How to Apply Contact Cement

Contact cement is great for bonding plastics to countertops and veneers to cabinets. Contact cement also works well with rubber, glass, metal and leather. Contact cement is typically used on objects that are difficult to clamp together to use other types of adhesives. Here's how to apply contact cement.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Clean your work area thoroughly. If you're going to be bonding your shoe soles to the top of your shoe, make sure your shoe is thoroughly cleaned. Also, make sure you apply contact cement in a well ventilated room.

2. Apply the contact cement with a disposable brush or roller. Apply it to both surfaces that you'll be bonding.

3. Let your bonding objects stand for 15 minutes or until they are dry. One of the great things about contact cement is how quickly it sets. In fact, it cures in minutes. The setting time of contact cement is how long it takes to harden. The curing time is how long it takes the contact cement to reach maximum strength. Contact cement is considered a fast setting glue that's useful for bonding hard to clamp objects.

4. Clean the excess contact cement off your products that you're bonding. You may do this using nail polish remover because it contains acetone.

5. Clean your work area and use your product again after just 15 minutes or so.

Tips & Warnings

• Common contact cement brands include Barge Cement, Elmer's Contact Cement, Seal-All and Weldwood Contact Cement.
• Contact cement is waterproof. Allow contact cement to cure fully before exposing objects bonded by it to rain or soap and water.