I picked this off of another site I picked up the Block Surf Neoprene Cement but haven't done my vest yet......
The odds are overwhelming that any other-than-custom-fitted neoprene vest wil need some tayloring for proper fit (snug but not tight) - but don't panic: it's a simple scissors and glue project most anyone can easily manage. Just be sure to begin with a vest that's right for your dog's chest measurement.
Excess material that will chafe under Pup's front legs or keep him from peeing is simply cut away, and baggy/loose areas are "darted" (think that's the term?) and glued. Darting just means folding/pinching the material onto itself in loose spots (with the vest on the dog), marking the two corners at the edge of the fold and the one at the end of the crease it creates, and cutting out that section of excess - which will look like an elongated triangle or dart. Then you'll need to bind the new edges you've cut to create a seam, which is either extremely easy with real wet suit cement like "Block Surf" or a royal PIA with junk like Aqua Seal that takes forever to dry. Real wet suit cement essentially melts the neoprene and "welds" the two edges together to create a seam so tough I don't bother with stitching or even "bar-tacking" for added security. And it does that job so quickly it's no burden to simply hold the edges together while they weld. But a slow acting adhesive like Aqua Seal will require stitching to hold it while it dries - and maybe after... (And sewing gluey neoprene ain't fun.)
hope this helps
The odds are overwhelming that any other-than-custom-fitted neoprene vest wil need some tayloring for proper fit (snug but not tight) - but don't panic: it's a simple scissors and glue project most anyone can easily manage. Just be sure to begin with a vest that's right for your dog's chest measurement.
Excess material that will chafe under Pup's front legs or keep him from peeing is simply cut away, and baggy/loose areas are "darted" (think that's the term?) and glued. Darting just means folding/pinching the material onto itself in loose spots (with the vest on the dog), marking the two corners at the edge of the fold and the one at the end of the crease it creates, and cutting out that section of excess - which will look like an elongated triangle or dart. Then you'll need to bind the new edges you've cut to create a seam, which is either extremely easy with real wet suit cement like "Block Surf" or a royal PIA with junk like Aqua Seal that takes forever to dry. Real wet suit cement essentially melts the neoprene and "welds" the two edges together to create a seam so tough I don't bother with stitching or even "bar-tacking" for added security. And it does that job so quickly it's no burden to simply hold the edges together while they weld. But a slow acting adhesive like Aqua Seal will require stitching to hold it while it dries - and maybe after... (And sewing gluey neoprene ain't fun.)
hope this helps
