• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Glue for leather bumpers

G

George700DL

Jan 9, 2009
540
4
Maryland
#1
I found a nice old worn-out leather belt that I plan to use to make new bumpers for my bass - it's a perfect match, kinda rustic looking. I need to glue up 2 layers of the leather together, and I immediately thought hide glue is the best. But then I realized there might be some movement and perhaps hide glue is too brittle for that. Am I right? Or is hide glue the best choice there?

By the way, my current bumpers are pieces of leather glued together with 5-min epoxy, then glued the whole thing to the ribs with contact cement. The contact cement works great and it's totally reversible, but the epoxy will probably give in time.

George
 
#3
Sounds like you're on the right track with contact cement. Barge Cement is by a long ways the best stuff I've used. Worth having a tube in the shop for all kinds of things....not much it won't stick together. Places that sell re-sole kits for rock climbing shoes or Birkenstocks often have it if the hardware store doesn't.
 
#4
nic salsus said:
Sounds like you're on the right track with contact cement. Barge Cement is by a long ways the best stuff I've used. Worth having a tube in the shop for all kinds of things....not much it won't stick together. Places that sell re-sole kits for rock climbing shoes or Birkenstocks often have it if the hardware store doesn't.
Click to expand...

I read good things about Barge after I made the post yesterday. Just to clarify, I'm talking specifically about the leather-to-leather bond.

Bumper-to-bass, contact cement is perfect.

Thanks for the info.

George
 
#6
Jake deVilliers said:
Hey George, Barge is a brand name of contact cement that is favoured by shoemakers. :)
Click to expand...

That's the word. I would have liked hide glue, but like I said, it might be too brittle for the shock absorbing feature of the bumpers.

The material I'll use is a thick old broken leather drive belt from an old-school sewing machine that my grandparents used to have. I've kept that belt since about 1988 - I knew it would be useful some day. And now it will be a perfect match for the bass.

George
 
#7
George700DL said:
The material I'll use is a thick old broken leather drive belt from an old-school sewing machine that my grandparents used to have. I've kept that belt since about 1988 - I knew it would be useful some day. And now it will be a perfect match for the bass.

George
Click to expand...

Nice score! :)
 
#8
Barge Cement was the adhesive of choice for Birkenstock sandal restorations in the '70's. It was part of the hippie survival kit along with the VW Bug manual, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and Massage Therapy for Anyone texts. Maybe it still is..... Barge Cement should be perfect for the bass bumpers as well.:)

Just be careful with those toxic fumes. Nasty stuff.

Bravo, a perfect use of the old sewing machine belt!
 
#9
Jake deVilliers said:
Nice score! :)
Click to expand...

Hey Jake. I see you're doing work for L&M. If you're at the Terminal Ave store in Van you should stop by my place at 2nd and Main. I'm moving onto a boat and while much is gone I still have much evidence of 30 years of pack-ratting stuff like that. Hate to chuck it and you're welcome to come scavenging. Sooner the better as I'm gone in a couple of weeks.
I sent you a pm with my number.
 
#12
Karl Beck said:
I would be careful with glueing anything to the outside of your bass depending on your finish, if you need to take them off, you might remove the finish.
Click to expand...

That's where contact cement comes in. It can be carefully peeled off without hurting the finish. Been there done that.

By the way, I used very thin varnish on that bass. It was not a problem taking the old bumpers off, the glue peeled off nicely with no damage to the finish.

George
 
#14
DallasStrings said:
I use Weldwood which I believe is cut with Xylene. The xylene will dissipate before it has a chance to hurt the varnish..
Click to expand...

My old bumpers, I glued with DAP (same as Weldwood? - Home Despot sells it). They came off easily when I needed them to come off - but a little too easy.

So I went with Barge this time for the new bumpers, after reading good things about it. A local mom & pop hardware store happened to have it - the blue tube, not the old yellow and red. It seems to be stronger than DAP. But again, I don't want a permanent bond here.

The bumpers turned out great, by the way. Hardly noticeable, the old beat-up brown leather color is a good match.

George
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back