Vulcanizing Tire Patches (Tube Repair)

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

After many years of repairing my tire tubes "the old fashioned way" by vulcanizing I have found that these type of patches are no longer available here in Minnesota. Is there a source for these patches available nationally? I have checked with all types of suppliers (farm stores etc.) to no avail. How do you all prefer to repair tubes in your tires?<!--/text-->

<!--/Post: 187933--><FORM name=userpass action=http://www.mtfca.com/cgi-bin/discus/board-post.cgi method=post><INPUT type=hidden value=80257/106271 name=HTTP_REFERER> <INPUT type=hidden value=1 name=preview>

</FORM>

[Guest Bob Call]

Jeff

Hot vulcanizing patches are no longer sold in the US due to our nanny guvmint determining that they are a health hazard. How stupid does one have to be to inhale the acrid smoke and fumes coming off of one of these babies. Stupid enough to cook and smoke meth I guess. Anyway, in years past the Camel brand patches were made just down the road from me in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. The brand is now owned by Stant-Schrader and is available in other countries. Here is a link to a company in Columbia. You might email them to see if they can mail a kit to the US. Let us know what they say if you contact them.

AUTOINDUSTRIAL CAMEL S.A.

[Restorer32]

I grew up working in my Dad's tire recapping shop in the '60's and helped vulcanize literally thousands of tires and tubes. There is no "acrid smoke" and very little in the way of fumes involved in vulcanizing, it doesn't get that hot. One saturday a year the whole family would help Dad lay up vulcanizing patches which are nothing more than crisscrossed layers of thin unvulcanized rubber containing nylon (usually) reinforcement. If you are determined to continue vulcanizing visit a truck tire recap shop and I'm sure they will sell you enough material to last you a lifetime. I can't believe that the government had anything to do with patches no longer being available since it is the same material and process which is used in recapping. Many folks don't realize that big trucks still run recaps, unless that has changed and I wasn't aware. More likely lack of commercial demand has limited the availability of vulcanizing patches.

[Guest DeSoto Frank]

If we're talking about the Camel / Victor "hot-patches" with the little diamond-shaped tin pans and stamped-steel clamp, there was a card-board insert that was impregnated with some sort of chemical that made it flare-up, then smoulder for about 5 minutes - very dramatic !

And there was plenty of acrid white smoke - best done out-doors.

Also the best way to patch inner tubes; never had luck with the glue-on patches.

The kit I describe above was the one to throw in the tool-box or saddle-bag (bikes) for roadside repairs.

For tire shops, there were electric vulcanizing clamps ( or steam in the really big shops!).

The other year at Macungie, I picked-up a Shaler vulcanizing clamp that is made of cast-iron, and has a fuel-pan cast in the iron, about 4 inches across, and about 1/2" deep ,and has lots of little "stalagmites" cast into it. You cut your vulcanizing sheet to size, prep the injury, apply the patch and clamp, then fill the fuel pan with gasoline, light it, and let it burn till it goes-out. Let the clamp cool, then peel everything away, and Voila !

Haven't used that relic yet.

In the meantime, I think I will stock-up on the Victor hot-patches.

[Guest Bob Call]

Yeah, we're talking about the Camel and Victor hot patches. There are dozens of electric vulcanizing clamps, of all sizes, available but you can't throw one of them in the tool box to be used on the roadside. The cold patches that use a volitale glue have come a long way but still not as good as the old hot patch.

[Guest DeSoto Frank]

E-bay ?

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

Thanks, guys, I have pressed it hard today but no luck. Bob, my e-mail to Columbia was kicked back, no good. Thanks for the link. Frank, you are right, nothing has ever worked as well a a little smoke and fire!

[Guest Bob Call]

While killing some time today I searched "Victor Hot Patch" and found a forum that had a thread about the old hot patches. A post back in January said that he found some at an Ace hardware a couple of years ago and bought them all. Hasn't seen any since. Other than some showing up on ebay, at a swap meet, garage sale, or an old time hardware or a mom and pop auto parts they are history.