Soldering iron to patch tubes?

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 20:07:12 GMT, "Leo Lichtman"
wrote:

"Phil Lee" wrote: (clip) Anyone done this before? Success?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^How many of you are old enough to remember when car tires had
tubes, and "hot patches" were routine? What was the theory there?

Vulcanizing patches were made from *partially cured* rubber, and the
heat both bonded them in place *and* cured the patch material. They
didn't use glue; the rubber itself bonded with the tube.

Hot patches for tubeless tires existed for a while, but they were a
real hassle to use. I think that the shift away from hot patches for
tubes began when it was found that the "chemical patches" for tubeless
tires worked just fine on tubes as well. When those became widely
available at a reasonable price, there was no longer any justification
for putting up with the hassles of applying a vulcanizing patch. I
used my last hot patch sometime around 1967, though I didn't toss the
clamp into the steel recycling bin until a couple of years ago.

Vulcanizing patches had several inherent problems. In damp climates,
if the cellophane bag was torn, the combustible charge would hydrate;
after that, it wouldn't burn hot enough to cure the patch, though it
often would still burn hot enough to make it *appear* that the patch
had set. They also had a very definitely limited shelf life in damp
climates, even if the cello bag was intact. And, if you were the
least bit incautious in using a hot patch, you could burn a hole in
the tube just beyond the margin of the patch.

I'm told that there are still vulcanizing patches available, but I
haven't used one for nearly 40 years now.
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Werehatrack wrote:
Hot patches for tubeless tires existed for a while, but they were a
real hassle to use. I think that the shift away from hot patches for
tubes began when it was found that the "chemical patches" for tubeless
tires worked just fine on tubes as well. When those became widely
available at a reasonable price, there was no longer any justification
for putting up with the hassles of applying a vulcanizing patch.

Except maybe the really impressive show the hot patches made. Well,
impressive at least if you were 10 years old at the time.

Mark "I saw 'the show' when I was 10" Janeba

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 06:45:13 GMT, "Phil Lee"
wrote:

The idea is just as it seems... melt the rubber to seal the hole.

Anyone done this before? Success?

Won't work.

Butyl won't melt in any useful way.

Once a upon a time there were vulcanizing patches that consisted of a "raw"
rubber patch that was stuck to the bottom of a drawn steel pan that held a
flammable fiber. You'd clamp the patch against the tube, burn the stuff in the
pan the heat would vulcanize the rubber and bond it to the tube. As I recall
those worked very well, if a bit more involved than the rubber cement approach.

Ron