Good for:
- EVA & craft foam (best!)
- Plastic
- Leather, pleather, vinyl
- Rubber
Common brands
DAP Weldwood, Barge All-Purpose Cement
Bond qualities
Strength: medium-high
Flexibility: very flexible
Set time: fast (~5 min per coat)
Surface preparation
If surface is smooth: sand lightly with a rough grit. Remove all dust and loose pieces. A final swab with rubbing alcohol is recommended to remove any grease.
For real leather: with a needle or exacto knife, scratch crosshatches through the smooth top grain leather surface. This is especially important if the leather is oiled or oil-tanned because the glue will not bond to the oiled surface.
How to use
Apply a thin layer to both surfaces you want to bond. Let dry until tacky (~5 minutes). Repeat. (I recommend 2-3 coats for most applications. If the surface is absorbing the glue, like with an unsealed EVA or backside of pleather, keep applying coats until the surface is glossy, then apply one more.) After the final coat is tacky, stick the two pieces together
Potential issues and gotchas:
- Contact cement will dissolve spray paint. Instead of bonding well to painted surfaces, it will make the paint goopy and cause the paint itself to un-adhere from your piece.