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Replacing or re-gluing felt soles is fairly easy. You'll
need a roll of duct tape, newspapers, a small wire brush,
coarse sandpaper or a wood rasp, a hammer or mallet and
TWO tubes of Barge cement. (One tube will not go quite
far enough).
If you are re-gluing the existing felts it's vitally
important to get them completely clean. I rinse mine
under the kitchen tap until all dirt is removed and
the water runs clear. Then tightly stuff as much
newspaper into the boots as you possibly can and set
them aside for as long as it takes for them to dry
COMPLETELY.
When the felts are completely dry, clean all traces of
old adhesive from the felts and the sole of your boots
with a wire brush. Roughen the sole of the boot (not
the felt) with the sandpaper or rasp.
Apply a good even coat of BARGE cement to both surfaces
and set them aside. When the adhesive looks dry, apply
another even coat of cement to both surfaces and
immediately press both surfaces together. Take your
hammer and pound the bottom of the felts to get rid
of any air pockets. Tightly wrap the boots with multiple
layers of duct tape, wrapping from several different
angles and keeping plenty of pressure on the soles at
all times.
Let the adhesive cure for at least 24 hours before
removing the duct tape.
I've had good luck with this method, the trick being the
second coat of adhesive. The instructions on the tube of
Barge cement call for a single coat, but I the results
I got following their directions were never that great.
~ Dick
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