What glue for attaching wood to fabric for roman blinds?

[Sainterchic]

Hi everyone!! I'm hoping to get some advice please.

I have a number of Roman blinds through out my home which need some repair work. On some of the blinds the wooden dowels are becoming detached. What i thought at first would be an easy fix has turned out to be a bit more than that, and any reasearch i do is making it more confusing. So i am hoping to get some advice here.

The dowel isnt terribly heavy, but the fabric the curtains are made from is fairly thick. The dowel rods are 10mm in diameter, and are cut in half. So one half is attached to each side of the fabric, making it 13mm from one edge to the other. 

I can see that staples were used when it was first made - the are so very small, and i dont have a staple gun for staples that size. I have tried larger staples with a general staple gun but they dont really work going thru the dowel. I have also tried some fabric glue (a cheap anko one from kmart) but it doesnt have much hold, and also takes a day to dry. Its also not the easiest to weigh down while it is drying as the rods on each side are curved and they roll around and shift a bit. Its a pain as there are other designs for roman blinds which would have made it a lot easier than the design of mine.

So I'm open to any suggestions and ideas please. Ideally, with the hope of keeping costs down, i was thinking maybe some sort of glue that could be used on both wood and fabric, that has a quick set/dry time where i can physically hold it together until it bonds. After that I'm happy to give it time to to fully dry before use, as long as the dowl and fabric are attached. 

I have attached a couple of photos to help visualise what im saying (please excuse the ugly view out the window, we have a few projects on the go right now, as well as a beautiful 15mth old Staffy Cross who has toys scattered everywhere!)

 

 

 

Any guidance and help with this project is greatly appreciated.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Sainterchic,

I think PVA wood glue is the way to go. It will take a few hours in warm conditions to set. I'd perhaps spread it down the timber and then every 20cm allow a small 5cm gap. Once the PVA glue is applied, take a hot glue gun and put a tab of hot glue in the gaps. The hot glue will just about instantly grab, holding the dowel in position. Be quite sparing with the glue, as any excess will seep out onto the curtain.

The other option is to try superglue.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Noyade]

Can't go wrong with PVA.

Then again I'm not entirely sure what we are gluing here.

Is it cloth sandwiched between two halves of dowel?

[Sainterchic]

Hi Mitchell, thanks for the reply. Loving the idea of the hot glue between lengths of wood glue. My question is, does the wood glue do any damage to the fabric? I did read a few articles that say not to use super glue, or in particular gorilla glue as there is something in it that eats away at the fabric. So thinking I might give the wood and hot glue a go. The almost instant stick from the hot glue is ideal and the wood glue should add a bit more strength to it! That's awesome, thanks!

[Sainterchic]

Hi @Noyade, appreciate you replying.  Yes, it's fabric sandwiched between two half dowels. Does PVA glue take long to stick do you know? It's just difficult to clamp the dowel in place as it is quite thin and it tends to roll about a bit. So something that sets quickly is more ideal. But thanks for the recommendation

[EricL]

Hello @Sainterchic 

Let me tag @Noyade to make them aware of your kind words questions. PVA glue does take a while to cure, if you need to keep the pieces together for a long period of time, I suggest investing in a Craftright Assorted Nylon Spring Clamp - 16 Pack. They come in various sizes and should be able to clamp onto fabric and timber and keep them together. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Noyade]

Morning @Sainterchic 

"Yes, it's fabric sandwiched between two half dowels."

OK. A quick experiment outside - using paper as the fabric.

I was thinking panel pins (12mm X 1mm) and a small hammer.

Regularly spaced. Pre-hammer one side first.

Maybe this way glue is not required?

Keep us posted.

Cheers.