Replies

1. 
   hammer1 | Apr 19, 2007 04:10am | #1

   That's the beauty of liquid hide glue. It allows a long open time for complex assemblies. You have plenty of time to get all the parts together, aligned and clamped. It's also reversible so it's great for furniture repair. You have to plan on longer clamp time. Low temps will slow the setting. I'm using it today for antique repair and the shop is cool. I actually wondered why I don't use it more often. I've had long lasting results with it and I like the shelf life and consistency. End grain doesn't drink it up and drips and squeeze out aren't as messy as PVA.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

2. 
   allenb | Apr 19, 2007 05:13am | #2

   I use liquid hide glue on almost everything.  The squeeze out areas where the glue is thick do stay stick but I haven't had problems with the glue in the joints not drying.  I use the same clamp time as I did with PVA.  I do wipe the joint with a wet rag to remove most of the drips, this seems to help.  I know they will tell you not to do that but I do it anyway.  I like hide glue because it doesn't cause as many problems when the stain goes on.  Like light colored spots.  And it does have a longer open time which makes assembly easier.

   Good luck,

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Apr 19, 2007 11:48am | #4

   Titebond isn't the only hide glue available.  I've heard good things about the Old Brown Glue that Patrick Edwards makes.  An urea modified hide glue, it remains liquid at room temperatures.  It still won't reach full strength in a few hours, but no glue does that. 

   http://www.wpatrickedwards.com/gluepage.htm

   While you are at the website back up and look at some of the marquetry done by Edwards.  Fabulous. 

   Edited 4/19/2007 4:50 am ET by SteveSchoene

3. 
   SgianDubh | Apr 19, 2007 10:38am | #3

   "have a lot of trouble with it drying and also with strength unless I leave  it to dry overnight.  I am wondering if others have this problem."

   What you are describing are the characteristics of the glue. You encourage problems if you don't leave liquid hide glues cramped up over an extended period, e.g., overnight, assuming temps of about 20ºC. Cooler temperatures require a longer curing and therefore cramping time.

   These cramping times are not a problem if you allow for them in your work schedule. If, however, you need quicker turnaround then you will need to look at faster setting glues. But with these comes shorter assembly times, the opposite of liquid hide glues which have extended assembly times.

   You have to make an educated assessment of which characteristics you need in your glue before deciding which glue to use. For example, do you need a long assembly time allowing you to put together and cramp up complicated structures? If the answer is yes then you need to use a glue that will allow it, and also live with requisite extended cramping time. If not, you could consider using a different glue. Slainte. 

   Richard Jones Furniture

4. 
   joinerswork | Apr 19, 2007 02:39pm | #5

   All,

   Liquid hide glue does have a shelf life, at the end of which it will not dry.  This once happened at a shop where I worked.  They used hide glue on everything, hot hide glue for most wqork, liquid hide glue for when we needed longer assembly time.  One day, the stain man came out of the finish room, complaining that glue was running out of some of the joints when he turned the piece up on its side for staining.  The boss called the glue factory (Peter Cooper) and found that the 5gal bucket of glue he'd bought was 3 or 4 years out of date.

   Ray

5. 
   CharlieStanford | Apr 19, 2007 06:15pm | #6

   Before any 'troubleshooting' check the expiration date on bottled hide glues before using it.  Franklin makes it hard to find, but it is there.

   Use Patrick Edward's Old Brown Glue.  The expiration is marked on the label by hand with a Sharpie. 

   I kinda like that.

    

   
   

   ---

   Edited 4/19/2007 11:16 am ET by ThePosterFormerlyKnownAs

1. 
   LeeGrindinger | Apr 19, 2007 07:38pm | #7

   Here's an easy test to tell if the glue is bad. Put a dab between your thumb and index finger and keep closing and opening them. As the moisture decreases the glue will form many, many strings as you separate your fingers and it will become difficult to separate your fingers if you keep doing it. This means the glue will still form the protein chains that are what hide glue is all about. If the strings fail to form the glue is bad. I've used glue two years out of date and it's still fine. Conversely, I've found bad liquid hide glue within it's expiration date.Lee

1. 
   CharlieStanford | Apr 19, 2007 09:25pm | #8

   Thanks Bro... your test will become a permanent part of my routine. 

1. 
   blewcrowe | Apr 19, 2007 09:48pm | #9

   Don't hold your finners together too long though. Your typing will get really lousy.

2. 
   LeeGrindinger | Apr 20, 2007 02:40am | #10

   No sweat, the info came from Mike Dresdner, he wrote a lengthy article on hide glue several years ago, the editor cut the liquid hide glue part out but Michael sent me the uncut manuscript because we were both writing for Woodworker's Journal back then.But out of curiosity, who were you before you became "The poster formerly...,"Lee

1. 
   CharlieStanford | Apr 20, 2007 06:48pm | #11

   You're the Humdinger....

   Now do you know?

2. 
   LeeGrindinger | Apr 20, 2007 07:25pm | #12

   Ahhh, Chuckles...,Why the name change? Did they boot you?Lee

3. 
   CharlieStanford | Apr 20, 2007 08:29pm | #13

   Nope.  Just a screw up with my online subscription that made starting over from scratch easier.

   I was going to put my old name in after "the poster formerly.... but it ran out of space right at the "s" in "as" and I kind of liked it.