The patch is coated with one compounds that is activated by another compound in the fluid. When combined, they form not just an adhesive bond but a chemical bond. The patch material becomes part of the tube rather than just being stuck to it.

Second, once tubes of vulcanizing fluid have been opened, they can dry out. Buying a $2 tube of vulcanizing fluid once a year makes much more sense than buying large can of fluid and having it dry out, unless you are repairing hundreds of patches per year. I repair a lot of punctures but a large can of fluid makes little sense for even me.

There is also the problem of getting the fluid into a small bottle. It's not going to be easy since the fluid is rather thick. Application from a bottle would be difficult as well. I apply the fluid from the tube directly so that I don't contaminate the fluid and compromise the patch job.

i toss them when i get a valve stem issue, a pin prick leak, a hole near the valve, or the road feel is off (i ride skinnies all year round). 9 patches is pretty impressive.

Here is a way I learned to patch. It makes the world of difference:

Click Here

I'm sure your method works but waiting overnight and/or using a vise to aid bonding sounds unwieldy as well as unnecessary.

I must have patched hundreds of tubes while living and cycling in Philadelphia with streets littered with broken glass. I never had a patch fail and I've never waited any time at all for the patch to bond, other than the time it took to reinstall the patched tube with the tire on the wheel, pump it up and be on my way.

I have used glue less patches for several years with about a 98% success rate. Who wants to wait for that stuff to dry when it is 40 degrees out? I guess that is when you swap out a tube, but I would rather just put the patch on and get on with my life. I will say that the glue less patches are not as good in the situation when you have one or thirty on a tube, and you need to fill the tube up outside the tie to find a leak. They don't stretch well so at that time it is time for another tube. Another $5 down the drain . . . .

I have a container of rema glue like this one...http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=280893

I have only had it for a week or two but I have containers just like it of PVC glue that have been open / good for years.
I even carry it on my bike in my patch kit.

Time will tell if it dries up...