A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

[SCTiger]

I have spent a number of hours searching the forum and the net about glues and compounds used in the 1800's. Specifically I was interested in the glues used to construct and repair India rubber and tarred goods. It would seem that hide glue, white glue or any wood glue would not be suitable for the task. Keep in mind that I am not a chemist, but I was wondering about the types of glue available.

I looked into modern glues such as "rubber cement" or "contact cement" , but it appears that this was invented in the early 1900's by a gentleman named Paul Van Cleef. I examined an older poncho of mine and it looks as if they used the modern toulene, acetone, n-hexane , methyl-pentane product.

I 'm not planning to produce rubberized products, I just have a couple of these items to repair along with other tarred goods. Also learning of such details always helps me with choosing and recognizing high quality reproduction goods,

Has anyone ever reproduced period glue for rubberized/tarred products?

[1stMaine]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

Greg,

One item that the British used in our period and I am certain was available here, is rubber dissolved in naptha. The British arsenals used this to seal cartridge packs closed ( the ones with the thin rubber layer sandwiched between paper). O'd say it would be just the ticket for your repair work.

The one modern compound you could use (and yes, I know you want a period material) that would LOOK like the period material, is black gasket cement. You can usually find it at VIP or other auto supply stored in a tube. It looks like thick black rubber cement, but when dry, it looks just like black rubber and would blend in well with your rubberized material.

Trusting this is of some small value, I remain,

Respectfully,

[SCTiger]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

Thanks for the reply, I will try that out.

[flattop32355]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

If you would be so kind, let the rest of us know how it works: Looks, feel, flexibility and hold.

[federal_musician]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

I second the request for info on how it worked.

Also, did you use any kind of reinforcing material behind the tear? Or did you just use the cement across the tear?

Many thanks
Frank Long

[Uncle Pig]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

I had a rubber blanket in need of repair once (10 years ago) and asked the same questions but the answers were not as authentic. I chose to let the piece fall apart slowly. I even used a couple of the reenforcing strips that came off as ropes for a dog tent. You may want to let the rubber products wear out naturaly.

[Material Culture]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

Hide glue can be used in certain instances if glycerin is added to make it more pliable. This works for soles of shoes but for a gum the period solution would be to just revulcanize the patch in place.

Sam Hayle
Hide Glue Mess

[SCTiger]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

I bought a small tube of gasket cement for 5 dollars, I spread on a thin coat with all the pieces intact, it dried quickly and set well, areas that were ripped, were sealed quit well. Busted seams were best repaired. It's darker but, flexible. Put the old poncho in the shower and it didn't leak at all. For small repairs and leaks, it's cool, larger repairs would be too obvious. Beats paying $70 for a new accurate poncho, but I haven't field tested it, i.e. heat, cold, dirt, stress.

When my digital camera returns with my wife, I will shoot some photos, right now it's taking pictures of kids.

How do you revulcanize a poncho??? Retread??

[bbodoh]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

Glue is an extremely old product. Natural latex was recognized very early for its ability to stick things together. Universally animal bi-products as well as pitch from evergreens were used for their adhesive properties for hundreds if not thousands of years. Glue was not a new product during the war but the challenge is that synthetic materials have replaced the organic materials used for so long during the 20th century. If you search a bit you can still find pitch glue as well as some all organic glues in hobby stores. But in all reality they may not have been the glue used for such applications during the War. I guess the best we can do is try and get as close as we can to the properties and look of the glue originally used during the war.

Brad Bodoh

[1stMaine]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

Comrades,

One point to consider is the reason behind repairing the item in question. In the field, it's far more likely that the soldier would either accept the situation at hand or try and procure a new one through channels. It's also possible to buy one if truly pressed.

The ability to repair in the field would depend upon what was available, and in this case, I would offer that the only materials to be had would be needle and thread. Although it might be possible to locate a cement of some sort via the artificers in a nearby Cavalry or Artillery battery, that would seem to me to be a stretch.

Certainly, on the march on after an engagement, procuring a better specimen of the article would be the way to go.

However, for repaiting our own items, it also has to be considered that we bear the cosy of ALL our kits, so certainly trying to find some sort of period repair procedure that will lengthen the life of our kit is understanable.

As an aside, that black gasket cement is what was used to assemble repro ponchos for many many years. The parts were cut out and the cement used to attach them together.

Respects,

[cstaples]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

Bump.

I am still in search of a few ways to make period glue. :confused_

[tomarch]

Re: A sticky situation, 1860's period glue in repairs

If you can getr ahold of my brother Don (T.M.D.Co.) he has a copy of an 1850's encyclopedia on industrial processes. It may be there nis something there on the manufacture of glue.

As an aside, I myself have been trying to find out how to make an adhesive known as "mouth glue" The substance was hard at room tempature, but melted when dipped in hot water (or put into the mouth). The glue was used in drafting and in watercolouring in the place of the drafting tape we use today. My source for it was in Appletons' Cyclopaedia of Drawing 1857