labricoleuse: (shoes!)
So, i don't feel like i can call this a tutorial, because this adhesive is fairly new to the theatre industry and definitely new to me. It was first recommended in the ACTS FACTS newsletter back in 2003 as a safer substitute for the carcinogenic solvent-based shoe-rubbering adhesive, Barge, by safety expert Monona Rossol. Ms. Rossol is reknowned for her work in furthering safety education among artists and craftspeople and is the author of many reference books on the subject, including The Health & Safety Guide For Film, TV, & Theater. Our company has recently acquired 5 gallons of the 1812, and i decided to test it out and see how it works!

1812 looks like a white glue--water-based, runny--but as it dries it goes through several phases, one of which is kind of slimy and weird like the floaty egg bits in egg drop soup, and finally ends up as firm rubber. I don't know where to tell you to purchase it easily--i know that we got it wholesale straight from the manufacturer, which is UPACO, a division of Worthen Industries. I predict that this will be one of those products that, like Foss Manufacturing's group of thermoformable plastics and felts, quickly becomes purchasable from retail businesses that cater to the entertainment industry, like Manhattan Wardrobe Supply and Backstage Hardware & Theatre Supply.

So, here's my "guinea pig" pair of boots:

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ten more pictures illustrating what i discovered... )
labricoleuse: (shoes!)
Rubberizing the soles of boots and shoes for stage productions is one of those recurring tasks that fall to the crafts department. A theatre company can save literally hundreds of dollars by rubberizing in-house rather than sending shoes out to cobblers for this service, provided there's a craftsperson on staff who can do it properly.

In this photographic tutorial, I will describe one process for rubberizing using the industrial solvent-based contact adhesive, Barge. Barge has been widely used in the shoemaking industry for years, but is a known carcinogen, so extreme safety precautions are required in its use. Theatrical safety experts have recently been urging the use of an adhesive known as Synthetic Latex 1812 as a less-toxic substitute for applications in which one would otherwise use Barge. I have just obtained some 1812 and will be conducting some future experiments on its usefulness in rubberizing--look for a forthcoming post soon!

For now though, 1812 is far from a universally-used substance in this application, and many shops do still use Barge for rubberizing. Thus, I'll write up the Barge process here first!

How to rubberize boots with Barge in 11 helpful photographs... )

January 2017

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