Rubber Cement

By A Mystery Man Writer

Last updated 15 Jul 2024

Water-based Rubber Cement for making leather goods. VOC and Toulene free.
Aquilim GL is a CR-based (Polychloropren/Neoprene) semi-permanent contact adhesive, for leather. You can use it for making bags, accessories, shoes and clothing. It can also be used on rubber, EVA, Polyurethane (PU) sheets, cork and plastazote. This rubber cement creates a temporarily adjustable bond that works well for holding pieces in place for sewing or other similar situations where you might need to readjust the placement of your pieces. The adhesion becomes more permanent after a few hours. Safer For You There are two widely used chemicals in adhesives that are effective but with some serious trade-offs: Toluene and Methyl-Ethyl-Ketone (MEK). Toluene is actually considered a carcinogenic in places like California and can cause problems for pregnant women. Methyl-Ethyl-Ketone while somewhat better than toluene can still cause nerve damage and issues after repeated use. We chose our new adhesives because they contain no toluene and no MEK. Aquilim glues are completely free of organic solvents: no VOCs (Volatile organic compounds) no fume extraction required (except when spraying) no fire hazards These water-based adhesives are a safer alternative to solvent-based adhesives which maintain a similar bonding strength. While using these adhesives does require that you better sand and clean your gluing surfaces, you will find the benefits to be worth it. Works with Oily Leather One thing that gave me trouble with water-based and even solvent based glues was adhering to oily leathers like Chromexcel and cordovan. Even when I took my time and let the glues fully cure, the pieces still regularly came apart. A great thing about using these glues is that you can mix with a matching hardener to improve bonds on oily leather. The hardener does require extra handling but if you have the specific need to glue oily leather together, this might help you. Heat Activation without Flammability When I used to use heat guns on my toluene glues, I was always a little nervous about apply heat to what is a flammable material. Like toluene-based glues, these water-based glues can be used with heat guns but without the danger of igniting them. More for What You Buy These water-based glues have a 60% solid content ratio. Many other glues have only a 15% solid composition which means that most of what you buy in other glues literally evaporates into the air. A higher solid content translates to more material being used to bond your projects’ surfaces. Dries Clear An additional benefit of these glues is better resin. Resins have an impact on the final color of your dried pieces and by employing higher quality resins, these glues leave a clear or very lightly colored seam. Storing Water-based Glues Store and transport adhesives in a cool dark place and keep the temperature above 39 °F (4 °C) to prevent freezing damage. Keep the container tightly closed.