Wetsuit Alterations/Sewing

[JamesBon92007]

That sounds very encouraging. Way back in the old days, before nylon linings and stitches, wet suit glue was something I didn't want to run out of. My wetsuit needed to be reglued in a few places after nearly every dive. Either your glueing technique is a lot better or the glue is better. My last suit (30+ years old) was a rack suit made for someone a few inches taller than me so the calves were too far down and the legs were too long. I cut and glued and stitched and it held up all this time but I also went over the outside seams with some other kind of wetsuit glue that is more like a "liquid stitch" or something--I just ran a bead along the outside. The problem is that it's kinda ugly and too stiff to use on the inside seams. Meanwhile I'll try using only the glue and see what happens, but I don't have a lot of confidence. I'm surprised to read that someone actually prefers bare rubber, especially on the inside. I always thought those old suits were a nightmare to put on, even with lots of baby powder. But I never really saw anything wrong with textured rubber on the outside.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

That sounds very encouraging. Way back in the old days, before nylon linings and stitches, wet suit glue was something I didn't want to run out of. My wetsuit needed to be reglued in a few places after nearly every dive. Either your glueing technique is a lot better or the glue is better. My last suit (30+ years old) was a rack suit made for someone a few inches taller than me so the calves were too far down and the legs were too long. I cut and glued and stitched and it held up all this time but I also went over the outside seams with some other kind of wetsuit glue that is more like a "liquid stitch" or something--I just ran a bead along the outside. The problem is that it's kinda ugly and too stiff to use on the inside seams. Meanwhile I'll try using only the glue and see what happens, but I don't have a lot of confidence. I'm surprised to read that someone actually prefers bare rubber, especially on the inside. I always thought those old suits were a nightmare to put on, even with lots of baby powder. But I never really saw anything wrong with textured rubber on the outside.

Skin-in suits are the only way to go. All top end freediving suits are skin-in and both my custom scuba suits are skin-in. I don't know of anyone still using corn starch to get in one. Everybody I know uses hair conditioner/water solution in a squirt bottle to lube the suit up and slide in.

 

[spectrum]

Supposedly all of the seam strength is from the glue. If you consider that the stitching is blind into foam rubber and near the edge of the fabric overlay it makes sense. Many smooth skin suits have no stitching. In any case watertight glues seams are essential and strong. Be patient in getting 2 or 3 coats of cement on there and let them set properly before and after mating.

A silver sharpie does good for match marks. Rubbing alcohol and a few dives makes it go away after.

Pete

 

[JamesBon92007]

OK, thanks everyone. Now I'm wondering what the stitches are for. Meanwhile, I'll go get a new can of wet suit glue. The silver Sharpie sounds good--I used tailor's chalk and it has all but rubbed off already.

 

[duckbill]

The edges of the nylon are more likely to lift eventually if not stitched.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The edges of the nylon are more likely to lift eventually if not stitched.

I fixed that by brushing on a coat a of glue on the outside of the seams and it seems to have locked everything down and is working so far.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I finally managed to find some old threads on the subject--I think the stuff I was using for reinforcement is called "Aqua-Seal." I must have been laying it on too thick. I'm also trying to find some scrap pieces of 1/8" (3mm?) neoprene so I can modify the hood of my old hooded vest which I removed the hood from 'cause it's too tight. The hooded vest was assembled using strips of stretchy nylon and looks like it was glued and sewn with a regular sewing machine using a straight stitch. Someone suggested checking with the LDS as sometimes wetsuits come packed with scrap neoprene. Gotta go get some wet suit cement anyway...

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I finally managed to find some old threads on the subject--I think the stuff I was using for reinforcement is called "Aqua-Seal." I must have been laying it on too thick. I'm also trying to find some scrap pieces of 1/8" (3mm?) neoprene so I can modify the hood of my old hooded vest which I removed the hood from 'cause it's too tight. The hooded vest was assembled using strips of stretchy nylon and looks like it was glued and sewn with a regular sewing machine using a straight stitch. Someone suggested checking with the LDS as sometimes wetsuits come packed with scrap neoprene. Gotta go get some wet suit cement anyway...

You don't want to use Aquaseal to put a suit together, you want black wetsuit cement.
You get it at the dive shop in little cans - it's a Trident product. The lid has a brush attached to it on the inside. The stuff smells strong like rubber cement and it's black. Brush 2 coats on each side of the material you want to join and let each coat dry thoroughly between coats and before you join the two pieces together.

Aquaseal is for tears and holes. It's a urethane like shoe goo. I'm not a big fan of aquaseal myself. If I need that style of repair material I use automotive black windshield urethane instead. It works much better and lasts longer. I get it at automotive glass shops. Lot's of times they will have a little left over in a tube and they just give it to me. I get about twice as much as I would get having to spend $10 to get aquaseal and it works twice as good.
I use it on the finger tips of gloves.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I agree completely with what you said about using Aquaseal just for reinforcing and understand that the stuff in the can is for gluing the neoprene together. I used Aquaseal for reinforcing and it held up but I really like your windshield urethane tip.

Meanwhile, I managed to find out how to get the bobbin into the family sewing machine (can't find the instruction book) and sewed together two pieces of 1/4" neoprene (nylon both sides) and it looks pretty darned good. I used three coats of rubber cement before sewing (had it on hand) and, although it didn't seem like it was a really strong seam without the sewing, it looks like it would work just fine along WITH sewing. I guess a lot it going depend upon how much the LDS wants for wet suit glue Rubber cement is only about $4 a can at the auto parts store. I suspect wetsuit cement may just be black rubber cement. Anyone know?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I agree completely with what you said about using Aquaseal just for reinforcing and understand that the stuff in the can is for gluing the neoprene together. I used Aquaseal for reinforcing and it held up but I really like your windshield urethane tip.

Meanwhile, I managed to find out how to get the bobbin into the family sewing machine (can't find the instruction book) and sewed together two pieces of 1/4" neoprene (nylon both sides) and it looks pretty darned good. I used three coats of rubber cement before sewing (had it on hand) and, although it didn't seem like it was a really strong seam without the sewing, it looks like it would work just fine along WITH sewing. I guess a lot it going depend upon how much the LDS wants for wet suit glue Rubber cement is only about $4 a can at the auto parts store. I suspect wetsuit cement may just be black rubber cement. Anyone know?

Get wetsuit glue, I wouldn't trust anything else. Who knows what the actual chemical components are but for a few bucks more to get the right stuff it's worth it. Black wetsuit glue will actually fuse both sides together into a permanent bond. Regular rubber cement may not have the same tensile strength and might come apart.