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How do the pros spray bulk contact cement?

49K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  DanTwoLakes 
#1 ·
I'm in the middle of doing my interior, but I'm having a hard time getting the contact cement to spray smoothly. I'm using Helmetin green 8130 (pic enclosed) which I've been told is the perfect glue to use. I've tried my siphon feed DeVilbiss JGA spray gun, my finishline gravity gun, and have even modified an old spray gun to pressurize the pot when spraying to try and get it to atomize better.
One of the automotive upholstery books I have mentions thinning the glue with lacquer thinner, but I'm afraid of screwing the glue up. If one of the pros out there could answer this, it would be appreciated.Dan
www.geocities.com/dantechfab
 

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#4 ·
Dan: You're asking how to get your particular glue to spray out of your particular guns, and that's hard for the rest of us to troubleshoot over the internet. When you say you're having trouble spraying the glue, does that mean no glue comes out of the guns at all? Or does that mean it comes out but not the way you think it should look? You need a fluid nozzle of from 1.7 mm to 2.2 mm to spray contact cement properly.
I would not thin your glue until somebody from Helmetin told me it was O.K. You said before you couldn't get the glue to atomize like paint, but contact cement is not going to come out looking smooth like paint, it's going to have a pebble effect. Are you sure the glue you bought is a spray grade? Helmetin makes spray grades of auto trim adhesive. Go to a place that fabricates countertops to get an idea what the glue should look like after it's sprayed, and ask them about the equipment they use to spray it. Good luck. Dan
 
#5 ·
Yea you are definetly not going to get a "smooth" texture out of the gun. I would describe it more of a webbed, look. Kinda stringy but not thick and gooey. You want a uniform spray pattern in that you don't want it to streamlined.

One thing I thought of though is that where are you located (in the country)? The reason I ask is that if the glue is cold, you'll have issues with it spraying. Try to let the glue warm up to a normal room temp, if possible.

I use both a pressure pot and cheap siphon feed gun.
 
#8 ·
Helmitin adhesives is a Canadian company. Their website lists a company called Adhesives and Equipment in Comstock Park Michigan as the closest distributor to you. Their website is www.helmitinadhesives.com. If you are only doing a small amount of gluing, stick with the spray cans. If you want to use a spray gun, make sure you buy a spray grade of contact adhesive whether you use 3M, DAP, or Helmitin. A gallon of Dap is about $45 retail. no idea what 3M #08090 or Helmitin goes for by the gallon, but 3M #08090 is available in 24 oz. aerosol cans for about $32 a can. You may find better prices if you search the internet.
 
#10 ·
Helmitin is based in Canada, but has distributors in the U.S. (Michigan and New York State for sure). 3M 77 is an all purpose clear adhesive. It is not a contact adhesive like 3M #08090. 3M 74 is a foam to foam (open cell foam) adhesive. I personally do not like or use 3M adhesives because I have never had good luck with them. I don't think 3M 77 works at all. Spray cans are O.K. for lightweight gluing, but bulk adhesives that don't have to be thin enough to come out of a little aerosol nozzle will always have more holding power in my opinion.
 
#11 ·
cheap primer gun

Well i don't know the exact product you are using but i can tell you what worked for me, i used my old high build primer gun until it needed a rebuild then i went to harbor freight and bought a $30 gun. as long as your gun has a large tip and enough air pressure you should be fine, i have yet to have a problem, solvent based adhesivescome out a little stringy no matter how the gun is set up, if you have blotches of material coming out turn up the pressure and down the amount of adhesive. good luck.
 
#12 ·
presure pot for contac

I see you tried a pressure pot. I have pretty good results with my sears 2gal. pressure pot and a 40 year old debilbus spray gun.Took me a while to get it set up right I hve 2 regulators 1 for the pot and 1 for the gun I spray red spray contac for countertops. what I find interesting is I can let it sit for months pick it up and spray it dont seem to harden in the hose as I would expect. sure has saved me a lot of time. I use a qt. can or gal. can inside so it stays kinda clean.
 
#13 ·
adheasives

i use these type of products daily for upholstery, i have used all of the products you speak of, we have been using the Dap products for about 15 years and buy it by the 55 gallon drum, we use pressure pots with cheap 30 dollar guns on them, kind of like the binks 7 copies,you will never get it to spray very fine but you should get a consistant spray from it, dont try to get a wide fan, it genrally will not work, when i do side work at home i use a syphon feed 30 gun, has bigger tips to allow glue to pass nicley.
 
#14 ·
I agree with the above comment. I also used the DAP product with a HF purple HVLP gun 2.2mm tip with the pressure turned way up. It does not spray smooth, it comes out stringy. Also do not try and clean your gun with lacquer thinner when using this cement, use mineral spirits. Don't ask me how I found this out :D .

Vince
 
#15 ·
Check out the response from the kitchen countertop person.
Have sprayed numerous counter tops..ie mdf to formica..don/t remember brand of glue but it was RED, went on like a very very bad orange peal, spray pattern was approx six inches, and we just used any old spray gun..just like he said....picked up the gun ten days later and started spraying again..MAC
 
#17 ·
What you need is high temperature contact adhesive , that's what Performance is. In spray cans, other options are DAP Top and Trim Spray, and 3M 08090 Super Trim Adhesive. 3M 77 is an all purpose glue and not intended for high temp. applications. You are right, though, I've never had any good luck with 3m 77, no matter what I was gluing.
 
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