Thinner

T

Travis E. Daniel

Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Messages
103
Mr. Long, or any sheath maker, do you put thinner in your cement when you keep it in the glue pot?
In the video, your application seemed to go on without being so thick. My barge was always left in the original can, and was extremely difficult to apply in a neat manner. Trav
 
Last edited:
Travis, I buy my Barge thinner in gallons just like I do the cement, because I use so much of it. This is another reason I use the "glue pot" because it makes thinning the cement easy and manageable. I prefer my ready to use cement be about the same consistency as pancake syrup, and after a day of so it is slightly thicker. If I haven't used a pot full after a couple of days then I thin it slightly again. I do apply two and sometimes three coats. Using multiple coats of thinned cement allows it to penetrate the fibers on the flesh side so that the bond is deeper than just surface to surface. The leather will actually start to tear and shred before the cement bond fails on most of my glue ups.

I hope I answered the simple question you asked. The short answer would have been "yes, I thin my cement".

Paul
 
Paul. that is why i like to ask you a question. YOU take the time to EXPLAIN. Thanks . I know we bother you , but you are the person to turn to. Trav
 
Hey Paul, do you know if there's additives in the Barge thinner? I use Lacquer thinner to cut my Barge cement. BTW, I just got one of those pots based on your recommendation and I'm not sure how I survived without it. I've all but eliminated the fuss and mess when using it out of the tin with that crappy brush and the stuff dripping off the stem.
 
Barge thinner is Toluene, Heptane, and Ethyl Acetate. I think you can buy Toluene at a paint supply or hardware store. I know lacquer thinner works fine to thin NeatLac or WyoSheen as they are lacquer based, but I did not know it would work on Barge, as I have only used Barge brand thinner all these years. I think the trade name for the toluene product in the paint/hardware stores is "Tulene".

Paul
 
Last edited:
Travis E. Daniel said:
Paul. that is why i like to ask you a question. YOU take the time to EXPLAIN. Thanks . I know we bother you , but you are the person to turn to. Trav
Click to expand...

I want all you guys to ask me anything, any time. I don't count it as a bother and I'm glad to help where ever it is possible.

Paul
 
Well the active ingredient in the Lacquer thinner I use is toluene and Barge is loaded with it so I know it's okay to use. I just wondered if there were other things in the barge thinner you knew of that made it a better choice than generic lacquer thinner. I will look up and compare the ingredients list.
 
Stuart, if the active ingredient in your thinner is, in fact, toluene then you are good to go. If it is available outside of Canada, you might post the trade name for the benefit of the rest of the guys.

Paul
 
Sure. I just looked at the label and it is "Lacquer Thinner" made (and/or distributed) by a Canadian company Recochem.
Contains: Toluene, Methyl Alcohol and Methyl Ethyl Ketone
I think that last one is related to Acetone so it's similar though I don't know if Heptane is the magic ingredient in yours. :p:p

Though I'm sure you get a better deal, I get a little quart size of mine for about $10 from the hardware as opposed to $28 for a quart of thinner from Tandy.
 
Two, if not three of those ingredients have been in one or more of the many formulas of barge cement, so that should continue to serve you and others well as a thinner, I think the Toluene is the key. Thanks for posting the brand name for your Canadian bothers.

Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top