barge cement softner

[SVanderkolff]

Can anyone tell me what the Tandy barge cement thinner/softner is made of. I now have two containers of cement that are more like thick jello than glue. I hate to pay for the thinner from Tandy if it is simply some off the shelf product relabelled.
Thanks
Steve

[Carey Quinn]

Steve,

I can't really help you with ingredients but every time I've seen anyone use any cement thinner, they used it in a glue pot. If you are using a tube of Barge, I don't know how you would mix it short of putting it in a different container then it will get thick faster. Catch 22.

I found Barge at a local hobby/craft store and just buy one tube at a time. I don't make a lot of sheaths so I can usually use a tube before it gels up too bad.

Carey

[RandyScott]

I Googled and eventually found two MSDS, one from '97 and the other '05, wherein Toulene was listed as 50% by weight. There has been a succession of corporate owners and the trail gets confused. Check the container, should have the manufactures name somewhere and perhaps a website/customer service number. I saw Toulene on the shelf at my local Ace Hardware but have not seen it in HD/Lowe's or local paint stores. I use Weldwood's (corporate owner DAP) Contact Cement (not the gel version) and store it updside down to keep the volatives from evaporating.

[Harry Mathews]

I use Weldwood contact cement too. I buy it in the quart can and have had a similar problem when getting towards the bottom of the can. I just put in a dash of Brownell's Acraglass thinner and it seems to work fine. You have to mix it real well but it does bring new life to the glue.

[TexasJack]

I looked at the MSDS and it looks like a mix of toluene and ethyl acetate. Hardware stores carry toluene in most parts of the country. Some people on leather boards have reported using acetone or MEK with good results. Both are more volatile than the original chemicals, but both should be available.

Even with the Barge's thinner, it takes a lot of stirring.