Here we go again.
I just received a glue pot and a can of hide glue that is supposed to be mixed with water. After that I’m supposed to plug it in to the wall outlet and boil it. That, I can do! So far so good.
Now, what do I do with the left-over glue? Do I let it sit in the pot and warm it up next time or? I bought it because it sounded like a classy way of gluing, like in “the old days”. I don’t know why I’m doing these things. The white glue has worked fine for years without problem. But an old geezer told me that hot glue is the only way to go, so I took the plunge. Help!
Stig.
Replies
Hide glue is the most extrodinary material. I have not used the glue in joinery yet but I have used it extensively in painting to use in a gesso ground.
The glue can be cooled down and stored in a refigerator, as it cools it will take on the consistency of a very stiff gelatin. The glue is then simply reheated.
It is a natural substance and will eventually go off if it does not dry out. Dry hide glue will last hundreds of years.
Be careful to get real hide glue, the pearls (the neat pellets) are sometimes made from bones, proper hide glue generally comes as ground up powder similar in consistency to sugar. The genuine hide glue is much stronger. I don't know how long the open times are for joinery but in gesso, I've had to work really fast.
Hide glue has apparently been the glue of choice since the Egyptians.
In the art world we use rabbit skin size which is the same thing except it is not made from cow hides.
I think I am going to raid my painting studio and try the glue in some joinery.
You don't boil hide glue, you heat it to approximately 140 °F. I suspect you will find that that kind of temp is what the glue pot will achieve. By the way, while nice, a pot specifically designed as a glue pot isn't needed. A "slow cooker", with the glue warmed in a jar set in a water bath works well and can be purchased for very little cash.
It's reversibility, lack of "creep", and the fact it is at least as strong as white or yellow or polyurethane glue all commend it.
Steve,Right you are. Glue pots are crazy expensive. 5 years ago I bought a little "slow cooker" in Target for $9.95. They still have the same product, same price. It has a variable heat control which seems to vary the temp from about 140-170. The cooker holds about a qt. of water into which I set my working jar of glue (either right from the 'fridge or at room temp after yesterday's glue efforts). Works great. I might need to replace it in another 10-20 years.Rich
Thank You guys, very useful information.Question: With reversible, do You mean that the glue joint can be reheated or? I guess I should know all this after all the years I have spent in my shop but this one flew me by without any impression at all.
So,
I heat the glue in the pot that I recently got.
I use the glue like any other glue.
I take out the inner pot and cover it some how, put it in the fridge.
When I need the glue again I re.heat it in the pot.
Is that about it, or?
Thanks again guysStig.
Stig,
Hide glue will be okay at room temp if left in the pot for a day or two, but it will grow mold and turn into a REALLY nasty soup if left for very long. It will keep indefinately if reheated daily, and water added to replace that lost from evaporation. Some claim that it gets better with reheating. One shop I worked in used hide glue exclusively for assembly at the bench. We just added new glue and water to the old mixture as it got used up, never replaced the old with new. I used the "same" glue for over a year!
I use hide glue mostly for repair work on antiques. It is easily reversible, and compatible with the hide glue used originally. It is a very good glue for most work, except things requiring an extended open time, where it might cool and gel before assembly is completed.
I've read that it can be refrigerated to extend its life, or various additives like oil of cloves used to prevent spoilage. I just mix about what I think is enough for the job, and discard what is left over. It's not that costly.
Regards,
Ray Pine
What you've got here is good input. I have used hide glue for a number of years and will continue. It is reversible and forgiving and easy to work with, at least for me. I mix it up in small jars, and store it in the refrigerator until needed. I heat it by puitting the small jars into a water filled pot in the glue pot. I usually mix up 6 jars with about 6 oz of glue in each jar. I use gram strength 251, and add urea after heating it and just before using it. Urea will extend the working time of the glue and will not weaken the adhesion if it is mixed with the glue just before use. I've been told that more than 10% urea (by dry weight) may increase the flexibility of the dried glue. Urea can be purchased from a local landscaping store. I suggest you Google "hide glue" and read some of that info, particularly the info from antique restorers and musical instrument builders.
Use a jelly jar to actually hold the glue in the pot - the glue never touches the pot - the pot is filled with water which warms the glue inside the jelly jar. If you have any left over just put the top on the jar and stick it in the 'fridge. Your wife will appreciate it if you rinse any dribbles off the outside of the jar under hot running water.
You can reheat the glue the next day, but you may need to put a dash of water in it to give the right consistency. If you stay pretty busy in the shop, you never really discard it, rather you keep adding more to the jar as somebody else pointed out.
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