The plug must be held firmly, and forced through the hole, and held in place while the nose of the cement-tube is introduced, and a plentiful supply of liquid rubber smeared over the inside of the hole around and on the plug, and enough extra cement added to flow all about the inside of the tire around the puncture. Pull the plug back by the shank, allowing the head to rest on the inside of the tire, and the shank to come back through the hole. Pull the plug firmly into place by the shank, which should fit the hole very tight. Cut off the projecting end of the plug shank, and the repair is made. Turn the wheel until the plug comes to the lowest point, and keep it there until the cement gets around the plug. To smooth a ragged hole before introducing the plug, when the proper tools are not to be had, a heated wire may be used to make a round smooth hole. Rubber may be handled and cut while wet with water, but must be dry and free from grease to take cement. Always wet the knife-blade before cutting the end off the plug; this will ensure a smooth, clean cut.
A puncture may be repaired by introducing almost any material on the inner surface, and holding it in place; and it is well to know of a few substitutes for the regular repair-kit for emergency use. Punctures difficult to locate may be found by inflating the tire and wetting with soapy water, when a bubble will form where the air escapes.
A puncture that goes all the way through the inner tube of the tire must be repaired on the inside. The outer covering of the tire is porous, and if the hole is plugged or patched on the outside, the air will escape in other directions through the material of the tire. Failing the repair-kit tools, a rubber plug, some liquid cement, a piece of string, and a pair of pliers will do good work. Tie the string to the plug to keep it from slipping, apply plenty of cement to the plug, then grasp it with the pliers, and introduce it through the hole prepared for it in the tire. Pull the string to pull the plug into place, see that there is plenty of cement around and about it, inflate the tire, and the air will hold the plug in place until the cement hardens.
The plugs that are supplied are disks of rubber of different sizes, with stems attached to the centre, and a nice tool is made for the purpose of punching the hole in the tire. When a hole is burned, the charred edges should be removed, and if possible cleaned with benzine. A tire well patched on the inside is almost as good as new, and very serviceable, unless the brake is applied frequently and unevenly, when the plug is almost sure to feel the push.
The commercial patch or plug makes the most satisfactory repair for a puncture, although there are other things that may be used. Rubber bands may be pressed into service, and sheet rubber also may be used. Repair on the roadside is made in the same way as repair in the workshop, the differences being in the conveniences for working and the permanency of the patch. A rent may be repaired with plugs, it being first stitched together, then the plugs introduced, and finally a patch cemented on the outside over the rent to protect the stitches. A puncture may be repaired with rubber bands held in place on a wire, covered with cement, and forced into the hole made in the tire. A piece of wire flattened on the end, a cross piece with a notch cut in it and twisted below, makes a fair repair needle. The end of the projecting rubber cut off, a very fair plug results.
Sheet rubber may be placed over the hole on the inside, though it is difficult to keep it in place. Twisted up and tied into a plug, or spread into place on the inside, the difficulty with this repair is that the patch must be held in place until the cement hardens, and then is liable to work out of place. Inner tube tires are repaired with patches of soft rubber. After the puncture is located, the patch will retain its place by being pressed against the inner surface of the tire when inflated.
To do good work in repairing rubber, always clean the surface of the rubber material thoroughly, washing with benzine when possible; and always test a patch when finished by placing it in water or wetting it, to ascertain that it is satisfactory. On the road a puncture may be plugged in any time under five minutes when located. In the workshop, it is more convenient to hang the wheel up while making a patch, as it is more readily held in place when working from below.
There are many ways of doing makeshift repairs. Melted rosin may replace the rubber cement, and rosin may be found at any tinsmith’s. Melt the rosin, and dip the rubber in that to make it stick.
Tire tape may be used in a variety of ways. Find the puncture, cut strips three or four inches long, and place them lengthwise on the tire, lapping the edges at least half way over; then wrap the two thicknesses of tape round and round the tire, and keep lapping the tape each time over the last turn to hold the edge down, making it air-tight. Well put on, tire tape will last for many miles. The tire should be partly inflated while the tape is being put on, and fully inflated when it is all on. Force more air into the tire to cause the tape to grip securely. Such repair, though not permanent, may prove serviceable in emergency.
A simple and effective substitute for the rubber plug is absorbent cotton or jeweller’s cotton, well dipped in cement, and the cement worked into the cotton. Quite a large puncture may be repaired with this, and the hole need not be enlarged or burnt to receive it, as the soft mass of cotton fills the irregularities in the puncture. It may be introduced into the puncture either with an ordinary repair tool or a piece of twisted wire. The tire is held on the rim by cement made of shellac or some other equally good cementing substance. Of course, in using a cotton plug, the greatest mass of the cotton should be on the inside of the tire, leaving a stem in the puncture, and then the outside ends should be trimmed off.