Contact Cement

[D'Snowth]

Actually, it was the mouthplate I pulled off the foam, but yes, both the foam and the mouthplace were glued - the bottle said to wait at least fifteen minutes and that's about how long I waited. Much later, I ended up figuring out how to achieve something I asked about in another thread (the slight inward curvation of the foam where it meets the mouthplate), and as I said, I easily popped the mouthplate off the foam and no damage was done to either the foam or the moutplate.

But other than that, I love using this stuff over hot glue: not as messy (still a little messy, even when you scrape excess off the brush before using it) and applying and waiting for it to try before gluing the foam together sure beats the heck out of applying hot glue then pinching the foam together for several minutes for it to bond. However, even with a respirator on, the odor is really strong, lol.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Actually, it was the mouthplate I pulled off the foam, but yes, both the foam and the mouthplace were glued - the bottle said to wait at least fifteen minutes and that's about how long I waited.

What is the mouth plate made from? The issue could be that the contact cement sticks to the foam, but not the mouth plate. A lot of non-porous and smooth surfaces have to be sanded to get contact cement to properly adhere to them.

However, even with a respirator on, the odor is really strong, lol.

You shouldn't be able to smell it with a respirator on. If you can smell it, you are inhaling harmful vapor.

 

[D'Snowth]

The mouthplate itself is cardboard and lined with cotton fabric (that was one of the mistakes I learned from early on: if you use cardboard for mouthplates, cover it with something or else the sweat from your hand will eat away at the mouthplate).

And, well, admittedly, I am using a cheap respirator:

Don't really have the funds to invest in ones like pros use.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Double check in case I'm wrong, but I don't think that those N95 respirators provide any protection against chemical exposure. Even if they do, they cannot be reused. They are disposable and have to be thrown away as soon as the respirator is removed from your face.

I use a 3M Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator (their "6000 Series") and that's the most common one I see used in puppet building/props/costuming. You should be able to buy one for $15-20 in the US. The cartridges usually cost around $15-20 in addition to that. How often they need to be replaced depends on how often you use them. I use mine almost daily and have to replace the cartridges every 1-2 months. If you don't do a lot of work with your mask you can probably get away with replacing your cartridges less often.

Different types of cartridges are used for different types of protection. For protection while working with most contact cement you usually need to use an organic vapor cartridge. For my work I use a multi-gas/vapor cartridge because I'm sometimes at risk of exposure to additional types of gases. You have to read the MSDS sheet for the glue you are use to determine what type of protection you need to use (always read the MSDS sheet before you use something!).

3M has a really helpful guide to respirators on their site - https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/565214O/3m-cartridge-filter-guide-and-brochure.pdf

They also have a technical helpline in North America and are happy to answer safety questions from customers at 1-800-328-1667.

 

[D'Snowth]

Hmm. So all this time, I might as well have not have even been wearing that thing because it was doing me no good then . . . I could barely breath with it on anyway, and it just kept fogging up my glasses.

I'll try to see if I can find some relatively inexpensive items at Walmart or something, because I know at hardware stores, the respirators alone can run upward of $30 or more.

 

[muppetperson]

Hmm. So all this time, I might as well have not have even been wearing that thing because it was doing me no good then . . . I could barely breath with it on anyway, and it just kept fogging up my glasses.

I'll try to see if I can find some relatively inexpensive items at Walmart or something, because I know at hardware stores, the respirators alone can run upward of $30 or more.

Try experimenting with a hanky or simular material wrapped around your nose and face. If you can still smell the vapors, then abandon it.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Try experimenting with a hanky or simular material wrapped around your nose and face. If you can still smell the vapors, then abandon it.

I hate to sound rude, but that's a really terrible idea. Do not do that. Fabric will not protect you any kind of chemical vapor. You cannot determine how much you're being exposed to based on smell anyway (don't take my word for it, read the EPA guidelines for toluene from the U.S. government for yourself).

A reusable respirator and organic vapor cartridge should cost less than $30 US. Seriously, that's what you need. Safety shortcuts are never a good idea.

 

[Bear Man]

What is the mouth plate made from? The issue could be that the contact cement sticks to the foam, but not the mouth plate. A lot of non-porous and smooth surfaces have to be sanded to get contact cement to properly adhere to them.

I can attest to that - the contact tenement I use (Selley's Kwik Grip here in Australia) will permanently bond foam to foam, but if I'm trying to adhere it to gasket rubber or even the smooth side of leather, I need to roughen up the other material with some sand paper.

 

[D'Snowth]

I had a similar experience with hot glue when using a gasket rubber mouthplate: the glue wouldn't adhere at all, it just peeled right off - but that was before anyone told me that it's best to roughen the surface (or someone even suggested soaking it in rubbing alcohol) before gluing.

 

[D'Snowth]

Well Walmart doesn't carry them in store, and the cheapest at the hardware store was, indeed, $33, so I guess I'm gonna have to order online again, I get so sick of having to do this.