Here is an idea I’ve been meaning to share somewhere. I posted it in a thread on the Preparedness sub forum, and then decided it belonged here.
If you have work pants, denim or canvas, that the knees are starting to go out on, cut a patch from some left over cloth (doesn’t really matter denim/canvas/khaki), and glue it to the inside of the pant leg with 100% silicone caulk like you’d caulk a window with.
The patch ends up being a little stiff, but it lasts forever. Or at least until the pants are so completely worn out that the knee wear isn’t relevant any more. Washing machine just really doesn’t faze it. Never had one come loose.
Added bonus is that the double layer of cloth plus the silicone makes the knees slightly padded.
Turn the pants inside out, and lay them flat on a work surface. Lay each patch on a piece of wax paper and smear on a nice layer of silicone. It doesn’t need to be horribly thick, but don’t be skimpy either. Lay the patch in the appropriate area, cover it with a fresh piece of wax paper, and then weight it down with a half dozen hardcover books or similar. Let it cure overnight.
There will inevitably be some squeeze-out around the edges, but it doesn’t matter since the patch is on the inside.
Best results are if you do this before you get an actual hole. You can tell when the fabric is getting close. And if you are doing one knee, go ahead and do the other knee while you are at it.
This is a good way to fix any small tear or perforation in pants that are otherwise sound. Good work pants aren’t cheap. As long as they are really jobsite clothing, and they don’t have to look absolutely spiffy, this will double their life.
If you have work pants, denim or canvas, that the knees are starting to go out on, cut a patch from some left over cloth (doesn’t really matter denim/canvas/khaki), and glue it to the inside of the pant leg with 100% silicone caulk like you’d caulk a window with.
The patch ends up being a little stiff, but it lasts forever. Or at least until the pants are so completely worn out that the knee wear isn’t relevant any more. Washing machine just really doesn’t faze it. Never had one come loose.
Added bonus is that the double layer of cloth plus the silicone makes the knees slightly padded.
Turn the pants inside out, and lay them flat on a work surface. Lay each patch on a piece of wax paper and smear on a nice layer of silicone. It doesn’t need to be horribly thick, but don’t be skimpy either. Lay the patch in the appropriate area, cover it with a fresh piece of wax paper, and then weight it down with a half dozen hardcover books or similar. Let it cure overnight.
There will inevitably be some squeeze-out around the edges, but it doesn’t matter since the patch is on the inside.
Best results are if you do this before you get an actual hole. You can tell when the fabric is getting close. And if you are doing one knee, go ahead and do the other knee while you are at it.
This is a good way to fix any small tear or perforation in pants that are otherwise sound. Good work pants aren’t cheap. As long as they are really jobsite clothing, and they don’t have to look absolutely spiffy, this will double their life.
Will be happy to try this cloth to cloth repair.