what's a good tolex glue?

[joeford]

have you seen the new gold sparkle princetons? i think i'm in love. but rather than shelling out $1200 on another amp i don't need... i'd rather just steal the tolex and apply it to my bassman.

what's a good glue to use for tolex? i've used the 3M 77 spray... and it'll just slough off when it gets hot (which my gear tends to do when rolling around in the trunk on the way to a gig). i know this topic has been done before... but the suggestions were all over the place and i was hoping for a little more of a clear verdict from you guys. thanks for the help!

and here's a little eye candy so you can drool with me:

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[backline]

Anything from Elmer's white glue to 111 will work.
The paste gives you some time to work with it and will hang upside down where needed.
good luck
http://www.amazon.com/Shur-Stik-Wallcovering-Adhesive-8711-Wallcovr/dp/B0019K5XA2

 

[corliss1]

contact cement is what the "pros" use - something like this

http://www.walmart.com/ip/20370898?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=21486607510&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=19880599990&veh=sem

 

[joeford]

i was leaning towards contact cement. but all the discussion on previous "tolex glue" threads was pretty iffy about what kind to use. thanks for the tips so far... keep em coming

 

[telex76]

http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/S-F316
Tolex glue.

Thats all I would ever use on mine.

 

[piece of ash]

Yellow neoprene CONTACT ADHESIVE... the nasty, smelly stuff, that causes cancer in California. The water-based safety junk sucks (look at 1 year old AMPEG CAB)

If you have an auto upholstery supply... they will have the best stuff... smelliest, and most carcinogenic.

 

[Lostinthe50s]

It only causes cancer in California though.

 

[piece of ash]

Bingo... and "non-flammable" means non-useful.

 

[T Prior]

you got my attention at $1200 !

 

[a.miller]

I worked as a tech for a number of years -- use contact cement. You want to use a thin layer on both the tolex and the cab and allow both surfaces to become tacky before applying them to one another. I have fixed many amps' tolex using this method.

 

[BobbyZ]

I used an off brand 3M 77 type stuff on my TR and I need redo it at some point. I may just try Tite Bond II because it worked well for me with tweed. Then again I may just do the dammed TR in tweed. (always wanted a tweed Twin anyway)

 

[Prairie Dawg]

If you have a friend in the aircraft business or are willing to spend the dough there is nothing better for this purpose than 3M 1300L Scotchweld. It is the mother of all contact cements.


We used it to attach rubber deicing boots on aircraft, and if it'll stay put at 350 mph you know it's good. Brush on a coat on either surface, let it dry, brush on another coat and let it dry.

When you're ready to work you mist it with acetone or MEK and lay it down.

Finish with a good roller to work any air bubbles out of it. You only get one chance and if you mess up you'll know why it's called Scotchweld.

 

[Ringo]

I'm sure the 3M CC is killer but probably hard to find and expensive.
This is what I use, DAP Weldwood contact cement as used by auto upholstery shops for convertible and vinyl tops and other things.
Spray grade so you can put it on with a cheap quart spray gun, or it can be brushed or rolled on, spraying is much easier. You should be able to find it at a local upholstery supply house, or from an upholstery shop.

(link removed)

I have been doing auto upholstery for 30 years, this is the ONLY stuff I'll use to cover amps or speaker cabinets.
Forget the waterbase contact cement, it's problematic and it comes loose after a while.

Some folks like the hot melt hide glue but that seems like a lot of work.

 

[Prairie Dawg]

I'm sure the 3M CC is killer but probably hard to find and expensive.
This is what I use, DAP Weldwood contact cement as used by auto upholstery shops for convertible and vinyl tops and other things.
Spray grade so you can put it on with a cheap quart spray gun, or it can be brushed or rolled on, spraying is much easier. You should be able to find it at a local upholstery supply house, or from an upholstery shop.

(link removed)

I have been doing auto upholstery for 30 years, this is the ONLY stuff I'll use to cover amps or speaker cabinets.
Forget the waterbase contact cement, it's problematic and it comes loose after a while.

Some folks like the hot melt hide glue but that seems like a lot of work.

I think Aircraft Spruce has the 1300L but it's not cheap, about $35 a quart. I've never been a fan of hide glue for anything because it's organic and therefore food for little critters.

 

[muchxs]

It only causes cancer in California though.

Wear a respirator.

 

[Inventour]

The original amps from Fender were installed using wallpaper paste, some call it animal hide glue, others wallpaper paste. It makes it east to work with, holds great when cured, and is easily removable. Contact cement does not come off easy, you need zip-strip paint stripper to remove it.

That tolex glue AE sells is a pre-mixed wallpaper paste.

It's great because you can plastic squeegee the excess off and makes a
smooth install.

 

[Starrman44]

I worked as a tech for a number of years -- use contact cement. You want to use a thin layer on both the tolex and the cab and allow both surfaces to become tacky before applying them to one another. I have fixed many amps' tolex using this method.

When me and my buddy restored my SF Twin Reverb, this is how he did it. It worked real nice.

The animal hide (wallpaper paste) seems pretty interesting as well.

 

[BobbyZ]

Wear a respirator.

You can buy one at a parts store that sells auto body supplies. A paper mask won't work you need the one with charcoal filters.
As a side note if you use paint with an isocyanate hardener you need an air feed mask. (unless they've come up with better filters since I got out of the industrial painting buisness)

Also DO NOT use anything but water based glue if your doing the tolex job in your girlfriends basement.
Ask me how I know.

 

[Joey]

My Tech recommends Super 7 contact glue

 

[Ike286]

I fixed a whole bunch of tolex scuffs (some of which were pretty large) on a '79 TR and all I used was wood glue, it was plain yellow glue, worked great. I'm not sure of reliability, but it should last, it sure helped in making the amp look nicer, I swear it added $200 bucks to that amp...