What is the best way to hand-sew neoprene?

[spottedcatfish]

Hey all,

So I am planning a simple tail, made from neoprene. Actually I'm doing my part for the environment and savings, by using used wetsuit materials. So far I have one wetsuit I purchased on ebay, and another one is one the way. I hope I'll have enough material. I have one question though. I plan on sewing the tail by hand, and I'm wondering if there is a really good strong stitch to sew this by hand? Also, what thread is good to use? I currently have an upholstery thread that seeems really strong, will this be ok? Also will I have to use a water based lubricant for sewing neoprene by hand? I know you need something like that for sewing with a machine.

If you could give me some advice on hand-sewing neoprene that would be great. Comments and suggestions are appreciated.

[Artisankatie]

I used upholstery thread on my lionfish tail in a blanket stitch pulled as tight as possible. Never had a single issue with the thread breaking or anything :)

I will warn you though - if your neoprene is more than 2mm thick you're going to have very sore fingers in a very short time! Unfortunately there's no way around that really, unless you have a monster of an industrial sewing machine. For my last tail I got super fine neoprene and used an overlocker ;)

[Winged Mermaid]

What she said! This was also covered in the "sewing neoprene" sticky.
Good luck with your tail!

[Morticia Mermaid]

Needle nose pliers will be your best friend if the neoprene is thicker than 2mm. It will help save your fingers from too much pain, and make sure you stretch your hands often so they don't cramp up

[Mermaid Star]

I had machine sewn my tail's neoprene at first with a zigzag stitch with both pieces laying flat next to each other. I think this is the best way becasue it allows for the fabric to be smooth against your legs and not leave indentations. I did hand sew sections in after there was a sizing issue once I added latex. This is a very strong stitch and I don't ever have to worry about it coming out, but it will leave indentations on your skin from prolonged used and wear. with right sides together sew a stitch, when you go back through the material leave a little of the thread on the other side (making a loop). Loop your needle through the loop and pull tight. Repeat with every stitch. It wont come out. I used a thimble to help me get through the thickness. Sewing even 2mm thick material for that long is going to make you sore. So thimbles are your friend. Your thread should be fine as long as it is nice a thick. I did not nee lube in either of these cases. Good luck with your project!

[Azurin Luna]

Leather workers and old fashioned sailmakes use a special glove with had a thicker part on the mouse of your hand, they also used longer needles. This way they were able to push the needle through the material with their hand instead of trying with their fingers. That's what I would use if you had thick neoprene and wanted to sew it by hand. My second tail was thinner neoprene and was sewable by hand with a leather needle.

[AptaMer]

Hi SpottedCatfish,

I've done this, but to fix dive gear.

For neoprene thicker than 2 mm it is actually better to glue it together, and then if it has fabric bonded to it, you topstitch the seams, basically you sew only the fabric together, not the foamy neoprene in the middle. If it is smoothskin neoprene, with no fabric lining bonded to it, you don't topstitch it at all, but to make the seam look a little neater you can glue on a strip of rubber tape over the seam. When I was in college I had a friend who made a whole suit suit out of neoprene that was smoothskin on both sides. She just glued all the seams with no sewing at all, and it held up quite well for all the time I knew her with no seams coming apart.

Most dive shops carry neoprene glue, or you can order it cheap from the online dive shops.

The reason you don't sew through the neoprene may seem counterintuitive, but thread piercing the meoprene material actually makes it weaker. Also seams that are glued with only topstitching on the fabric are still able to stretch a little, and you may find you get a better fit.

You might find this article interresting http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/exposure-suits/4142-glueing-sewing-neoprene.html

[spottedcatfish]

Thanks for all the good advice.
AptaMer: what type of glue should I use to glue the seams together? I probably have 1.5mm thick wetsuit material so far. I can see how sewing through a rubber substance can make it weaker.

[AptaMer]

Hi SpottedCatfish,

Well, I have a shirt made out of 1 mm thick neoprene with nylon bonded to both sides, and it's so thin, I'm not sure you could glue it. The seams on the shirt are made by overlapping the material by a few mm and flatstitching right through both layers. It's not glued, and it's not made the traditional way by sewing with a seam allowance. I think the flatstitching was done with a multi-thread serger.

I have glued 4mm and 6 mm neoprene. I just bought a can of neoprene glue from a dive store here in Toronto, Canada. You can also get thinner for it, because the glue can dry out a little as you open & close the can. You should get the glue that's specifically made for neoprene. I've been told that other glues, like rubber cement don't work as well.

There are lots of online stores selling neoprene glue.

ScubaStore sells one that comes in a tube, so it's easy to apply, and won't dry out:

http://www.scubastore.com/scuba-diving/cressi-glue-neoprene/4743/p

But the cans work out cheaper if you're going to need a lot of glue.

Even Amazon is selling neoprene glue now:

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A3375251%2Ck%3Aneoprene%20cement

here's a video on how to glue neoprene:


http://youtu.be/q9QK0yF540c

[halesloveswhales]

Get a thimble! And here's a picture of the stitch that I used.
7198

[spottedcatfish]

Thanks for the help AptaMer. Hales of whales: Can you post a picture guide or step-by-step instructions for how to recreate that stitch?

[Koral]

LOL I LOVE how Neoprene Queen glue has a mermaid for their mascot logo. I wonder how many 1 ounce tubes (basically neosporin size tubes) it takes to seal the seams on our tails!

Does Cressi Glue hold as well as Neoprene Queen? In general, do these neoprene glues hold well enough for the longterm with our swimming movements?

[Mermaid Gosalyn]

Here is a video that will show you how to do a blanket stitch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXkSE2TTF4s

[Capt Nemo]

Here is a video that will show you how to do a blanket stitch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXkSE2TTF4s

I use the same stich for neoprene after gluing it together. But I go thru the nylon and just barely into the neoprene.
7296

The McNett Seal Cement is the stuff I use and you can get it in 2 oz tubes and 4 oz cans.

http://www.mcnett.com/Seal-Cement-Contact-Cement-for-Neoprene-P388.aspx

[Koral]

Can you guys forward me to some websites where they sell rolls (or bolts I guess, IDK. Large as possible) of neoprene - not neoPRIN? I'm having a really hard time finding places...

[Morticia Mermaid]

rockywoods.com

Edit- You can buy it by the sheet (7'x4') or by the foot

[Koral]

Thanks Lexia! I like their choices and prices.

[Morticia Mermaid]

:) You're welcome. I love their prices. Plus they have from 1.5mm and up

[Morticia Mermaid]

The McNett Seal Cement is the stuff I use and you can get it in 2 oz tubes and 4 oz cans.

http://www.mcnett.com/Seal-Cement-Contact-Cement-for-Neoprene-P388.aspx

How well does that work? Does it require a a blanket stitch to go with it?

[Koral]

Yeah I was eyeballing 1.5mm, but I'm not sure if 1.5 or 2 is better for what we do. Considering we use *fabric* I'm sure 1.5 is just fine LOL.

And I was looking at that glue, Lexia. According to the reviews it's really good stuff. The 4 oz. cans run like 12 bucks for black. P:

[Morticia Mermaid]

Yeah, I was just wondering how well it works and how long it lasts. I am sticking with the 2mm myself, I've got samples of it and I love the thickness

[Capt Nemo]

How well does that work? Does it require a a blanket stitch to go with it?

I sew it just to give it some extra reinforcement. But the glue is the same as used for triathalon wetsuits. Properly bonded, it's stronger than the neoprene. You could also glue the neoprene and then glue a strip of lycra over the seam instead of sewing. I have used the glue for replacing wetsuit zippers before sewing, and the nylon/zipper joint is really solid and doesn't really need sewing.

[spottedcatfish]

I just found a 4oz can of neoprene cement for $5.
http://www.sportchalet.com/product/300479_lp31can.do?keyword=neoprene+cement&sortby=ourPicks

I'll get this tomorrow and also some neoprene cleaner.

[MerAnthony]

WOW! Cat that is a great price .Fantastic find.

[AptaMer]

Thanx for the link, spottedcatfish! That's a great deal.

[spottedcatfish]

Your welcome. I went to Sports Chalet, and they have 2oz tubes of the stuff too. Which would be easier to apply. I probably won't need 4oz of the cement.

[-Annwyn-]

I have never failed with blanket stitch using doubled-up upholstery thread. Then when it's all good and sewn, I smear silicone into the grooves to seal the stitches.

[Koral]

That's a good idea.

[Dacora]

Your welcome. I went to Sports Chalet, and they have 2oz tubes of the stuff too. Which would be easier to apply. I probably won't need 4oz of the cement.

Did you get the glue? How did it work and how much did you use?

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[Nyxie]

^^ also would like to know how it worked out spottedcatfish