Alan, Do you just buy Rema patches in bulk? As a kid we bought patch kits from the local gas station. I remember names like "Monkey Grip" and "Atlas". Never had very good results, probably because we didn't clean the tube well, or at all. But when I later found Rema Tip Top, I finally began to get good results.
John Hurley Sweltering in Austin, Texas, USA
Original Message
I patch perhaps 50-100 inner-tubes a week, if not more, volunteering for
my local bike co-op and use the rubber-cement I buy in bottles or tins
(EG: Elmers, Bestine or Best-test) from art-supply stores, it works well.
I recommend the bottles or tins with a brush attached to the inside of the
lid for convenience and, from time to time, I 'thin' the remaining glue
with hexane to compensate for evaporation ...
http://www.cutting-mats.net/