Contact Cement - anyone use it? I got one shot to do this right!

[WOT]

Basically Ive never used contact cement before, but I think its my best shot.

I recently redid my headliner, with thick material, and used 3m Super 77 to hold it, well it didnt hold, and is sagging large in the back on a big dip, and a few curves up front. Today I am building a wall for the rear of my car, and I dont plan on taking it out for a LONG time...

This is the best cement I could find.

SO what I wanna do is slit the headliner material (still installed on roof) so I have access to the headliner backing, and the material backing itself (since its sagging) and I wanna just apply the cement to both surfaces, then stick them together. And hopefully have it NEVER let go.

But the instructions on the can are shotty. It says to apply generous ammount to both surfaces, wait 15 minutes atleast or until its dry enough not to transfer onto paper, then stick them together, but wait no longer than one hour to join them

So can I simply apply it to both materials, wait, then just stick them together with my hands and rub the headliner with pressure and it will stick without me holding it forever? Cause its a nice 15" X 30" patch thats sagging....

Im just curious if there a BEST ammount of time to wait or a best way to make this permanent.

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[Blazin_Jason 10+ year member]

3m super 90 works great for that sort of thing.

 

[WOT]

I dont know if Id trust it to hold after seeing what the 77 did

I already bought this stuff, and Im hoping its permanent....

Or would super90 be better? I want PERMANENT

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

contact cement is quite permanent

the directions tell you to wait before applying it because you want the cement to be tacky, otherwise it wont cure/hold as well

 

[Fiercetimbo17 10+ year member]

Yea just let it tack and it will never come off

 

[WOT]

Ya Ive never used it before, so I didnt know, but after I wait the 15-30, and press them together (aka rubbing headliner with my hand) it will stay up and I dont need to keep constant pressure on it...?

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

Ya Ive never used it before, so I didnt know, but after I wait the 15-30, and press them together (aka rubbing headliner with my hand) it will stay up and I dont need to keep constant pressure on it...?

I would apply pressure for a little bit, a minute or so. Rub it in and make sure that thre arent any bubbles and stuff. Pretend like you are applying sound deadener.

 

[fbi90909 5,000+ posts]

don't use too much or it'll seep through the material.

 

[HypnoticCure 10+ year member]

super 90 red can... only real option in this situation i have used contact cement before on a head liner n it soaks right through... super 90 wont let you down...

 

[fbi90909 5,000+ posts]

super 90 red can... only real option in this situation i have used contact cement before on a head liner n it soaks right through... super 90 wont let you down...

depends on the thickness of the material. i've had 90 seep through my suede.

 

[WOT]

Ya this shits like as thick as carpet with a leather hyde type backing, not meant for headliner but I had it laying around lol, looks good though.

Im gonna try contact cement in about 20 mins

 

[vellocet 10+ year member]

****, thats kinda extreme. But it will give you the results you want. I've heard hot glue works fine.

Stapleguns are ftl, but I helped do it on an olda$$ suburban before. Funny thing is a patent layer was having me help him, so it's not like he wasn't a smart guy, bat shit crazy, but smart.

 

[tyler_fitz 10+ year member]

there won't be rubbing out any wrinkles, once its stuck its stuck. unless you rip it off, but you'll have to apply more.

if i were you i would take out your whole headliner and re-do the whole thing. if part of it is sagging now, the rest of it will probably sag later, might as well do it all at once.

 

[gotparts90 10+ year member]

did you take the headliner out of the car and clean all the old stuff off yet? if not do it it is the only way you will succeed. you need to get every bit of the failed foam liner off that board or its just gunna fail again and again and again. wire brush works great.

 

[WOT]

Ya I took it out of the car an hour ago, I only redid the middle section though right behind the sunroof where there were some crazy dips/curves and I think I might have stretched the material when I stuck it the first time, so it had some stress on the glue and let go after 2-3 months or so.

I just did the contact cement a bit ago.

Holy shit, nobody told me how potent the smell of that stuff was, **** near got stoned lol, had to open up both garage doors!! Stuck really good though, looks perfect, made a perfect seem on the slit I cut (not that it matters as it is behind where my wall will be)

Thanks guys