MTFCA Forum

I have seen original vulcanizing clamps for years but have never actually used one. There were evidently different heat sources including prepared flammable discs and also a pan to receive a little gasoline. Are there any vintage illustrated instructions? It seems that every clamp I’ve seen is missing a little metal pan for holding the gas and pressing against the tube. Who out there has used one of these?

Mark,

The best method is to only use 10% gasoline with kerosene, and just enough fluid to cover the little pan. I was showed years back by an old guy and he used a little sawdust that was soaked in motor oil and then added the gas and kerosene. might want to practice first.

My $0.03 worth,

Hank

Do not light a puddle of gasoline!

Years ago when I worked in a tire shop we used rubber cement, spread it around the patch area and lit it. We would let it burn for a short time then blow it out but while it was still hot we would apply the patch and clamp it tight.

All the tube patching clamps I have are designed to be used with "self-vulcanizing" patches. These patches are attached to a tin piece with a flamable material in the tin. You clean the tube and rough it up a bit, then clamp it down and light the material. It burns quickly, you let it cool a bit, then unclamp it and peel off the tin piece. The rubber patch should be bonded to the tube and the edges smooth with the tube.

Vulcanising may well be a practice no longer compatible with modern tubes. Different rubber compounds/substitutes require different approaches. Most repairs made today use stick-on patches, and this includes stick-on replacement valve stems.You would need to ascertain that both the patches and the tube are compatible with vulcanising.

Allan from down under.