The never-ending bellows adhesive question

[nick mulder]

So I'm thinking it'd likely be ok to spray onto the material using the spray version (even application), but apply the normal version to the strips (get a nice amount applied right into the tooth of the plastic).

I'm guessing we have a version of the same stuff down this way (Ados, UHU - who knows), but I'm thinking I can get some sent down to try... If you say actual bellows manufacturers use it then it's gotta be worth a crack

[Ian Grant]

I'd missed the point that you have 2 uses, gluing the material layers together then attaching the bellows. There should be similar glues from other manufacturers, there's nothing on the UHU sites though.

For material/card or material I'm using a washable PVA craft adhesive, and I have samples sat drying in the unusual British sunshine (It's sunnier & 6°C hotter here 27°C than at my home in Turkey where the wife's got rain). I've used a similar PVA glue before for bellows repair with no problems but as I'm making a few sets of bellows over the summer including a large set for my De Vere I've decided to test the adhesives properly first.

Ian

[John Koehrer]

I've only used the weatherstrip cement to attach bellows to a frame or camera. I don't think it's suitable for joining thin materials for the layering of a bellows.

Impact cement, that's an interesting term. Apply to two surfaces, allow to tack & join.
Over here it's contact cement, a much gentler term.

[Ian Grant]

But then Montgomery is a much gentler place here

Ian

[nick mulder]

as I'm making a few sets of bellows over the summer including a large set for my De Vere I've decided to test the adhesives properly first.

Ian

exactly what I'm doing also

[nick mulder]

Seems the local contact adhesive is Ados F2 which comes in both spray version and a tube/tub version also - the spray version is what I've been using already - I'll try the liquid/goo version on the strips and the spray for the leather/material side soon and see if it sticks better than just spray/spray...

contact adhesive at wikipedia:

Contact adhesives are used in strong bonds with high sheer-resistance like laminates, such as bonding Formica to a wooden counter, and in footwear, as in attaching outsoles to uppers.
Natural rubber and polychloroprene (Neoprene) are commonly used contact adhesives. Both of these elastomers undergo strain crystallization.
Contact adhesives must be applied to both surfaces and allowed some time to dry before the two surfaces are pushed together. Some contact adhesives require as long as 24 hours to dry before the surfaces are to be held together. Once the surfaces are pushed together, the bond forms very quickly. It is usually not necessary to apply pressure for a long time, so there is less need for clamps.

[John Hermanson]

Use brown rubber cement like Pliobond (formerly made by Goodyear) or Hobsco's "Goo". John

[Ian Grant]

When it came to the crunch I used some Evostick I already had for my Quarter plate camera's bellows, sold as an Impact, and contact adhesive (on the label)



It worked perfectly

Ian