Bought a quart of All Purpose Barge Cement. Am going to try and gluey several different materials to make uilleann pipe bags. One will be vinyl and two will be rubber. Is it crucial to sew them as well as glue them together? Any help on this will be appreciated.
Is it crucial to sew them as well as glue them together
The firs set of pipes I ever had, had a vinyl (-ish) bag, sewn. You wouldn’t believe the amount of air escaping through the holes the thread was pulled through.
So if you are going to take the double option of stitching and gluing, make sure you use something to thoroughly seal around the thread.
My first go will be just with glue then. Might luck out! Was planning on a narrow strip over the seam too. My practice attempts with using barge cement to fix shoe bottoms met with less than stellar success.
While Barge Cementtm is an excellent contact cement, even with the new tuoluene-free formulation, I don’t believe it is the glue for this particular application. I would use either Sikaflextm or 3M 5200 Marine Sealanttm. These marine products, when cured, provide a join stronger than the base material, while still being flexible. No stitching required.
These are the types of glue used by David Daye, and easily pass his “stand on it to check for leaks” test.
YMMV
Bob
Don’t stitch!!!
It will leak. Glue is fine by itself. Be very careful to follow instructions on the glue. Some of the glues mentioned can take days to cure so be patient too. I glue the bags with 3M 5200 and put them under a weight for a week.
Tommy
As a retire yacht carpenter, I am more than casually acquainted with 5200. Haven’t used it in over 10 years and I can still smell it.
It would definitely do the job, but it sure stinks! I was hoping for an alternative to using leather with less fumes.
I made a couple of bags about 5 years ago from Naugahyde and I used the old style Barge Cement (with Toulene).I am still using one on a practice set and it is as tight as a drum.I cut the shape out ,spread the cement around the edge 1 inch wide,let it dry and then pressed the edges together.I can’t remember if I used weights or clamps to hold the edges.I think I just hammered them down.You don’t need to stitch it.Seeing that you already have some Barge Cement ,buy a square yard of Naugahyde(vinyl ?) and have a go.
P.S.when you buy the Naugahyde get the stuff with a plain backing on it,not the fluffy stuff.
I used to be a glue sniffer and I found the 5200 no good at all.
RORY
I have glued several bags made from a rubber pool liner. I roughed up the edge for better adhesion. I squeezed a bead all the way around one half and folded the other side over. I had put waxed paper under, then on top over the bag at this stage. I rolled the edge with a lino block printing roller. The bag was weighted down for seven days. The 5200 made a nice gasket but failed under pressure. It held up well on the vinyl bag that I made at the same time. I stitched a strip around the edge for added strength. Although it holds air, I can’t stand the smell.
The rubber bags that I made the same way using two applications of Original Barge Cement turned out more to my liking. They are airtight with no noticeable odor. I did add stitching around the edge of one. My chanter stock and bellows stock with blowpipe, of my own manufacture, have been tied in. Now, I’m working to get my bellows motion down and some sounds other than squealing.
So, there you have it! Thank you everyone for your help.