# Rubber cement for patching tubes



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Is plain old Elmer's rubber cement OK to use for patching tubes? I've got lots of old tube repair kits with patches, but the cement tubes always dry out by the time I get to using them.


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

BTW, it doesn't work. Got a bottle of Elmers and tried while repairing a bunch of tubes this afternoon, and the patches wouldn't adhere to it. Fortunately, I was able to eke enough glue out of the tube in my repair kit to fix all of the tires.


----------



## Mersault (Jan 3, 2005)

this is what you need (Vulcanizing fluid) in a big can

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.c...ir-Kits-and-Supplies&tc=Cement&item_id=RE-203

also look at the rubber repair kits in the hardware store, they come with a larger tube of "rubber cement for rubber repairs" if it just says rubber cement and you see it in the office supply area, it's for paper.


----------



## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

Go to an auto parts store - I got mine at Pep Boys. Buy a can of Monkey Grip Universal Cement. Around $6 for a can that will last you years and years.


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Thanks for the info. I'll buy a can of the right stuff. However, I managed to repair 10 tubes yesterday with a half-empty tube from a repair kit. It doesn't take much glue to hold a patch. 

At the price of tubes these days, it definitely pays to repair your flats. I saved at least $60.


----------



## Mersault (Jan 3, 2005)

tarwheel2 said:


> At the price of tubes these days, it definitely pays to repair your flats. I saved at least $60.



I patch my tubes as a matter of principle, but I think you can do better than $6 a tube if you look around a little. You can usually get a 10 pack of tubes from Performance or Pricepoint or Jenson in the $20-25 range. That's what I do when I need tubes. You can also buy the patches in bulk as well. The little kits usually come with only a couple of usable patches and a few big ones that you can't use on road tire.


----------



## asgelle (Apr 21, 2003)

tarwheel2 said:


> Is plain old Elmer's rubber cement OK to use for patching tubes? I've got lots of old tube repair kits with patches, but the cement tubes always dry out by the time I get to using them.


I've been using Elmer's rubber cement for years. I'm about half way through my second box of 100 Rema patches with it. I don't know why you had trouble unless you were using latex tubes or needed to abrade the surface more. (You were waiting for the glue to dry, right?)


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

*tubes*



Mersault said:


> I patch my tubes as a matter of principle, but I think you can do better than $6 a tube if you look around a little. .


Have you seen tube prices lately? Michelins are $7/tube. When I can find them on sale, I usually buy a bunch of them, but they don't go on sale very often. I only use Michelins because they have unthreaded valves. The tubes with threaded valves mess up my pump.


----------



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

*elmers*



asgelle said:


> I've been using Elmer's rubber cement for years. I'm about half way through my second box of 100 Rema patches with it. I don't know why you had trouble unless you were using latex tubes or needed to abrade the surface more. (You were waiting for the glue to dry, right?)


Maybe I didn't wait long enough. But when I used the Elmer's glue and tried to apply a patch, it peeled right off. The glue didn't adhere to the tube at all.


----------



## zigurate (Mar 3, 2009)

Try to wait some more next time.


----------



## Mersault (Jan 3, 2005)

tarwheel2 said:


> Have you seen tube prices lately? Michelins are $7/tube. When I can find them on sale, I usually buy a bunch of them, but they don't go on sale very often. I only use Michelins because they have unthreaded valves. The tubes with threaded valves mess up my pump.


Sorry, haven't seen the Michelins on sale. I usually get the housebrand ones with the threaded valves. I once bought some Michelins on sale from Performance for around $2 each, but that was a few years ago. Half of them developed "pin holes" and they weren't from punctures.

See this for a bulk deals example

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/17...rts-74-Tubes/Price-Point-Tube---Set-of-10.htm

Jenson USA and Performance also have those sorts of deals as well

at $2 each for these housbrand ones, it might be more economical to buy them and replace the insert on your pump head from time to time. Actually I have a Performance brand pump that is 9 years old with use on the threaded valves, and it's just now starting to show the wear.


----------



## lalahsghost (Aug 27, 2007)

Mersault said:


> I patch my tubes as a matter of principle, but I think you can do better than $6 a tube if you look around a little. You can usually get a 10 pack of tubes from Performance or Pricepoint or Jenson in the $20-25 range. That's what I do when I need tubes. *You can also buy the patches in bulk as well.* The little kits usually come with only a couple of usable patches and a few big ones that you can't use on road tire.


Hmm, any links to a bulk patch-only source?


----------



## Mersault (Jan 3, 2005)

lalahsghost said:


> Hmm, any links to a bulk patch-only source?



These are for the 20mm size, best for road tubes in my opinion

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.c...r-Kits-and-Supplies&tc=Patches&item_id=RE-F0P

Other places sell it as well. I purchased mine from this place though.


----------

