Plugging a bladder valve in vintage bags

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • REB
    Speed Bag Guru
    • Jan 2017
    • 272

    Plugging a bladder valve in vintage bags

    I have tried a few experiments to plug the leaky original bladders in some of my vintage bags. I always wanted to see how the bags reacted in their original issued condition. But I failed to keep the air escaping thru the valve. This had me replacing the bladders with the modern day ones we all know and use.

    A few days ago I was conversing with an old timer welder I knew. He told me to mix up super glue and baking soda for a bonding that literally turns into steel like hardness. Some of you guys may have heard of this mixture

    I have a McGregor Bulldog bag with the old black Butyl bladder made by the Seamless Rubber Co. You know, the one that is the size of Grandpa's incontinence diaper

    I said " What the heck will fit just tight enough in this leaky valve"? Of course, an air pump needle..Duh. So I used the welders recipe of super glue and baking soda to fill a pump needle. You have to be quick with the mix and placement cause it sets up less than 6 seconds or so. I first put a drop the size of 2 grains of rice in the needle threaded opening added a pinch of baking soda. Tamped it with a pocket screw driver. let it set up to hardness. Much to my surprise it did become hard as steel. I tried to prise it out to test it and it would not move.

    I continued filling the needle with the mixture until it was about 1/32 above the threads. I also did the 2 air holes in the needle part as well. You need to be careful and be sure to have the mixture in the holes and not on the needle exterior. You will want the needle to insert into the valve.

    I pumped the bladder up, inserted the now plugged needle and left it in. And now after 2 days not an ounce of air has leaked out. I hung the bag up and hit on it and the air held. The bladder functions very well. This McGregor is a big bag- 15 inches. I will continue on with the bag and see at what point it fails.... By the way, the needle is removable and can be reinserted for a leaky valve as needed
    Last edited by REB; 07-21-2018, 12:45 PM.
  • REB
    Speed Bag Guru
    • Jan 2017
    • 272

    #2
    pic of air pump needle plug

    Bag with the plugged needle
    Attached Files

    Comment

    • Dutchman
      Speed Bag Historian
      • Jun 2006
      • 1903

      #3
      I've used cotton swab sticks to plug leaking valves, works well and you can pull it out when you need to add air

      Comment

      • REB
        Speed Bag Guru
        • Jan 2017
        • 272

        #4
        Hey Dutchman,

        I tried the swab stick too and a wooden matchstick. The bag slow leaked on me in about 2 hours or so.

        By the Dutchman, you have any quick info on this McGregor Bulldog G475 bag to lend out?

        Comment

        • Dutchman
          Speed Bag Historian
          • Jun 2006
          • 1903

          #5
          The Bull Dog brand of boxing equipment was originally from Draper & Maynard, an old line supplier of sporting goods located in New England. It was acquired by MacGregor Sporting Goods in 1962, so that is the earliest that your bag would have been made.

          Comment

          • REB
            Speed Bag Guru
            • Jan 2017
            • 272

            #6
            Originally posted by Dutchman View Post
            The Bull Dog brand of boxing equipment was originally from Draper & Maynard, an old line supplier of sporting goods located in New England. It was acquired by MacGregor Sporting Goods in 1962, so that is the earliest that your bag would have been made.
            Good stuff! Thanks Dutchman

            Comment

            • m.breen
              Senior Member
              • Jan 2017
              • 121

              #7
              I did this yesterday on a new leaky bladder. So far so good. Its been 24 hours with no air loss. Thanks.

              Comment

              • Speedbag
                Author of the Speed Bag Bible, founder of speedbagcentral.com

                • Feb 2006
                • 7109

                #8
                Originally posted by Dutchman View Post

                The Bull Dog brand of boxing equipment was originally from Draper & Maynard, an old line supplier of sporting goods located in New England. It was acquired by MacGregor Sporting Goods in 1962, so that is the earliest that your bag would have been made.
                Originally posted by REB View Post
                Good stuff! Thanks Dutchman
                "ASK IT. HE WILL COME.."

                Dutchman never fails to prove he IS the single most amazing speed bag equipment historian! Geez, you cannot stump this guy

                We do have an few others also with little known pearls of wisdom on special items, such as bags, swivels, wall mounts, gloves etc. What an awesome resource!
                Speed Bag

                Put a little Rhythm in YOUR workout!
                *attendee: Every SB gathering so far!
                The Quest Continues...
                Hoping for another Gathering...


                sigpic

                The Art of the Bag

                Comment

                • REB
                  Speed Bag Guru
                  • Jan 2017
                  • 272

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Speedbag View Post
                  "ASK IT. HE WILL COME.."

                  Dutchman never fails to prove he IS the single most amazing speed bag equipment historian! Geez, you cannot stump this guy

                  We do have an few others also with little known pearls of wisdom on special items, such as bags, swivels, wall mounts, gloves etc. What an awesome resource!

                  Stump the Dutchman? Never thought of it, but let's give it a go..... Dutchman, what is the production time era of the Ken Wel bag? Or at least when the bag was stopped being made

                  Comment

                  • Dutchman
                    Speed Bag Historian
                    • Jun 2006
                    • 1903

                    #10
                    Geez guys, you know I'm not perfect. Well let's see, Ken-Well was a firm that was founded in the WWI era in Gloversville NY. Not surprisingly, their principle output was baseball equipment. They did have a limited boxing line, which included gloves and striking bags. The earliest examples that I have seen date from the 1930's, but I have no doubt that they were producing them in the '20's. The Ken-Wel bag that I have I estimate was made in the early to mid 1950's. It's a style that was popular with most of the big suppliers of the era. Ken-Well was a family owned and operated business, and was sold in 1952, and stumbled on for another eight years before shuttering. They had relied upon a lot of private label business for retailers, and had lost almost all that business to the Japanese.

                    Comment

                    • REB
                      Speed Bag Guru
                      • Jan 2017
                      • 272

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Dutchman View Post
                      Geez guys, you know I'm not perfect. Well let's see, Ken-Well was a firm that was founded in the WWI era in Gloversville NY. Not surprisingly, their principle output was baseball equipment. They did have a limited boxing line, which included gloves and striking bags. The earliest examples that I have seen date from the 1930's, but I have no doubt that they were producing them in the '20's. The Ken-Wel bag that I have I estimate was made in the early to mid 1950's. It's a style that was popular with most of the big suppliers of the era. Ken-Well was a family owned and operated business, and was sold in 1952, and stumbled on for another eight years before shuttering. They had relied upon a lot of private label business for retailers, and had lost almost all that business to the Japanese.
                      Excellent! I knew a little information about Ken Wel and his baseball glove line, but not this much info,so thanks for that. I have a KW bag that is in excellent condition too. The model # is 1278

                      Comment

                      Speedbagforum.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
                      Working...