9/19/15 7:55 AM

must be:
- good adherence to rubber & plastic
- good tolerance of moderate flex
- good "peel strength"
- compatible with submersion in water, both chlorine and salt

i tried JB weld and it failed after a few years of use. JB had good adhesion, but i didnt realize i need as much flex - that and the submersion proved problematic over time.

Last edited by walter on 9/19/15 8:43 AM; edited 1 time in total

9/19/15 8:17 AM

so what are you gluing up?

Adhesives are an odd chemistry bunch for sure.

9/19/15 8:42 AM

mending a wrist-watch band. attaching rubber end-pieces to woven nylon straps.

9/19/15 10:00 AM

Maybe gorilla glue or tight bond ii if yo can clamp. Hyde glue like horse saddle makers use probably work as well as anything else too.

9/19/15 10:33 AM

I'm not sure hide glue will work , but piano techs use it. If you have a piano rebuilder in your town they probably have a pot and would give you some.

9/19/15 11:45 AM

not sure that would even glue up with much of anything. Unless the parts can be vulcanized or melted together they won't stay together. There is way to much flex and moisture on your wrist.

9/19/15 12:01 PM

Glue bonds tend to weaken over time.

Used fabric will already have taken up skin oils within the weave and fibers, so good saturation may not occur and the glue itself may become contaminated, with uncertain effects (doubtless not good).

The rubber itself will likely also have absorbed skin oils.

It better not be an expensive watch in other words, it may end up on the ocean floor.

That said, if the overlap surface area is large, something like silicone glue could work for a long time. I always use some of the glue itself as a "priming cleaner", using much scraping action, prior to actually gluing the parts together.
Silicone glue often works where other adhesives fail, mainly because of it's flexibility and inertness/impermeability.
Lastly, when any glue is allowed to set, the parts should be held in the flexed shape that they will be in while later in service.

By the way, the Gorilla Glue is still working for holding the handle together on my oft-abused battery-powered mower, and I'm sure some other parts will break before the handle ever does.

9/19/15 12:30 PM

The sole on one of my kids road shoes was letting go. Used Tight Bond II and clamped over night. Probably less clamping time would have sufficed. Hold fast 2 seasons later.
Not sure that a band on the watch would fair as well. I have to agree about the bond failing in a digital way and loosing the watch VS the shoe failing more gradually in an analog way perhaps.. If I am being analogous...

9/19/15 12:41 PM

Contact cement?

A few years back I polled the forum about bonding nylon webbing to make a D-ring sizing pair. I pounded the fresh bond with a hammer and haven't looked back. No peeling, weeping, creeping etc.

That said, it was new material and it's been used in a dry area not like the environment everyone else has covered.

9/19/15 1:27 PM

cleaned up the surfaces with sandpaper and alcohol, then re-assembled the strap this afternoon. it's clamped up now and curing, in an "as worn" configuration. i'm thinking this will hold up much better.

the watch is nothing special, just a digital timex -- it is useful, but a loss will not be tragic.

9/20/15 9:23 PM

colored over white with black sharpie.

<img src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/12038115_10206840071152220_2475781361110235164_n.jpg?oh=cf7f9d3ddfd393a987f7523f3985cb21&oe=56981D81"><img src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/p720x720/12038311_10206839060046943_7921111194796294148_n.jpg?oh=2c83786a5c86cd28c5594dcf5e7bca37&oe=569EE407">

Last edited by walter on 9/21/15 8:10 AM; edited 1 time in total

9/20/15 10:00 PM

Let us know in a few years? ;-)

9/21/15 2:54 PM

Loctite make what they call Superglue Power Flex, which is waterproof, dries flexible, and is claimed to bond rubber, leather, eood, metal, porcelain, paper, plastic. In fact, they have instructions on their web site for using it to repair a watch strap:

http://www.loctite-consumer.com.au/en/products/superglue-powerflex.html

http://www.loctite-consumer.com.au/en/how-to-guide/clothing-accessory-repairs/how-to-repair-a-watch-strap.html

9/22/15 7:05 AM

Nice craftmanship