I am a new senior CAP member. I have been doing a lot of research on everything CAP related. I intend to attach my patches to my flight suit and flight jacket using velcro. What is the best way to attach the patches to the hook side of the velcro?
I have heard of a product called "Patch Attach", but that requires heating with an iron. I am wondering if using a hot iron on the patch might possibly melt the velcro if enough heat is used to activate the adhesive. Does anybody have any experience with this?
Another option I am considering is using an adhesive called "Goop", which is a transparent adhesive. Anybody have experience with that?
Any other recommendations?
Thanks for your input.
Judd
Sew them. I have used Goop, and it does an OK job, but it will fail after a while. The iron on stuff won't work because you can't get it hot enough to work, and you are taking a chance on melting your Velcro.
Welcome to CAP and CAPTalk! :) I think you'll find a wealth of resources here -- don't be shy to ask nor to give your input!
As for the patches, the best method I've seen for attaching the hook velcro to the patch has been machine sewing them together. It's the way most professionally-prepared flight suit patches are prepared.
This of course doesn't mean that other methods won't work. But I don't have any patches on my zoom bag that didn't come from the supplier with velcro already on the back (i'm a minimalist kind of guy ;D ).
I'm sure some others who spend more time in bags will chime in with their tried and true methods.
The velcro (usually) comes in pieces four inches wide and one foot long.
Pin the patch to the piece of velcro (hook), and trim it close to, but not at the top and bottom edges of the patch (most CAP patches are less than four inches wide or diameter). Again, do not trim close to the edges of the patch as it may shift during sewing.
Once you've trimmed it down, machine sew the patch to the velcro, unpin and trim it follow the edges of the patch. Once you've done that, stick the patch to the loop piece, trim around the contour of the patch, remove the loop portion and machine sew it to the garment. I would suggest doing this for the CAP MajCom patch and flag patches as a minimum. If you wear an optional patch on your right sleeve, you should trim the velcro loop to match the patch. If you have different patches you can wear on the right sleeve, simply sew a four inch by four inch square of loop.
Above all else, if you're going to do this, use velcro that matches the suit. If you're sewing it to a sage green flight suit, use sage green velcro. For the navy blue fight suit and it's cheaper cousin, black velcro will work. Velcro in both colors is available at most MCSS's, and should also be available through Vangard (just make sure it's sage green and not olive).
Anothe suggestion: Pin it to the velcro, sew it first, then trim. That way you never have to worry about shifting.
Personally, I never pin it. I marry it up with the velcro, hop on the sewing machine and go to town. Out come the scissors and its all fancy clean when I'm done.
Don't glue it. That's just lazy.
For the backs of patches, I use some of those industrial strength adhesive back pieces of Velcro. The patch will stick and hold, and I've never had a problem with them coming off.
For the Velcro on the uniform, it's not gonna hold up at all if you do anything other than sew it. Glue will wash out, and adhesives don't hold up in the dryer, and if it comes loose in there, it's gonna ruin clothes.
As for the shapes on the uniform itself, opinions vary. Some believe that the Velcro on the uniform should be the same shape of the patch. Others believe that a common Air Force practice of a 3 and a 1/2 inch square should be followed. 39-1 is not clear on the use of Velcro on flightsuits. So a lot is left to personal preference.
One point was made to make certain that the proper color is used. I've seen olive green Velcro on flightsuits before, and it doesn't look right.
Quote from: NIN on February 05, 2007, 09:42:08 PM
Don't glue it. That's just lazy.
Actually it isn't so much that I am lazy (I plan on having the sewing part done by a professional), it is more the case that I can't imagine how it is that sewing would look acceptable. If there are different colors in the patch, how is it that the thread used to sew the patch to the velcro won't stick out like a sore thumb and look bad, especially with patches in which different parts are a different color?
I have an "Air Mobility Command" patch that I bought recently at a surplus store, and that patch seems to have been glued to the velcro with some kind of flexible glue. It appears to look very classy and solid that way. It doesn't look cheap at all.
BTW, does anybody know where to buy "sage" velcro? I bought some OD, and also some "foliage" to try, they are OK, but not as close as I would like. I plan on doing the 3.5 x 3.5 thing on the right shoulder, so I would like it to blend in pretty well.
Judd
When sewing multicolor patches, use a thread color that matches the majority of the area you will be sewing over. Many patches have an embroidered border, so use that color, and try to sew only on the border. As for sticking out, it's only a single line of thread the will really only be visible at close range. I'd think even the most pedantic members of the Uniform Police would let it pass. Or not.
YMMV.
Quote from: NIN on February 05, 2007, 09:42:08 PM
Anothe suggestion: Pin it to the velcro, sew it first, then trim. That way you never have to worry about shifting.
You about due for a trip to the optometrist, bud?
Quote from: Slim on February 05, 2007, 07:25:04 AM
Pin the patch to the piece of velcro (hook), and trim it close to, but not at the top and bottom edges of the patch (most CAP patches are less than four inches wide or diameter). Again, do not trim close to the edges of the patch as it may shift during sewing.
Once you've trimmed it down, machine sew the patch to the velcro, unpin and trim it follow the edges of the patch.
Quote from: Slim on February 06, 2007, 06:11:53 AM
You about due for a trip to the optometrist, bud?
Slim, you said "Pin it, cut it, sew it." I said "Pin it, sew it, cut it."
My eyes are fine. Yours?
I have a variety of patches sewn to velcro (especially due to the variety I can wear on the right sleeve) .
The cleaners I go to has done a great job of matching thread , even multiple coolors. Most good cleaners can do the job. I say stick with the cleaners and follow the rule of "Don't try this at home"
cough up a few dollars and take them to your local seamstress. I did this with my SSI patches when the Army switched to ACU's.
Interesting... I had ordered some flag patches that already have the velcro on them, and the previous posters were right. The sewing through the patch was not really visible at all. So it looks like that is the plan. Thanks for your help.
Judd
Quote from: jspittler on February 14, 2007, 05:19:15 PM
Interesting... I had ordered some flag patches that already have the velcro on them, and the previous posters were right. The sewing through the patch was not really visible at all. So it looks like that is the plan. Thanks for your help.
Judd
No problem! Glad you got some helpful answers out of us! Welcome to
the suck CAP! ;)
Sewing is the best way and if you are skilled enough it can be done at home and looks good. If you are domestically deficient then drop it off at the base seamstress or the cleaners as others have suggested.
However, I always keep black industrial strength adhesive velcro in my go bag because it does an outstanding job if you have to rig a patch up on the fly. It will hold for a while and then eventually peel away, but you can only use it on the patch side...won't work on the flight suit side because of color and poor adhesion to nomex.
I have an US flag rigged like this that still has not come apart and been used dozens of times and it is impossible to tell that the velcro is both stuck on and the wrong color.
Yes, but now I know what to look for... :D
Curses....foiled again :o Uhhh...what I meant to say was that my patches are ALWAYS sewn and never deviate from regs...cough cough
Always Vigilant indeed ;D
At least one of us is... :D
So will I be putting you down for an AUX ON/AUX OFF morale patch??
:D :D :D :D :D
If the answer is yes i'm ordering them shortly...if the answer is no then I was only kidding and this thread will self-destruct in 30 seconds lest someone dicsover the evil plot to circumvent 39-1 >:D
I already have one "for my helmet bag"...
Quote from: MississippiFlyboy on February 14, 2007, 10:23:02 PM
So will I be putting you down for an AUX ON/AUX OFF morale patch??
:D :D :D :D :D
If the answer is yes i'm ordering them shortly...if the answer is no then I was only kidding and this thread will self-destruct in 30 seconds lest someone dicsover the evil plot to circumvent 39-1 >:D
Is there really an AUX on/AUX off patch? If so, does anyone have a picture, and where can I get one?
See this thread: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=1345.0
Quote from: MississippiFlyboy on February 14, 2007, 10:23:02 PM
So will I be putting you down for an AUX ON/AUX OFF morale patch??
:D :D :D :D :D
If the answer is yes i'm ordering them shortly...if the answer is no then I was only kidding and this thread will self-destruct in 30 seconds lest someone dicsover the evil plot to circumvent 39-1 >:D
Can anybody say "2b"?
Quote from: RogueLeader on February 26, 2007, 04:28:24 PM
Quote from: MississippiFlyboy on February 14, 2007, 10:23:02 PM
So will I be putting you down for an AUX ON/AUX OFF morale patch??
:D :D :D :D :D
If the answer is yes i'm ordering them shortly...if the answer is no then I was only kidding and this thread will self-destruct in 30 seconds lest someone dicsover the evil plot to circumvent 39-1 >:D
Can anybody say "2b"?
Why do I not doubt that is what would really happen if someone did infact wear one of those patches.
Quote from: Hammer on February 27, 2007, 12:41:27 AM
Quote from: RogueLeader on February 26, 2007, 04:28:24 PM
Quote from: MississippiFlyboy on February 14, 2007, 10:23:02 PM
So will I be putting you down for an AUX ON/AUX OFF morale patch??
:D :D :D :D :D
If the answer is yes i'm ordering them shortly...if the answer is no then I was only kidding and this thread will self-destruct in 30 seconds lest someone dicsover the evil plot to circumvent 39-1 >:D
Can anybody say "2b"?
Why do I not doubt that is what would really happen if someone did infact wear one of those patches.
Some places it wouldn't surprise me. Other places may just tell you not to wear it when the brass is around. It's a pretty unobtrusive item sizewise, probably will escape notice from a few...