Book 3 — How to Repair Rubber Gloves

While making a bunglesome job of patching a pair of rubber gloves, which I used to keep the stains from my fingers while developing photographic plates, a physician friend happened along and told me how to do it properly. The method is as follows: Procure a piece of card, such as heavy Bristol board used for filing cards; spread it on one side, rather thick, with ordinary library paste and stick it to the rubber tissue, preferably dentists’ rubber dam of light weight; smooth it flat, and let the paste dry. When a patch is needed cut one out, rubber and card together, and fit it to the cut in the glove. Put the glove on the hand inside out, moisten the patch with cement, let it dry for a few seconds and then press it in place hard. If the tear is large, it is easier to lay the moistened patch down and fit the edges of the tear to it, then press hard in place. After the cement has thoroughly dried out, soak the patch in water and remove the bit of card. This gives a patch fastened securely to the extreme edges; flat, water-tight, and as fit to stand boiling as any patch, for sterilizing. After removing the card, the glove is dusted with talcum.—Contributed by J. S. Hogans, Uniontown, Pa.