Hide Glue, just how strong is it?

[martink]

Was doing a bit of hunting around and found a paper on the use of hide glue (The stuff you mix and heat not the bottled stuff) and one of the claims is that is stronger than yellow glue. Is this the case? do people prefer hide glue to other glues? I'm guessing that the open time for this stuff is pretty short??

Would love to hear from anyone who has experience in this field.

Martin.

P.S. This is the doco (http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/library/using_hide_glue.pdf) I'm refering to.

[CameronPotter]

I don't know much about this, but I think that most people use hide glue for other reasons than strength. If you want strength, you use epoxy. But hide glue can be heated and reworked I think... :confused:

Cam

[NewLou]

Gidday MartinK

Theres some great information here:

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=29695&highlight=hide+glue

In regards to Hot hide glue. Aparently if its good quality and prepared correctly Hide Glue is as strong as modern day glues with the addition of a number of special qualities which in my opionion makes it the best glue for fine furnature making.

When you consider that a standard PVA cures harder than Wood any of the modern glues offers more than adequate strength for joinery.

If you think about it................. does it matter how stong the glue is if its already curing stronger than the stock itself????

Most joinery's will use white PVA...............any knowledgeable restorer or fine furnature maker will use a quality Hide glue that enables easy repair down the track. There have been documented cases of Hide Glue Joinery lasting hundreds of years without a joint failure.

Contemporary Woodworkers often think Hide Glue is a PITA to use & I believe theres a lot of miss information around about its strength also. I'll soon be using Hide Glue exclusively for all my fine woodwork. I'm eager to let forum members know how I get on.

REgards Lou:D

[CameronPotter]

There you go.

Just what I was saying (only much more helpful). :D

Cam

ps Lou, I look forward to seeing some write ups on your work - maybe some WIPs?

[outback]

I reckon hide glue must be pretty strong. mean when was the last time you saw a cow which had its skin or feet fall off cos they weren't on strong enough. :D

[martink]

I reckon hide glue must be pretty strong. mean when was the last time you saw a cow which had its skin or feet fall off cos they weren't on strong enough. :D

Until they get to the butcher that is :eek:

[martink]

Gidday MartinK

Theres some great information here:

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=29695&highlight=hide+glue

In regards to Hot hide glue. Aparently if its good quality and prepared correctly Hide Glue is as strong as modern day glues with the addition of a number of special qualities which in my opionion makes it the best glue for fine furnature making.

When you consider that a standard PVA cures harder than Wood any of the modern glues offers more than adequate strength for joinery.

If you think about it................. does it matter how stong the glue is if its already curing stronger than the stock itself????

Most joinery's will use white PVA...............any knowledgeable restorer or fine furnature maker will use a quality Hide glue that enables easy repair down the track. There have been documented cases of Hide Glue Joinery lasting hundreds of years without a joint failure.

Contemporary Woodworkers often think Hide Glue is a PITA to use & I believe theres a lot of miss information around about its strength also. I'll soon be using Hide Glue exclusively for all my fine woodwork. I'm eager to let forum members know how I get on.

REgards Lou:D

Hey Lou,

Great info, after reading for a few hours it basically comes down to the rating/type of hide glue. This also seems to dictate the open time - although there is no correlation between the glue rating number vs open time that I could find.

The next trick is to find the different types of hide glue and try them out - I can only find one on the ubeaut site:( Any ideas anyone?

Ciao,

Martin.

[scooter]

I think Timbecon has hide glue.

Maybe worth a look at the ads in AWR or AWW.


Cheers.................Sean, what a hide :eek:

[eddie the eagle]

find the different types of hide glue and try them out - I can only find one on the ubeaut site:( Any ideas anyone?)...Martin.

Hi Martin,

Try Veneercraft in Padstow or the Woodworks in Meadowbank (who definitely carry it.)

Cheers,

eddie

for how to - google on Rob Millard and "tea chest", I think that his website is http://home.woh.rr.com/federalfurniture/, but I'm not 100% and I've got dinner cooking at the moment.

Edit: Here 'tis another one as well
www.americanfederalperiod.com

[IanW]

The next trick is to find the different types of hide glue and try them out - I can only find one on the ubeaut site:( Any ideas anyone?

Ciao,

Martin.

Martin,
There's really only one kind of hide glue for woodorking - that's the one you can buy through the few places that carry it! :D

As others have said, strength is not the issue - as with modern synthetic glues, the cured glue may be stronger than the wood it is bonding. I say MAY be because joint strength depends on several factors, the most important of which are clean, fresh wood surfaces, maximum wood to wood contact, and appropriate clamping. (And making sure your glue hasn't exceeded its shelf-life, for many types).
One of the 'weaker' grades of hide glue was used for chipping glass. You pour the hot glue over a sheet of glass, and let it dry to room "dryness" then put it in a warm oven. As the glue dries quickly, it shrinks, and pulls layers off the glass, making interesting fern-like patterns on the surface (and hideously sharp shards!!). If that ain't strong enough for you, then nothing is!

There have been endless discussions on this forum about glues, and almost everybody has his or her preferred brew. I use hide glue a lot for two of its properties. It doesn't creep like the PVA glues (a major consideration working with 'lively' woods in a subtropical environment) and it's easy to undo when necessary. Used appropriately, it's an excellent adhesive, and as has already been pointed out, furniture glued with it has remained intact for hundreds of years, something no synthetic glue can claim (yet). I also use PVA, Melamine, urea formaldehyde and epoxy, 'superglue' and even hot-melt for their own properties, as occasion demands. The hot-melt stuff I use only because it gives such a poor bond when applied with a glue gun, making it useful for temporary stick-ups, yet even it can make very strong bonds if you have the right equipment to utilise it.

Hide glue is a bit more fussy to use because of the heating business (not so bad with a proper glue pot and hotplate) and open time is very short, but you get used to it - at times the quick tack is useful.

My 2c worth...