Tire patch cement

Patching an inner tube my universal cement is all dried up. Went to Napa all they have is vulcanizing cement. School me on the difference. Do I have to have patches to match the vulcanizing cement? Ive use the universal cement and put it directly on the tire for a patch on the inside. Is vulcanizing just more stout, sticky?

Only use the same brand as your patches. If your glue is dried up chances so are your patches .

First time I've heard about using the same brands of patch and glue. I know I have trouble getting my patches to stick anymore, maybe that's my problem as I do mix them up.

I've had trouble getting some patches to stick, but only on Chinese tubes, so I don't buy them anymore. You can still find American made tubes but sometimes you have to pressure the salesmen. Firestone and Carlisle still make some tube in the US.

I always use rubber cement I buy at Menards..
After applying it to the inner tube, I use a match and burn off the excess. Blow it out and apply the patch when it is warm.
Been doing this since I was a kid repairing bike tires.

I have been using old patches with good results. Pull the back off & apply cement just like on the tube. Let it dry & they will stick. I try to buy cement in a tube as I don't use enough to keep it from drying up otherwise.

back in the 70s when radials where coming out, they came out with a special radial tire tube, made of some kind of rayon material. We could not use the old style tubes in radial tires. As I was repairing a flat for a customer,,,,,, I did the usual glue and match, and poof!!! the entire inner tube disappeared in a puff of smoke. SO>>>>>> not all tube types can tolerate the match.

(quoted from post at 10:26:56 03/05/23) Patching an inner tube my universal cement is all dried up. Went to Napa all they have is vulcanizing cement. School me on the difference. Do I have to have patches to match the vulcanizing cement? Ive use the universal cement and put it directly on the tire for a patch on the inside. Is vulcanizing just more stout, sticky?

Click to expand...

ou have to have a rubber cement designed for the job. Vulcanizing cement is just a rubber cement designed for a strong bond to rubber.

Rubber cement is a contact cement and not a specific material. Some, but not all brands will work on rubber.

You did say "school me". So having answered the question already, I will proceed to beat the dead horse.

Vulcanizing cement is a solvent based rubber contact cement formulated for rubber. It might not be as good for paper as Elmer's but I don't think Elmer's is good for rubber. Rubber cements can be formulated for different types of rubber such as neoprene or latex. You have to read the labels and hope the manufacturer describes it properly.

Without screening a lot of vulcanizing cement tds and sds, I can only say that the one vulcanizing cement I did look at was a latex rubber cement. It had nothing in it that would vulcanize i.e. crosslink the cement to the rubber. Vulcanized was the term coined by Goodyear in 1839 when he accidentally 'cured' the problem with latex by mixing it with sulfur and accidentally dropping it on a wood stove. One of three versions anyway. He was trying to cure the problem. He had no idea what his use of cure would come to mean chemically. It appears that the makers of vulcanizing cement have gone back to his level of understanding using the marketing term without regard to the chemistry.

Menards lists 4 rubber cements, only one of which, Weldwood Original Contact Cement is recommended for rubber on their sort menu. It is a neoprene base. The SDS for the NAPA vulcanizing cement says it contains natural rubber. Either one will work. Neither one will vulcanize anything.

"Self-vulcanizing" or "cold-vulcanizing" was a big thing to claim back in the days of HOT vulcanizing patches.

All it meant was you applied the patch "cold" instead of lighting it on fire with a match.

I'm surprised anyone still puts it on the can. Most just say "rubber cement."

I buff the tube then try to give a last pass throwing the debris off the area to be patched. Dope and let dry to touch then apply patch and work down with the edge of a grinding wheel since I'm to cheap to buy one of those tolls for that. works whether I have matching glue and patches or not. Been doing it like that for 50 or more years on both tubes and tires.

results I have had, buff tube, clean with brake cleaner, add glue, burn off,add patch and roll it down. If glue won't burn, throw it away and grt some that will.

Xtra-seal is my go to I use 14-511. They offer other cements 14-511 works good for me. I use it on every repair/patch including installing a plug.



https://31inc.com/?post_type=tpms_product&s=14-511

And the Weld-on tool to open/close the lid/brush on PVC glues works as well on the xtra-seal can : )

This post was edited by Hobo,NC on 03/05/2023 at 05:25 pm.

That would have been cool to see.

I have been patching tires for about 50 years and have NEVER burned anything and have had really good luck. Rarely have a problem with the patches staying, both tubeless and tube type. Yes, if your cement gets really old it will get really thick, that is when I get a new can. I do this outside so if it is cold, I take the cement inside and warm it up before applying. I use a rubber buffer chemical to clean the spot where I am applying the patch. Just my experience