Glue

Types of Glues for Latex

There are two basic types of glue that are usually used to make garments from sheet latex:

1) Organic solvent based

Various rubber cements can be used to glue sheets of latex together. Some brands are:

• Best Test Rubber Cement
• Bostik 3851
• Elmer's Rubber Cement
• Ross Rubber Cement
• Rema TipTop vulcanising solution

Rubber cements are usually thinned with [heptane], a.k.a. Rubber Cement Thinner, which is used to prepare surfaces for gluing with the cement. (Bostik 6009 type 4 cleaner/thinners)

2) Water and ammonia based

Some brands are:

• Copydex
• Bostik Aquagrip 260 (now replaced by 218M Plustex)
• Blackstyle latexkleber

Bonds made with water/ammonia glues are said to deteriorate when exposed to water, although some people say the bonds are just as long lasting as those made with organic solvent glues.

Gluing Technique

A good way to apply the glue to a latex sheet is to use a credit card and spread it out on both surfaces. Let it dry for about 15 minutes and then attach the two surfaces together. Go over the seam with a roller and it will finish the seam. Wait for the seam to cure for 24 hours before putting stress on the glued area.