27
votes
Can I fix my boots by gluing the soles back on?
Where I live, we just take such shoes to a Cobbler and he stitches the sole with the shoe all the way around within 30 minutes for negligible amount of money.
And the shoes get a new life. Your boots ...
- 439
26
votes
Accepted
How to clean and refurbish a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife?
When mine gets too bad I use WD40 to free it up, then clean with soapy water and a brush. Mine also goes through the dishwasher sometimes, with the blades partially open. If it gets gummed up with ...
- 26.1k
25
votes
Can I fix my boots by gluing the soles back on?
My experience with gluing boots and shoes is that it never does the job for long. Whilst this may to some extent be down to the glue I've used, I think it is also due to the surfaces having been glued ...
- 411
21
votes
How can I fix joint between shoulder strap and chest strap?
One solution, if you don't need the strap to be adjustable along the piping (vertically), is to remove the plastic clip and sew the chest strap to the shoulder strap, in the right place for you.
Any ...
- 2,630
20
votes
Can I fix my boots by gluing the soles back on?
They were glued when they were originally made, there's no particular reason they shouldn't be reglued now. It's better than having no shoes or the heel flapping about as you walk.
Though the glue ...
- 8,004
15
votes
Accepted
Repair broken plastic buckle in the middle of hiking or alternative way to fix it
Do you have 2 split rings (keyrings) with you? If so, here's how to make a buckle like that (or rather its D-ring predecessor):
Attach both split rings to the upper strap, where the old buckle is/was....
- 26.1k
15
votes
How to clean and refurbish a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife?
The producer offers a page of care instructions on their website (here) (PDF). The gist is:
don't use a dishwasher, that might be too aggressive
open and close the blade multiple times in warm water
...
- 1,451
13
votes
Can I fix my boots by gluing the soles back on?
I've had nice boots glued properly - the local shoe-mender took a look and said "this needs three-day glue, come back on Friday" Wasn't particularly expensive either.
Those boots lasted years more,...
- 1,090
13
votes
How can I fix joint between shoulder strap and chest strap?
Those clips do come off, and in many designs you'd be able to thread them back on from the end. It is possible to clip them back on though.
The way I've found works is to gently prise open one end ...
- 26.1k
10
votes
Accepted
How can I prevent a fiberglass crack in my sailboat from getting worse?
Gelcoat cracking is pretty much a fact of life in boat ownership. The sun and water is a tough environment. However, gelcoat cracking is usually not too concerning as long as it is fixed right away.
...
- 10.7k
10
votes
What happens when fiberglass gets wet?
Often when we say "Fibreglass" we're actually referring to a composite of both fibreglass and resin (usually polyester for glass, epoxy for carbon/kevlar - sometimes glass). This is important, that ...
- 1,475
10
votes
Can I fix my boots by gluing the soles back on?
My Merrell boots came apart like yours after a few years. I glued the soles back on with Gorilla Glue (original version, amber polyurethane) and they're still holding strong after several more years. ...
- 851
9
votes
Accepted
Safety in re-slinging old trad gear
Testing by the QC Lab at Black Diamond suggests there is a lot more design and consideration going into cam/friend sling design than just knot vs bar tack.
Because when the Camalot was loaded ...
- 7,210
9
votes
Accepted
Repairing down stuff?
There's a product called "Tenacious Tape" which is used for fabric repair. You should be able to find it at your local outdoor store, or search for it online.
- 1,543
9
votes
Accepted
In a boat repair, what would cause Gelcoat not to harden?
There are several factors that can inhibit the gelcoat from curing. There is not enough information in the review to identify the specific cause. The only specific cause mentioned is stirring, if we ...
- 30.3k
8
votes
How to repurpose an old self inflating sleeping pad?
My only thought is to use them as patching material for the other self-inflating pads your kitties will puncture. Cutting them to-size for inside an animal crate or other surface you want to protect.
- 365
7
votes
Repair broken plastic buckle in the middle of hiking or alternative way to fix it
Feed the strap through the remains of the buckle, or the fabric loop it was formerly attached to. Then tie the strap to itself using a rolling hitch. By sliding the rolling hitch up and down the strap,...
- 171
6
votes
Accepted
Repair a GoreTex jacket's zip?
Given the description of the problem, it seems you have to replace the zip entirely.
You can bring it to a tailor, they should be able to do most of it. They may not have the waterproof zipper, ...
- 2,630
6
votes
Safety in re-slinging old trad gear
Climbing accidents very rarely are a result of mechanical failure, and almost always a result of human error.
Traditionally, climbers built their own climbing gear as you've mentioned, I personally ...
- 53.5k
6
votes
How to repurpose an old self inflating sleeping pad?
If you ever have to get into a crawlspace under a house or car, pads like this can be invaluable in making it more comfortable; especially where you are lying on your back to do something.
Insulation/...
- 9,699
6
votes
Accepted
Yellow Overboot Repair
The answer is (de-)vulcanization, at least for boots made from proper vulcanized rubber (some cheaper variants are made from vinyl for example - in this case this suggestion won't work).
Assuming ...
- 12.7k
6
votes
Can I fix my boots by gluing the soles back on?
You can get a fair job yourself with "Shoe Goo" , a product in the US that sells for less than $ 5 /tube ( enough for several shoes). I used it on a pair of sport shoes about 2 months ago and they are ...
- 1,152
6
votes
How to repair a surfboard leash?
Temporary solutions until you can get a new leash
Below is a list of solutions I tried. With any solution, use the repaired leash on small surf days and when the break has no beach-goers in case it ...
- 251
5
votes
Can I repair my climbing helmet strap?
The concern here would be if the helmet could move far enough that it doesn't protect your skull adequately. If you can move it significantly I'd want to sort it - remember in an emergency it could ...
- 24.9k
5
votes
How to repair the ripped seam in my leather cowboy boots?
I do a lot of my own repair. However, this is one where I instead work on the idea of 'consumer relations'
My attack: Phone the company that made them. Explain the problem, and ask how to get them ...
5
votes
Repair broken plastic buckle in the middle of hiking or alternative way to fix it
It looks like the webbing for the sternum strap is similar size to the webbing for the shoulder strap. In this pack you could unthread the left side of the sternum strap buckle (keeping the snap ...
- 9,678
5
votes
Are my climbing shoes worth repairing?
These shoes are pretty far gone. At the very least you'll need a new toe rand in addition to the resole, which is going to cost you a significant portion of the price of a new shoe. Your shoes may ...
- 6,809
5
votes
Accepted
Are my climbing shoes worth repairing?
Shoes can be resoled from a worse state.
My current shoes have been resoled from a similiar state three times. The first time they worked even better than new (the rubber was better).
It all ...
- 1,451
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible