What to do with all that extra vulcanizing solution...
 

Ever run out of patches but still have tons of vulcanizing solution? I just did and I needed a quick fix so I tried taking a lighter to it.....

One burnt thumb later and I have a working bike again!

Anyone else do this?

I don't get what you did, but I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

I lit the tube on fire and let it burn until the rubber got melty and stuck.

You can buy tubes?!

Think they will ship it to my place by tomorrow morning?

I'm no materials science expert but I'm not surprised if the rubber itself would have jsut melted together. I don't think it has a very high melting point.

And to think all this time I've just been sniffing it.

They would if you were prepared.

+1

I thought the extra vulcanizing solution was part of the equation. Still, neat trick. Somebody was telling me about old timey patches that came with a book of matches and worked in a similar fashion.

my lbs sells individaul patches.

i buy a patch kit, and about 10-15 extra loose patches, then repeat when everything is exhausted

The vulcanizing solution is what catches on fire and burns. To be honest I tried some whiskey at first but I am guessing since its only ~40 proof its not enough to catch on fire. It would be awesome to say my patch kit is a flask of whiskey and a lighter though...

baccardi 151 FTW.

What the hell kind of crap ass whiskey are you drinking that's only 40 proof? Hell, the barleywine I'm drinking right now is more than half that.

so you have contributed to global warming...you ass

Dude, you're a dauphin. Why should global warming matter to you? I would think that you would be stoked, seeing as you have all this fancy new water to frolick about in.

****ing dolphins are never gleeful enough.

patch adamz
 

No.

http://www.bikeparts.com/pimage/BPC306358.jpg

You don't have and old tube laying around? You didn't know you can buy individual patches? You think it will hold up?

I use the extra vulcanising solution to put MTB grips on bars - slides on and then dries tight. By the way, you can use cut up pieces of old tubes as a replacement for puncture repair patches, as LoFarkas says.

What to do with extra vulcanizing solution:

See that warning on it to not inhale, and only use in a ventilated area? Disregard it and get high.

Whoops meant 80 proof, or 40%. I never quite understood why instead of just using % for alcohol there is a special system of proof which is from what I can tell just the percentage doubled.

i'd always wondered that myself. thank you wikipedia:

"The term originated in the 18th century, when payments to sailors included rations of brandy. To ensure that the brandy had not been watered down and was of good quality, it was "proved" by dousing gunpowder in the liquor, and testing to see if it would ignite. If it did not, the solution contained too much water—and the alcohol content was considered low or "underproof".

A "proven" solution was defined as 100 degrees proof. This has since been found to occur at 57.15% ethanol. The British still use this definition, although only the ABV system is used to mark bottles for sale. A simpler ratio to remember is 7:4, i.e. 70 degrees proof is approximately 40% alcohol by volume. Thus pure alcohol is approximately 175 degrees proof."

i gather from the article that there's a difference between the 18th century "170 degrees proof" and todays "170 proof" since today it seems universally accepted that the "proof" is double the percentage of alcohol. still a cool story.

this dude has some more to say about it.

It's always good to have a never opened tube on hand. Keep the opened one and use it till it evaporates or dries up.
Round here in the summer an opened tube with cap on tight won't last more than a two months in saddlebag
Al

Those are the best patches ever! I buy them at the dollar store! ;)