MAKE A PAIR OF BRUSH-BUSTER BRITCHES

(Page 2 of 2)

July/August 1982
By Brent Mathson 
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After you've readied the jeans, place them—zipper side up—on your work surface, and squirt about one-quarter of a bottle of fabric cement on the front of each leg. You can paint the milky substance on with a brush, but I've had better success spreading it with my fingers. Smear the liquid until the fabric is evenly coated from the top of the thigh to the hem . . . then quickly wash your hands or brush in warm water. After ten minutes or so, the rubbery compound will dry and become transparent.

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I usually coat the seat and the back cuff area as well as the front. This provides adequate "rear guard" protection while still permitting the pants to breathe through the untreated material at the back of the legs.

You'll notice that the coated cloth has a slightly "tacky" feel to it at first, but this will disappear as the britches are worn. Although I've washed my armored jeans at all temperatures and dried them without harm in an electric clothes dryer, I'd recommend that the pants be laundered in warm water and hung out to dry on a clothesline. [EDITOR'S NOTE: The makers of Tehr-Greeze say that treated fabric should never be dry cleaned, because the solution used in that process makes the latex cement `gooey".]

I originally used my briar-beaters for stalking elusive berries, but I've since found some other purposes for them as well. The britches are great for working in the garden, since the earth's dampness won't penetrate the cloth when you stoop or kneel. The reinforced trousers are also useful when tackling any messy chore such as painting or changing the car's oil. Cleaning up after the job's done is a snap . . . you can just scrub the treated material lightly with the appropriate cleanser and sponge away the grime and grease! In fact, I was so taken with the miracle cement's ability to repel moisture that I coated a lightweight parka with the substance to make a very snug, inexpensive rain suit that keeps me dry in the worst of storms.

Now that the berries are brightening in their thorny lair, why not earmark an old pair of denims for your own brush-buster britches? For a $3.00 investment you'll have an "ironclad" excuse to gather the woodland bounties of summer!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Berry fans will appreciate the article on page 164.

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