A question of glue...

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Everything Mac

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 30, 2009
3,112
83
36
Scotland
+ 1 for shoe goo. I used it to hold a pair of trainers together for years. They're still in service.


All the best
Andy
 

Zingmo

Eardstapa
Jan 4, 2010
1,295
117
S. Staffs
I have gone ahead and ordered some Freesole by McNett. Mostly because it seems to say it is for exactly the task in hand, but also because it cures through exposure to atmospheric moisture rather than just by solvent evaporation like Shoe Goo. I want to use a generous coating so that all the gaps are sealed and no water or dirt can get in and work its way under the sole. I was a bit concerned that the Shoe Goo that was in the middle of the sole might take a very long time for all the solvent to evaporate, and that if I stated wearing the boots again too soon, it could weaken the bond.

I have always believed that if you are going to fix something then the end result should be as good, if not better than than the original. A repair should last as long as the item fixed. It is tempting to just throw things away and buy new, but I believe that mending what we have and use may help make this old planet last a little longer. Glue is a tricky subject to understand and because of advertising hype, most of us have had the experience of glue letting us down. There is no product that can stick anything to anything in any circumstance. So thanks again for the help. I'll let you know how it goes...


Z
 
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TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
1,624
Vantaa, Finland
Freesole is apparently a one component polyurethane, so much like many building sealants but hopefully with a lower Tg.

As moisture catalyses the reaction it'll take some time before the parts in the middle react, one must be patient it might take a few days.
 

Chalkflint

Tenderfoot
Mar 6, 2017
70
34
Oxford
I use lots of engineering adhesives to bond things at work.
There is a whole science around bonding things but there are two simple rules. Use the correct adhesive and prepare the surfaces properly and it should work every time
If anything has the term Glue in the title I tend to avoid it. As TLM has mentioned things like superglue are cyanoacrylate based and therefore are prone to absorb water. Also its a thin glue and only really any good with very thin glue lines. Its very good in shear so if you stick two parts together and try pulling apart horizontally. it should hold but it does not like bending where it will start to peel.
For bending a softer more rubbery type adhesive with a slightly thicker glue line will work better. These also tend to be more water resistant.
The one BIG factor that effects bonding is preparation. The surfaces must be really clean and if surface is smooth I always rough it up as this increases the surface area that the adhesive can grip to. Also degrease the surfaces this makes a massive difference.
Chalkflint
 
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pieinthesky

Forager
Jun 29, 2014
206
99
Northants
My repair shop took a few days and charged £6 for repairing the toe end of both boots.

I could not have bought the glue for that amount!

No Brainer
 

Zingmo

Eardstapa
Jan 4, 2010
1,295
117
S. Staffs
Update: The McNett Resole was just the job. The 30g tube appears tiny but was more than enough for the whole sole area. The instructions said to abrade then clean with paint thinner, so for once I followed them precisely. I pulled the sole off completely first so I could clean it up properly. Then I had to come up with a way to apply pressure while the glue went off.
IMG_20200110_163601.jpg
A new use for exercise bands!
It suggests that large repairs can take a long time to reach full strength so I left it for a week. This was the result:
IMG_20200110_163857.jpg
Not pretty but very strong.
I have been stomping around in these since Xmas and so far there is no sign of the fix failing at all. If anything it's more likely that the other boot will need fixing before this one gives up.
Thanks again for the advice!

Z
 
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TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
1,624
Vantaa, Finland
Yup, elastic anything works as versatile clamps. A normal vacuum cleaner can be used to create quite considerable compressive forces. Just use a cleaner that does not use the vacuumed air for motor cooling.
 

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