My $40 mistake with a 'quick-dry' bookbinding glue

It never fully set on my leather cover project, leaving a permanent tacky layer I had to redo. Anyone have a reliable brand for leather that actually cures hard?

4 comments

4 Comments

hayden_craig952mo ago

Hate that sticky feeling, it ruins the whole project. So contact cement is your go-to now? Do you use the kind in a can with a brush, or the stuff in a tube? I'm curious about the dry time and smell, since some older formulas can be pretty strong.

vera19518h ago

Tube kind works fine for me, less messy than the brush on stuff. @kai_webb91 is right, the cure time is fast and the smell isn't as bad as the old stinky glue I used. Can't beat that solid bond it makes on leather.

kai_webb912mo ago

That's the worst, dealing with a glue that stays sticky forever. Had a similar mess with a brand called Tandy's eco-weld, total waste. Switched to plain old contact cement for leather and it's been solid, cures hard every time.

kim.nina2mo ago

Ugh, @kai_webb91 is right, some glues are just fancy goo in a bottle. My last project stuck to everything but itself.