scottfsmith

I'm not sure where to post this but it is "fabric mechanics" so will try here. I ripped some nearly-new shoe covers that I paid a lot of $$ for so I decided to fix them. Here is the repair I did:




I started off sewing it up, but with all the stress happening when covers are put on it looked like the threads would easily rip out. So I decided to reinforce with glue. This is where things get interesting.. I had some of this B-7000 "Chinese super glue" which someone here recommended to patch delaminating bike shoes.. it is a strong glue like epoxy but is also very flexible. I dabbed it all over the threads and am very impressed with how it is working: strong but flexible.

This got me motivated to patch some holes in my tights. The glue seemed strong enough that on smaller holes it looks like no stitching is needed in advance - just dab glue on edges of hole, wait a bit for it to get sticky and push together. You don't get the buckling look when you use stitches. Here are some small holes I patched:




This was going well enough that just for fun I thought I would patch some ancient Pearl Izumi bike gloves which had turned into yard gloves since they were so beat-up. I didn't use any stitching, just put the glue on, let sit a bit, and pushed together. Before:




After:



Still ugly, but 100% functional now. Someone here recommended them for peeling bike shoe bottoms, they thought they were the most durable glue for that. Along with these repairs I patched holes in a bunch of other things. I had some tights with big holes that I was going to toss, but they are fully functional again. For really big holes I think it could make stitching easier, start by dabbing glue on the edges waiting a bit and pushing together. Then add reinforcing stitching on top and seal threads in glue. If you start by stitching you have this round hole and it is really hard to stitch it without getting ugly buckling, but with the glue you can pull the fabric back together. etc.. lots of good options here.

pdlamb

It'll be interesting to see how the tights do when you ride in them. I've come to the conclusion that any bike clothes that I wear out like that have earned an honorable retirement, in part because my patches don't hold up well, and in part because by the time they've worn that much, there's another set of holes just waiting to happen.

rumrunn6

used my cheap Walmart orange hooded sweatshirt on a ride last weekend & was reminded or discovered 2 parallel tears, approx. 5" long in 1 shoulder. I must have caught it on something. cpl days ago, I dropped it off at our neighborhood dry cleaner / tailor for some stitching. if it was just 1 tear I would have attempted the repair myself

_ForceD_

I can’t see the entire cover in the OP, but I think a better way to make that repair. I’d remove all that glue. Then, take it to someone with a sewing machine and sew it back together from the inside. Or…depending on accessibility…sew a patch of similar material around the rip on the inside. You could also sew it by hand with a needle and thread. If it’s waterproof/resistant…apply a thin layer of that glue to the inside once sewing is complete. I have my own sewing machine. I count it as one of my power tools.

Dan

scottfsmith

In fact I did your hand sew version, if you look closely you can see the stitches. Then I applied the glue on top both inside and outside. I agree glue alone would not hold this particular repair.

I have a sewing machine but it seemed too hard to get that particular rip fed through as it is in a tight area. For other tears I think a light glueing to hold in place followed by a zig-zag stitch on a sewing machine followed by a reinforcing glue layer could work well.

_ForceD_

Oh yeah…now I see the thread stitches in the glue. Yeah…a wide zig-zag stitch along the tear would be good. But again…it depends on accessibility. Good luck.

Dan

rumrunn6

shudda taken a "before" pic. closeup it looks messy but it was a giant double tear, on the back right shoulder, w/ a wide open flap showing whatever was underneath. I'm sure from a distance, it will all blend into a giant orange blob. at least it's all stitched up & won't open more. cost $10

Koyote

I just take damaged cycling clothes to the local seamstress, who fixes them for trivial sums of money.

grumpus

That's how I repair rips, I'm hard on clothes and manage to shred or tear particularly the combat trousers that I wear most days - on those I put a scrap of lightweight fabric behind the damage then stitch over it, usually a few runs of triple zigzag but big Vs like that for wider areas. It's not easy to match thread to fabric so repairs are often visible, but repaired clothes are eco-friendly and "make do and mend" is a cool trend apparently.

scottfsmith

Thats impressive, both the quality and the price. I've been repairing my own clothes for 40 years but if I get a tough one I might try the local dry cleaner who also does repairs.

I'm going skiing soon and decided to try the glue on a couple rips in some ski pants today.. Before:




After:




This rip is about three inches long. It would have been impossible to sew on a machine since it had a liner behind it. Since I could not access the back I had to put all the glue on from the front and it is more visible due to the glue not being completely clear. So, less than perfect but this rip is not in a stressed spot and it will hold fine.

Fixing these things brings me irrational joy, I hate wasting stuff. I sort of enjoy the way the repairs are showing, like battle scars.

rumrunn6

if they hold!. maybe you can stitch that with a needle & thread buy hand? it does look sturdy tho

scottfsmith

I am hoping these things will hold indefinitely without stitches. I did a total of six different repairs with glue only, and they look and feel bomber. I just washed a couple in the washer/dryer and they came out just like they went in. The full verdict won't be in for a few years though..

rumrunn6

OK sounds good
reminds me about a cat veterinary situation many years ago. had the best vet visit & the worst pet visit, both in the same day. I noticed a lump my cat's back. brought it to the vet. I held the cat, she stayed still, the vet snipped the lump off & glued the skin back together. we get home the skin splits open, cat runs to door cuz she was beside herself, bring her back. I try to hold the cat while the vet uses needle & thread. cat bites one of my thumbs then the other. I've got 4 deep puncture wounds on each thumb. I leave the vet with giant white bandages on my thumbs