# Too much tubular glue on my rim...



## xrodolfox (Apr 7, 2012)

So I tried to glue my tubulars on my rims myself.
Details-

Tire: Vittoria Corsa Evo CX
Rim: carbon fiber 88 deep rim w/ carbon brake area
Glue: Vittoria Mastik One

What I did:

I put four layers of glue between my rims and my tires. I let each layer dry from 8hrs to 48 hours. The layers get getting thicker each go-around. 

I then put one thickest layer on the tire and the rim just before I put the tire on the wheel. 

Glue started getting over everything. My hands. My clothes (luckily I was wearing an apron), and the rim. I tried to get most of it off but I couldn't see it.

I let the wheel to dry for three days. 

The problem:
GLUE IS ALL OVER THE RIM and ALL OVER the sidewalls of the tire. 

How do I clean up my mess? Will I take too much glue off if I scrape and pull glue off with a butter knife? Will I damage my rims if I use acetone? What about soaking in water? 

It's a mess. 

Suggestions are welcome. 

Also, what the heck should I do to blue on the second tire to the back wheel? How do I make it have enough glue to be a strong bond, but not so much that it's a total mess?

Pictures will be coming soon.


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## forge55b (Jan 30, 2011)

Find out from the wheel manufacturer but acetone should work.

The only way I think you can actually make that bad of a mess is if you are making your layers WAY too thick and/or are simply not being mindful of not touching the glue as you work the tire/rim.


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## xrodolfox (Apr 7, 2012)

forge55b said:


> Find out from the wheel manufacturer but acetone should work.


Chinese rims with 3d coating. Thoughts?

Can I cut some off with a butter knife, or will I damage the rim?



forge55b said:


> The only way I think you can actually make that bad of a mess is if you are making your layers WAY too thick and/or are simply not being mindful of not touching the glue as you work the tire/rim.


I have no idea how to be neat about it. 
There was glue all around like spider webs. It got in my hair. 
I'm going to try to make THIN layers this time around. I've got one layer curing on my new tire right now. a THIN layer. 

I hope not too thin. This is ridiculous.


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## JimP (Dec 18, 2001)

Naptha (lighter fluid) will dissolve the glue without hurting the wheel or tire sidewall. Wet a rag with naptha and rub the wheel or tire. It helps to use a piece of white cloth because it will change to the color of the glue as it picks up the glue. Keep using pieces of clean rag and naptha until the glue is completely removed.


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## elbee (Jun 10, 2007)

Rules for glueing tubulars:

2-3 *thin* layers on rim. 2 coats on tyre, thick enough to be fully penetrate basetape. 24 hours between each layer. Stretch glued tyre for at least 24 hours. Final coat on rim only.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

The first time I glued up a set of tubies, I got glue all over. I got it on the tire sidewalls, on the rim walls, my hands, and my legs. To make matters worse, I was doing this outside on the front step. Having glue smeared hands, I knocked the wheels off the steps, into the newly cut lawn. I never got all the grass off the tire sidewalls.
It looked bad.
.
.
.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Aromatic solvent*



xrodolfox said:


> So I tried to glue my tubulars on my rims myself.
> Details-
> 
> Tire: Vittoria Corsa Evo CX
> ...


Use solvent like xylene or toluene (aromatic solvents). Acetone is useless comapred to these solvents, as is lighter fluid. Look at the labels of some of the paint thinners at your hardware store. Things like Goof Off work as well. Wet a rag and use that to rub off the glue - that way you are not saturating the rim. No real need to remove the glue fromt the tire except for cosmetics. You risk damaging the tire.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

elbee said:


> Rules for glueing tubulars:
> 
> 2-3 *thin* layers on rim. 2 coats on tyre, thick enough to be fully penetrate basetape. 24 hours between each layer. Stretch glued tyre for at least 24 hours. Final coat on rim only.


^ this ^ 
don't EVER put a coat on the tire right before you mount it. how could you not get glue all over the place if you do that? and like elbee says, re-stretch the tire after the glue is dry.


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## ms6073 (Jul 7, 2005)

While those who glue tubulars on a regular basis will probably scoff at this suggestion, when I mount tubulars, I apply inexpensive vinyl electrical tape to the brake track on both sides of the rim before applying glue. This does a good job of keeping glue off the rim and once the tire is mounted and the glue is dry, I can peel off the tape and use on the aforementioned solvents - Xylene is sold under the label Klean-Strip and comes in in 1-Gallon cans found in the paint section at Home Depot - to easily remove any glue residue but you need to use them in a very well ventilated workspace.


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## cmdrpiffle (Mar 28, 2006)

ms6073 said:


> While those who glue tubulars on a regular basis will probably scoff at this suggestion, when I mount tubulars, I apply inexpensive vinyl electrical tape to the brake track on both sides of the rim before applying glue. This does a good job of keeping glue off the rim and once the tire is mounted and the glue is dry, I can peel off the tape and use on the aforementioned solvents - Xylene is sold under the label Klean-Strip and comes in in 1-Gallon cans found in the paint section at Home Depot - to easily remove any glue residue but you need to use them in a very well ventilated workspace.


Scoff? I wouldn't mount sew ups without taping the rim braking surface. I've always used masking tape (may try electrical tape) and I also wet mount the last coat on the tire (cyclocross tires so it's a total of 5 coats, 3 on rim, 2 on tire) that tends to get a bit messy some times.

Otherwise like others have said, stretch em on an old rim for at least a day, (clincher rims work fine) and if road wheels, no need to wet glue the final coat on the tire. :thumbsup:


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Glue on sidewalls*



cmdrpiffle said:


> Scoff? I wouldn't mount sew ups without taping the rim braking surface. I've always used masking tape (may try electrical tape) and I also wet mount the last coat on the tire (cyclocross tires so it's a total of 5 coats, 3 on rim, 2 on tire) that tends to get a bit messy some times.
> 
> Otherwise like others have said, stretch em on an old rim for at least a day, (clincher rims work fine) and if road wheels, no need to wet glue the final coat on the tire. :thumbsup:


I rode tubulars for 30 years and once I got the hang of mounting tires, I NEVER got glue on the rim sidewalls and so never needed to tape anything. I can't really see why this would happen but apparenly it is in the nature of your technique to need to mask off the rim sidewals.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

cmdrpiffle said:


> Scoff? I wouldn't mount sew ups without taping the rim braking surface. I've always used masking tape (may try electrical tape) and I also wet mount the last coat on the tire (cyclocross tires so it's a total of 5 coats, 3 on rim, 2 on tire) that tends to get a bit messy some times.
> 
> Otherwise like others have said, stretch em on an old rim for at least a day, (clincher rims work fine) and if road wheels, no need to wet glue the final coat on the tire. :thumbsup:


i will never understand people thinking there needs to be a wet coat on the tire...makes no sense. if you have glue on the rim, what's the point? once the tire is on the rim, there is tire>glue>rim either way...
wet glue on the tires=mess
wet glue on the rim=no mess (or less mess if you're bad at mounting tires)


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## iclypso (Jul 6, 2011)

Conti says put a final layer on the tire just before mounting it on the rim, as well as a fresh layer on the rim itself. Most others seem to forgo the final layer on the tire.


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## cmdrpiffle (Mar 28, 2006)

Kerry Irons said:


> I rode tubulars for 30 years and once I got the hang of mounting tires, I NEVER got glue on the rim sidewalls and so never needed to tape anything. I can't really see why this would happen but apparenly it is in the nature of your technique to need to mask off the rim sidewals.


You rode sew ups for 30 years and never got glue on the rim sidewalls

ummm, ok


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## gordy748 (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm going to have a go at my first tubular gluing experience next week. So...

Monday, tape up brake tracks, glue on rim and tire.
Tuesday, next layer on rim and tire.
Wednesday, mount dried tire on (another) rim.
Thursday, glue on rim, mount tire
Friday, and on the fifth day, the good Lord rested and partook of his 6 pack, and saw that his work was good...

Does this sound right?


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## JimP (Dec 18, 2001)

gordy748 said:


> I'm going to have a go at my first tubular gluing experience next week. So...
> 
> Monday, tape up brake tracks, glue on rim and tire.
> Tuesday, next layer on rim and tire.
> ...


Conti recommends mounting a new tire on a clean rim for 3 days to stretch it before gluing. I find it easier to glue in the morning and remount on a clean rim every evening to help keep the tire stretched.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

iclypso said:


> Conti says put a final layer on the tire just before mounting it on the rim, as well as a fresh layer on the rim itself. Most others seem to forgo the final layer on the tire.


The Conti instructions only work if you have a Bavarian powerlifter doing the install:


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

gordy748 said:


> I'm going to have a go at my first tubular gluing experience next week. So...
> 
> Monday, tape up brake tracks, glue on rim and tire.
> Tuesday, next layer on rim and tire.
> ...


that should work fine. i don't think you need to stretch the tires any longer than that. usually a few hours at 70-80psi works fine.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

cmdrpiffle said:


> You rode sew ups for 30 years and never got glue on the rim sidewalls
> 
> ummm, ok


i mount well over 100 tubulars a year and i don't get any glue on the rims. easy. what makes you think it's so hard?


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## Atwood13 (May 11, 2012)

Wet a rag with naptha and rub the wheel or tire. It helps to use a piece of white cloth because it will change to the color of the glue as it picks up the glue.


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## badge118 (Dec 26, 2002)

Gonna be honest here but I think a lot of people are making the gluing thing to be more arcane and "artsy" than it has to be with multi day drying periods. The friend who taught me wrenched for more than a couple Conti and Pro Conti US teams. He uses Mastik one. His process? 2 coats on each (dry to touch in between but still "tacky") then one coat on the rim and mount the tire. Takes about an hour for two wheels when you good at it. If this kept tires on wheels on descents in the Mountains of North, Central and South America at speeds most of us would consider crazy, I think it is pretty safe. The trick is to make sure each coat is not too thick and even, that's about it.


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## cmdrpiffle (Mar 28, 2006)

cxwrench said:


> i mount well over 100 tubulars a year and i don't get any glue on the rims. easy. what makes you think it's so hard?


Good, you've got skills. Mine pale next to yours I guess.


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## cmdrpiffle (Mar 28, 2006)

badge118 said:


> Gonna be honest here but I think a lot of people are making the gluing thing to be more arcane and "artsy" than it has to be with multi day drying periods. The friend who taught me wrenched for more than a couple Conti and Pro Conti US teams. He uses Mastik one. His process? 2 coats on each (dry to touch in between but still "tacky") then one coat on the rim and mount the tire. Takes about an hour for two wheels when you good at it. If this kept tires on wheels on descents in the Mountains of North, Central and South America at speeds most of us would consider crazy, I think it is pretty safe. The trick is to make sure each coat is not too thick and even, that's about it.


You're prolly right, everyone has a technique. I only run tubulars on my CX bikes, and I run them around 30psi, sometimes lower. That's why I use the glue system I use. I have rolled exactly one tire ever, and it was old glue.


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## Incognitus (Oct 9, 2011)

badge118 said:


> Gonna be honest here but I think a lot of people are making the gluing thing to be more arcane and "artsy" than it has to be with multi day drying periods. The friend who taught me wrenched for more than a couple Conti and Pro Conti US teams. He uses Mastik one. His process? 2 coats on each (dry to touch in between but still "tacky") then one coat on the rim and mount the tire. Takes about an hour for two wheels when you good at it. If this kept tires on wheels on descents in the Mountains of North, Central and South America at speeds most of us would consider crazy, I think it is pretty safe. The trick is to make sure each coat is not too thick and even, that's about it.


That's exactly how I ended up doing it on a regular basis. It takes just a few hours in the evening for the 2x2 plus 1 coat, and in the next morning they are ready to ride. So far, no rolled tire.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Snark?*



cmdrpiffle said:


> Good, you've got skills. Mine pale next to yours I guess.


Do I detect some snark in that comment? If not, my appologies, but you ribbed me for saying I didn't get glue on the sidewalls, and now it seems like you're ribbing cxwrench. Not a great way to make friends if that was your intent. Just saying.


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## badge118 (Dec 26, 2002)

cxwrench said:


> i mount well over 100 tubulars a year and i don't get any glue on the rims. easy. what makes you think it's so hard?


Because he is putting a wet coat on the tire and then rolling rather than lifting it onto the rim for the final bit. I'll be honest, I have a habit of rolling the last bit on too. But I have a tacky but dry to the touch tire, only a wet coat on the rim to avoid the issue


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

cmdrpiffle said:


> Good, you've got skills. Mine pale next to yours I guess.


you can make 'snarky' comments as Kerry said, or maybe you could learn from someone on the forum...that's what it's for, right?


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## forge55b (Jan 30, 2011)

badge118 said:


> Because he is putting a wet coat on the tire and then rolling rather than lifting it onto the rim for the final bit. I'll be honest, I have a habit of rolling the last bit on too. But I have a tacky but dry to the touch tire, only a wet coat on the rim to avoid the issue


Even with the rolling, that shouldn't be much more than a small smudge on the rim. Unless you put a thick ass lump of glue all over the tire and immediately try to throw it on the rim before it can get tacky. I'm no pro at mounting tubulars but after maybe 5 or so it became pretty easy to not get much glue on my finger tips and a smudge here and there on the wheel from just carelessness.


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