Clutch-Me.Com

Helpful Hints: How to put glue into U-channel purse frames

It’s really hard to capture the clear liquid glue of Gutermann’s glue on camera, so I’ve taken pics of the inner views of new purse frames and used a painting tool to demonstrate how I apply glue into the purse frames.  Everyone has their own techniques and these are my tips:

*Only apply glue to one side of the frame at a time.

*When you take the cap off, upend it and leave it sitting with the cap ready for you to reinsert the tube.

*Remove any dabs of glue on your frame by “rolling it” like cement glue.  Any thin excess can also be gently picked off by your fingernails.

*When done gluing, gently wipe off your fingerprints with your cotton shirt sleeve or a damp cloth.  Yes, you will leave fingerprints (see pic below) on it because we all have lotions and natural oils.  That’s why my frames have 2 coats allowing you to wipe your fingerprints off with ease!  🙂

*If you are a novice, pre-tape your fabric to protect it from excess glue.  Tape the areas where you don’t want glue to end up.  When done gluing, simply remove the tape.

Use masking tape or Scotch(R) tape. Tape along the frame borders, shown in purple.

*After inserting the fabric on that side, let it set for 5 minutes before starting the other side.  I always make my clutches in batches so while side 1 of clutch #1 is setting, I am gluing side 1 of clutch #2 and so forth.  When done with all side 1s, I go back to clutch #1 and start gluing side 2.

Save time and improve your craftsmanship by making clutches in batches.

*When working with small frames that have a narrower U-channel, start with the corner and move outward.  Gutermann glue’s thin and pointy tip will fit into all of my frames.

Start your tip at the corner and move outward. Makes for easy work!

*You can go heavy and apply one thick strip of glue at the bottom of the channel.  When you insert the fabric into the channel, the excess glue will be pushed and moved up onto the inner walls of your clutch covering the walls.  However, I only recommend this for expert clutch makers who have done this many times and can gauge just how much glue to put in.  For others, you risk putting in too much glue so that there will be a lot of excess that will be pushed out onto your fabric.  (You can mitigate this by pre-taping your fabric.)

This method is best for experienced clutch makers.

*My favorite way that ensures 100% coverage without wasting excess glue and wasting time to pre-tape the fabric is the following:  apply the base of the u-channel with enough glue to cover it, then apply the side walls.

My favorite way to apply Gutermann glue!

With the above method, I do not have spillage onto the fabric yet I know that the glue has attached all surfaces of the fabric when I insert it.  This also means I never have to apply glue onto the fabric either.  (It gets very messy and tricky when you’re inserting fabric with glue all around the edges!)

*The glue sets quickly, which is great for your production time, but it means you need to insert the fabric in right away as well.   So for bulky edges, press and/or do a dry run by inserting it without the glue.

*Wipe off the tip after you are done and before storage.

And I also use Gutermann glue for other household projects including re-gluing a broken guitar neck!

February 4, 2012 Posted by Thy K | Helpful Tips | adhesive, clutch glue, fabric glue, glue, Gutermann glue | 4 Comments