How many tubes do you have?

[markz]

I have a pile!
I'd say about 50
I am in need of a bulk rubber repair kit.
Any special tips?
Extra vulc ontop of the edges of patch?


Anyone have any idea's as to a methodology of: Cheap and easily available patch material I should use.
What Patch material should I be on the hunt for? any thin rubber
8oz! https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/victor-rubber-cement-with-brush-8-oz-0092311p.html#srp

P.A. has 48pc unsure of the size. That should do :lol:
https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/48-pc-tire-tube-patch-kit/A-p8786477e
0.34 oz (10ml) and 48pcs

Fragrance None

20 pc 3 in. Tire Tube Patches
https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/20-pc-3-in-tire-tube-patches/A-p2021392e

 

[amberwolf]

If you're really going to patch a whole lot of tubes, I'd recommend going with some of the bulk patch kits from Rema "Tip Top"; they've worked well for me. They have 50 and 100 packs of various sizes. If you check the tubes with the soapy water trick to find what size holes you have, and how many, that'll give you an idea which to order.

Then they also sell a large jar of the vulcanizing compound, though I haven't ever had enough patchable tubes to feel it useful / worth the budget outlay to get a jar. And since going to the Shinko rear tires and thick moped tubes I've had so few problems it's not worth stocking up on patching stuff.

The most recent patch stuff I got was a sale deal on tiny Park Tools kits with a couple each of a few sizes, plus one tiny tube of VC, plus a tiny bit of sandpaper. They don't work as well as the Rema ones did, but they work alright (better than the truly generic stuff).

 

[markz]

I just filled the tub 1/4 way, and took about 30 minutes to do a pile.
Slime 30ml is more then enough, even got some Industro 2" (50mm) patches, too large but I will keep it return the other pack of 48 and get the smaller 1" patches.

30ml Slime Vulc glue - https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/1-oz-rubber-cement/A-p8198293e
Package looks like - https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/20-pc-3-in-tire-tube-patches/A-p2021392e
But I didnt get powerfisted :lol:
Industro "Step up to innovation" https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/48-pc-2-in-tire-tube-patches/A-p8490021e

Sitting there, with a few duds and thought couldnt I just use scrap rubber from tube duds, gotta be cleaned well with isopropyl or lighter fluid.


https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/tube-patches-made-from-old-inner-tube.118972/

You need a more flexi rubber. Plus you can buy a stip of patch rubber from halfrauds for £1

It does work, but you have to prepare the two surfaces more rigorously. A lot of folks over in Africa for example can't nip down to Halfords for some expensive patches when they get a puncture so they use old bits of tube. I've seen them do it myself and even had to do it once after getting through all my spare tubes and patches one day with punctures caused by Acacia thorns.

https://www.velonews.com/2018/08/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq-wheel-flop-and-patching-inner-tubes_476085

Right on. I used to sand but for years now I’ve been buffing butyl tubes with lacquer thinner and a rag instead of sanding. The rubber expands a bit with application of the solvent and you’ll see some black on the rag. In my opinion, this results in superior adhesion and is a bit quicker and easier. I feel this works better for punctures on or close to a mold line in the tube despite not removing the mold line.

I do like to disrupt the clear plastic film on the top of the patch by forcibly stretching it after the patch is adhered. I feel the film inhibits stretching of the patch and localizes the strain at the edge the patch, largely negating the benefit of the patch’s feathered edge.
— Lou

 

[wturber]

I would use the patches and not scrap tube material. I think the patches provide a greater number of the right compound that will make a permanent bond with the inner tube. And you really need that permanent bond to form. You really aren't gluing the patch to the tube so much as you are causing the two materials to fuse (crosslink) together. That said, if you not only clean, but roughly sand the pieces cut from a tube, they might very well bond well. But I'd test one or two before doing a batch. I'd test the tube after an overnight cure by inflating the tube enough to balloon it out a bit and see if that patch stretches with the tube and appears to be fully "fused" to it. I'd probably try to tear it off as part of that test as well.

Here's a copy/paste of the best, most plausible explanation I've found. I'm not sure if it is authoritative or not though. But it sounds like it is. :^)

Chemist here - natural rubber is a polymer (long chain-like molecules). Vulcanizing adds cross-links (through disulfide bonds) to the rubber, basically turning the strands of rubber molecules into a net, greatly increasing strength. Bike tubes are vulcanized rubber, but the outer surfaces are treated such that all those cross-linking sulfur groups aren't reaching out and trying to grab anything. You put on some vulcanizing fluid (henceforth "glue") and a few disulfide bonds in the tube get broken and re-formed with bonds to the polymers in the glue. Once the glue dries (there's a bit of solvent that has to evaporate) the inner side of the glue spot is chemically bound to the tire. The outer side is left with a bunch of free sulfur groups waiting to grab onto some other sulfur groups. Then you peel that piece of foil off the orange side of the tire patch (which exposes the free sulfur groups left on the patch) and press it to the glue spot - you've now made millions of chemical bonds between the patch and the glue spot. It's not really glued, though - the patch-"glue"-tire system is now one single molecule all chemically bound together.

The chemical bond holding things together is why:

The tube has to be clean and dry - the sulfur groups reaching out for something to grab onto will grab dirt, water, and other gunk instead of the patch.

You can't use duct tape or regular glue - these are sticky substances that don't vulcanize the rubber together. Rubber cement may hold a patch in place but it is NOT the same stuff.

Glueless patches kinda suck - the vulcanizing fluid in the little tubes works better at making bonds with the punctured bike tube.

You can make patches out of old tubes - at its most basic you're vulcanizing two pieces of rubber together, so two pieces of bike tube will stick to each other. TL;DR - Vulcanization. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcanization

Look for the <8> messeage at this link: https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/35317/is-rubber-cement-in-stationery-stores-the-same-as-in-tire-patch-kits