Gluing new rubber

Brian Gibson Asked 13 years ago

Alois or Jeff,

     I told you recently about the rubber combination I would be making to my Ping Skills Touch. I've seen several videos and explanations for gluing your rubbers. They have varied from gluing the bat,then the rubber and attaching the rubber almost immediately. Then using what is basically a paint roller to get a really good bond with no air pockets. And finally, using scissors or an exacto knife to get a perfect cut.

     I have seen another video which is basically the same, but he says to let the glue dry on both the bat and rubber for 48-72 hours. Is there any reason to do this? If I waited 72 hours after putting down a layer of glue on the bat and the rubber,wouldn't it be dry by then and need a new layer? Or will it remain sticky enough after this time period to get a nice bond?

     This will be my first time gluing my rubbers myself and I just want to make sure I do everything perfectly. I plan on ordering Butterfly Free Chak for my glue. I've heard from many people that this is the best glue(since the speed glue ban). Do you recommend this as a glue that won't give me any problems?

     Also, I read on another Table Tennis Blog that putting a small layer of super glue around the edges of all wood bats(particularly Balsa) would be excellent for preventing any chipping. Is there any truth to this?

     And finally,would you recommend putting down any more edge tape? Should I pull off the Yasaka edge tape and put a fresh layer on the edges? If this answer is yes,should I get a 15 foot roll of 12 or 9mm?

Oh,and one more thing. Was the Yasaka Mark V that came with the Ping Skills Touch 1.5mm?

Thank You for your time

Alois Rosario Answered 13 years ago

Hi Brian,

Glue both surfaces. I would let the glue dry for about 30 minutes to an hour. They should be touch dry when you put them together.  If they are not dry, let them dry for longer.  Butterfly Free Chack is a good glue.  Then roll them onto the blade so that you don't have any air pockets under the rubber.

I have never put super glue on the edges so don't know how effective it is.  Perhaps some of our readers that have done this may be able to help you.

You can reuse the edge tape if it is sticking. It doesn't really matter what size edge tape you get.

The PingSkills Touch came with 2mm Mark V.  This is a good all round thickness that allows you to spin the ball and maintain good control. 

Good luck with your project.