I have patched these at work for customers rather than go to the effort of applying Slime to a new tube. The trick is getting the tube surface completely clean of glycol residue.
I sand the area first, since this operation inevitably causes more Slime to ooze out. Then I cleanse the area using an evaporating degreaser like White Lightning Clean Streak (a careful and sparing application of nasty brake cleaner spray would probably work too). As long as the hole doesn't burp out any more Slime before the glue is dry and the patch is set, it seems to work OK.
I sure wouldn't want to patch a dozen holes that way, but doing one at a time has been successful so far.
Chalo
I thought just for a second I bought into what you said as tangible. For just one patch in an emergency. [nail to the rim] is almost impossible. I don't own a patch kit and never needed one. With the exception of a nail to the rim. It did not work for me.
Half way to Travis lake I encountered one of those said nails. I walked the bike back into town. Got to a convenience store they had a rubber patch kit in the hardware/automotive isle. There was a coin operated air compressor there. They had brake cleaner there too. I gave it the best go ever.
No dice... I am not saying it cannot be done. Good grief why a paper thin tube?
As a kid I entertained those patch kits. Untill the old man at Cycle Cave showed me the B.M.X. tire and the 2x4 with the nails. He did not promote paper thin tubes ether. My life changed for the better.
Suggesting that someone can do this on the road side is very cruel advice indeed. While suggesting that a tube can be patched multiple times holds water. Putting a slime tube into the equation means you don't need patches at all. A guy can rejuvenate it with more slime. That being said the tube was prolly drier and patchable. My thick tubes don't go dry you don't patch them it is not possible.
The biggest mistake with slime is shaving weight and putting to little that is the only reason the frail tubes were patchable. I put just enough for a tiny bit of side wall protection [thick tubes only]. Preslimed tubes have a minuscule amounts of slime in them. This is how things fail to work.
So perhaps the paper thin slim tube worked so good for so long it had no more sealant in it. I am just trying to understand why such a tube?
Your Indian friend in the said Pueblo is having a hard time because he is using paper thin tubes. While it is a great way to try to take advantage to prove your view. It is cruel and unusual punishment to suggest patching paper thin tubes or using them in your said context. When you can get a heavy duty thick tube put slime in it and have the ultimate protection ever. [all that labor patching a frail tube that was not even necessary]
I would my self suggest carrying a thin light weight tube [preslimed] for that one time where a nail gets to a rim here where I live.Then I will not be worrying about stickers or anything on the way home. I could easily go through lots and lots of stickers for the next two weeks or even a month until doing it right. At which time the said tube could be rejuvenated,[more slime] but why?
I called bikes shops in town here they all speak highly of slime. The first question I asked all of them is do you or have you patched a slime tub? I got some laughter out of it. For starters almost no shop will ever sell the labor. All of them will sell you a preslimed tube though. They will not patch a tube. That is a common practice for all the bike shops I called.[not patching tubes]
I even called this shop here they use rental bikes with slime tubes
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They also will not patch a slime tube? Or a regular tube for that matter.
The reason I called the bike shops for a second opinion is because you see no one touches my stuff ever. So I though it would be fair to get there opinions. Slime got rave reviews! I called your shop too. They don't promote slime.
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This shop was funny they promote there own product.
REI Albuquerque Store
Every other word that came out of this guy's mouth was that there product will not clog up the valve core. It was funny because of how he carried on.
I want a product that can do that.[plug the valve core] It says the world of it. Use it properly and no plugged valve core ever wala!
All the bike shops that carried and liked the slime had no issues with stuff like a clogged air chuck or any of the sort. I asked.
It is truly sad about your Indian friend. I personally can't imagine any body intertaining a paper thin tube where he comes from or any where, but that's just me. I wish I could have met him. He just needed a thick tube and slime
I just pulled a sowing pin[one with a plastic ball on the end of it] out of the tire and tube of one of my motorized. I did not re-air the tire I just gave the tire a squeeze with my hand and a short spin around the block. Yep holding air just peachy as I please. That was a week ago. The said tire is perfect and needs no air just can't beat that.
I will ride on that tire and tube till the cows come home nothing is hurt on it! Good for 3000 miles still easily at this point without adding slime and good for many more pins and stickers too without adding any slime at all. On a thicker tube there is more rubber for the slime to work with and its best properties stand out. That is where all my bragging rights come from! There's no telling how long the pin was there til I found it.
Have to imagine blowing air through a deeper hole or a shallow one. A thick tube is like I dunno 6 or 7 times harder. Plus you have to displace all that rubber to blow through the hole. With that said There is way better material for the product to work with at this point.
Why use a paper thin tube? Good grief..