[CR]Contact Cement for repairs in d'hood

(Example: Racing:Beryl Burton)

Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 23:43:20 -0700
From: <siverson@garlic.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Contact Cement for repairs in d'hood

Stewart Barrie wrote:

I have managed to rip one of brand new pair of brown Camapgnolo record hoods (shield) from the just below the cable entry points to about halfway down one side. Does anyone know of any way of sticking these back together?

Roy H. Drinkwater responded:

I would try 'gap-filling' ACC ("super glue") A good model railroad shop or radio control shop would have a variety of glues, the thickest should work the best. ----------------------

I just repaired one of the Campy hoods on my '72 Hetchins and was really pleased by the look and feel of the repair. I used Weldwood (brand) contact cement. It is a type of adhesive that you apply to both surfaces of the split, let dry for a minute or two, then press together. The bond is remarkably strong, and the glue itself is "rubbery" but tenacious when it dries so it has a compatable feel to the original gum material. Contact cement bonds to practically any material, so in the extreme case that a chunk of the gum hood completely breaks off, you can glue it back in place -- even bonding it to the metal (or plastic) lever howsing itself -- as well as to the edges of the hood.

(Note: contact cement is different from "rubber cement" used to stick things like paper together)

Stewart also wrote:
> Incidentally are there any treatments for prolonging the lives of NOS hoods
> which are to get daily use.

Roy responded:

I use Armor-All (tm) on my hoods, spraying it directly onto the gum, and working it in with my fingers, then letting it dry. I've done this about once a year, and we (Janet & I) have hoods over 15 years old, still in good condition. YMMV, VWP, CCBS*. -----------------------------

I concur with Roy about Armor-all. I think it is a good preservative. However, I think the place you store your bicycle is an important issue regarding hood service life. I have noticed that the rubber hoods remain soft and pliable -- even after 10 years -- on my favorite bike which I keep inside the house. The bikes that I store in the garage and in my attic which are subjected to greater extremes of heat and cold have hoods which eventually dry-out after only a few years.

I hope others will contribute to this thread with ideas on hood repair and preservation. Until someone manufactures copys of Campy and Universal hoods, we need to figure out ways of preserving the old materials as best we can. The DiaComp hoods posted regularly on eBay are not an acceptable substitute for Campy on an authentic restoration, in my opinion.

Erik Siverson
Gilroy, Cal.