A couple days ago someone on the list suggested I try the rubber cement you can buy at Staples (which is sold for use with paper). I did just that and bought a small jar of Elmer's Rubber Cement and it worked just fine. I had used this type of cement to mount photos years ago, but presumed it was different from the rubber cement found in patch kits. It appears to be the same, although maybe not quite as thin, but I can't be sure. In any case it did a good job of sticking a patch cut from a piece of inner tube to the tube itself.
It should be remembered that abrading the patch and tube with sandpaper and cleaning with a solvent like acetone greatly improves adhesion. Also, those patches specially made for the purpose work even better. Presumably, the red layer is natural rubber, which sticks better than the black butyl (synthetic) rubber.
-- John Betmanis Woodstock, Ontario Canada
On 20/07/2010 12:05 PM, Bianca Pratorius wrote:
> When I go to this site, all I see is rubber cement for paper. Can one use this for rubber on rubber inner tube patches which must withstand substantial pressure?
>
> clip --- 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/
> Alan LloydSchaumburg, Illinois, U.S.A.