camping matt glue

[kirkster501]

Hope you had a good night last night with the lovely clear weather

Anyone suggest a glue than can stick the camping matt material together so I can make a dew shield for my SCT please?

Not sure which way to approach this. Either to make a tube glued along a seam or to glue some velcro so the shield can be opened and be flattened. The glued along a seam method would mean the shield would be crushed in my scope box.

What do you think?

Rgds, Steve

[pete_l]

How about gluing the majority of the shield along a seam, then having a velcro tab at the telescope end? That way you can adjust the tightness onto the scope without having to fiddle around with many velcro joints. The material I nmade my shield from took lots of abuse and generally comes (more or less) back into shape.

I'd use either a Hot Melt Glue gun or an industrial adhesive like Stixall.

You can make the edge that you apply adhesive to larger by cutting the joint at an angle, rather than at 90°, which gives more surface area and therefore a stronger joint (but don't forget to allow for the extra width of the joint my making the dew shield a little wider than a butt joint would need).

[FrankieValley]

I used self-adhesive velcro strip.

[kirkster501]

I used self-adhesive velcro strip.

Does that lose its "stickiness" on the PVC mat though?

Another thought I had was use my wife's sewing machine to stitch it into place...

Not being a tight wad but its absurd the money they want for a piece of foam for the ready to buy ones

[brantuk]

You can use gaffer tape down the seam - if it comes apart put a couple of bands round it - or glue velcro down the seam and sew it in so the glue doesn't come away

Yeah the ready made ones are expensive unfortunately.

[FrankieValley]

Does that lose its "stickiness" on the PVC mat though?

I have use the standard Velcro adhesive tape Velcro Stick-On Tape - Black - 20mmx50cm from Homebase.co.uk on all of my astro kit and it all lives in a shed outside. I have never had problems with adhesion over the couple of years I have used it.

They also do a 'heavy duty' version for exterior purposes, but I have never tried it Velcro Heavy Duty Stick-On Strips - Black - 2 Pack from Homebase.co.uk

[Merlin66]

I used EvoStick contact adhesive on my foam dew shield for my 6" f3.5 Cometracker.

I built it in 1986 (Comet Halley) and it's still going strong. What more could you ask for.

[RikM]

I used the self adhesive Velcro tabs rather than a strip. Works perfectly.

[mallorcasaint]

I had my wife sew velcro strips on my Blacks camping mat ( an nice black one) and it works great. The mat came with two elasticated cloth bands which work great for holding it tight around the scope. I have to say my dewing problem has completely disappeared!

[Bizibilder]

I used superglue along the whole seam on mine. The joint is stronger than the original material (a test piece proved this). I made it a good fit over the end of the scope and it stays put even in a breeze - the overlap may be as little as 2" but it still holds. I have several that get left lying about in the observatory and seem to come back into shape quite easily.

[David Smith]

Duck tape works well! Made mine a few months ago, no sign of peeling so far and I've had some pretty damp nights out!

[LeeB]

Hi build alot of rc models and to stick foam without melting it the best stuff I find is

UHO por available from model shops its a special mix and always works for me about £3.99 a tube normally.

[Jamie]

Why not ask your wife to stitch the self adhesive Velcro once it has been stuck in place?

That way you have the best of both worlds for keeping the stuff attached to the camping mat foam.....

[nightfisher]

I am in need of a decent glue, but to stick camping mat to the inside of my new storage/transport box father in law had made for my 180 mak

[Ibbo!]

My other 1/2 stitched my dew shields but it broke a couple of needles and took quite a bit of doing and swearing

But they work great and my dew collector is free of dew expect the very bad nights

[rory]

thought id ask on this thread as it fits the topic. ive grabbed a cheapo camping mat.

apart from wanting to know how to join it, which i now do thanks to this thread.im wondering how long should i make it ? more for kkeping out abit of stray light from a close by streetlight. ?

[Mike73]

I just kept mine the full width Rory.

I used the adhesive backed Velcro all the way around the top of the OTA and down the seam. Works a treat apart from when I take it apart at the end of the night, makes a huge and very loud crunching noise that I'm sure the neighbours really appreciate at 3am!

[Bizibilder]

As to length - Most folk make them 1.5x to 2x the aparture of the scope.

[teleskopjo]

Do you go with the notch around the dovetail in the case of a SCT or do you wrap over the dovetail (allows also some air circulation)?

[Herbig]

I notched mine for the dovetail with a velcrow strap to give it a bit of tension, stuck it together with black duck tape and flockked the inside which was stuck with spray carpet adhesive, I've used this for lining boxes as well.

[Merlin]

I used common or garden UHU. Just follow the instructions on the tube.

[michael8554]

Which is the better, the common, or the garden version........ :->

Sorry

Michael

[wookie1965]

I used  a hot glue gun and it stuck really well had it for nearly a year now and its not come apart.

[teleskopjo]

I used  a hot glue gun and it stuck really well had it for nearly a year now and its not come apart.

Butt joint or overlapped?

[wookie1965]

Butt joint or overlapped?

overlapped about a centimetre