Author Topic: Glue choices for leather grip  (Read 12275 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Eric Krewson

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,432
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #15 on: August 24, 2014, 12:29:04 am »
Barge cement for me and I don't stitch them. Here is a how to:

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000052

Offline Salvador 06

  • Member
  • Posts: 26
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #16 on: August 25, 2014, 03:09:22 am »
Barge cement is probably best for this as several guys have recommended.  I have used barge, but if you can't source it locally I have found Shoe Goo/Goop to be an excellent alternative.

The advantage of contact cement like barge and shoe goo is that it sticks to the finish but never bonds with it.  With patience and a little elbow grease you can remove all the glue and have a pristine surface if you change your mind.   
Proudly subscribed to this magazine since 1994

Offline Eric Krewson

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,432
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #17 on: August 25, 2014, 09:17:34 am »
I put the barge on over 4 or 5 coats of tru-oil on the handle, tape off the handle leather after it is on the bow and spray the bow with a couple of coats satin spar. I have found that barge is not compatible with spar and will dissolve it in patches where nothing sticks when you try to apply the leather.

Offline beetlebailey1977

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,153
    • Bowhunters of South Carolina
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #18 on: August 25, 2014, 09:29:45 pm »
I have used the helmsman spar urethane and barge cement with leather grips.....have not noticed it having problems......
Happy hunting to all!
Bowhunters of South Carolina Executive council member
Professional Bowhunters Society Associate member

Reevesville, SC     James V. Bailey II

Offline JW_Halverson

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,923
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #19 on: August 25, 2014, 10:08:06 pm »
It's all academic now! 

Shot a dozen arrows thru the bow and on the thirteenth arrow it became an "inconvenient takedown".  I guess I am cursed with oak bows.  Seven or eight attempts and one very overly long and lightweight bow survived. 
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline dwardo

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,456
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #20 on: August 26, 2014, 06:07:08 am »
Sorry to hear about the bow JW.
I use fletching glue, always have some about.

Offline Pappy

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 32,198
  • if you have to ask you wouldn't understand ,Tenn.
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #21 on: August 26, 2014, 06:35:27 am »
To bad JW,guess it don't matter now but i use TB3. Cut the grip to fit a little short then wet and stretch the leather to make it fit ,put a light coat of TB3 on the handle and stitch it up,as the leather dries it makes a very tight fit and the tb3 keeps it from moving if the leather gets wet again for rain or sweat.  :) :)
   Pappy
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline beetlebailey1977

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,153
    • Bowhunters of South Carolina
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #22 on: August 26, 2014, 11:56:49 am »
Well that does suck........give her a go again......
Happy hunting to all!
Bowhunters of South Carolina Executive council member
Professional Bowhunters Society Associate member

Reevesville, SC     James V. Bailey II

Offline Prarie Bowyer

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,599
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #23 on: August 26, 2014, 01:12:11 pm »
i use a silicone like cement.

Offline bubbles

  • Member
  • Posts: 932
  • PM110769
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #24 on: August 28, 2014, 12:09:35 am »
Barge cement is probably best for this as several guys have recommended.  I have used barge, but if you can't source it locally I have found Shoe Goo/Goop to be an excellent alternative.

The advantage of contact cement like barge and shoe goo is that it sticks to the finish but never bonds with it.  With patience and a little elbow grease you can remove all the glue and have a pristine surface if you change your mind.   

I also have found Shoo Goo, or Household goop to work very well, and ditto with the fact that it doesn't harm the finish.  Also, Leather cement does the same thing, and I have used that to secure leather arrow pass padding and it holds quite well.  I could never get contact cement to work very well for me.

Offline BrokenArrow

  • Member
  • Posts: 168
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #25 on: August 28, 2014, 03:01:54 pm »
I am new to this and have done about 6 to 8 leather handles with different leathers and have never glued them. Not one has moved after being stitched.
Get 2 curved needles and artificial sinew and a good measuring tape.

Offline JW_Halverson

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,923
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #26 on: August 28, 2014, 03:43:16 pm »
I guess I was not terribly clear when I was asking for information on gluing down the leather.  I have not had a problem with a grip moving after being sewn on since my first bow 12 years ago, not one of the subsequent 100-something bows. 

For this bow, I wanted a one piece grip with a tab that extends up along the fadeout on the side of the bow such that it would provide a softened arrow pass. Since that tab extends up above where the rest of the handle lies, it cannot be sewn  down to anything, and must be glued down to the side of the bow at the fade out. 

Here's the grip and the leather pad glued to the fadeout from my first bow:



I used Duco cement back in the day and every 2nd or 3rd time shooting the bow I would have it half falling off. So I'd grab it like a Band-Aid, give it a rip, scrape off the glue and re-glue it down.  As you can see, there isn't a thing you could do to "sew" that tab without it flapping in the breeze.  It must be glued down. 

For the record, the leather on my "inconvenient takedown" was wetted, stretched, sewn and allowed to dry overnight. No glue on the grip and it was going NOWHERE.  I used TBIII as Pappy suggested, careful to wipe up any excess squeeze-out with a soft damp cloth.  For a dozen shots, like I said, it was a certified shooter!  However when she failed, I decided to test the glue up of the arrow pass tab.  TBIII bonds well enough between spar urathane and leather that I will certainly use it in the future. 

I am now gluing scraps of leather to the remaining shards of bow limbs to test the other suggestions. 
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline PatM

  • Member
  • Posts: 6,737
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #27 on: August 29, 2014, 12:10:40 am »
I really don't think your arrows should be dragging that badly across the pass.
 I have many times done a one piece handle wrap with the pass integrated to the main piece and glued down with contact cement.

Offline JW_Halverson

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,923
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #28 on: August 29, 2014, 12:26:44 am »
I don't think it was the arrows dragging so much as it was not the right glue for the job.  I switched to making longer grips with more leather wrap so that the grip was the arrow pass, but felt like changing things up.

Just adding tricks to the trick bag and trying to kick my way outa the ruts I have dug for myself.   
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline bubby

  • Member
  • Posts: 11,054
Re: Glue choices for leather grip
« Reply #29 on: August 29, 2014, 01:22:40 am »
some well placed drops of runny ca glue is what I do
failure is an option, everyone fails, it's how you handle it that matters.
The few the proud the 27🏹