Thread: Playing with hide glue

Originally Posted by crowie

Thanks "mic-d",
My daughter had given me an unwanted hot wax heater of hers but it only gets the glue to 60-70deg'c' and the "U-Beaut" paperwork says 80deg'c' for application.
I'll just have to keep looking.
Again tank you for the info.
Cheers, Crowie

I'm using the UBeaut one too and with the aid of a candy thermometer am only heating to 65ºC and it works fine. Perhaps you should give it a go.

I have been using a 1L Beauty Pro wax heater for a couple of years now and it's the best glue pot I've ever used. I set the rheostat accurately to 60°C (140°F) with a cheap digital meat thermometer and then marked the position of the adjustment knob with a felt pen just in case I accidentally moved it, but I haven't so far.

I don't disagree with Neil on anything other than his recommendation of heating the glue to 80°C. In my experience, that's way too high.

Beauty Pro's available again:
BeautyPRO Wax Genie Wax Heater 450cc Variable Temp. | eBay

Originally Posted by Woodwould

Eggs, flour and milk have also been used for making glue.

Isn't that pancakes? Or do you mean all separately?

Originally Posted by mic-d

Hi Crowie
It is a 1L Beauty Pro wax heater purchased from ebay. Do a search for wax heater on ebay. Unfortunately the frog-murdering, snail-sucking surrender monkeys have their grubby little paws over them and you can't currently buy one. One of the other brands is proably just as good tho'

Prolly get something like that from an op shop! Some still sell electrical stuff.

Originally Posted by watson

Beauty Pro's available again:
BeautyPRO Wax Genie Wax Heater 450cc Variable Temp. | eBay

really? not working for me still

Originally Posted by crowie

Thanks "mic-d",
My daughter had given me an unwanted hot wax heater of hers but it only gets the glue to 60-70deg'c' and the "U-Beaut" paperwork says 80deg'c' for application.
I'll just have to keep looking.
Again tank you for the info.
Cheers, Crowie

I use an old potpourri heater the will get my glue to 160+ F (~ 70 C). I've found the joint to be weaker if the glue spends much time at that temperature. Which makes some sense as some proteins will denature above about 150 F (~ 65 C). I try to keep the glue between 135 F and 140 F (~ 57 C and ~ 60 C).

ron

hi Mic
your picture of the boards made me thinking a number of things: veneering will pull the base hollow as it dries. Thin board suffer more than thick ones. They are number of "rules" to follow to minimise this.
Veneer the heart side of the board, or veneer both sides, and if the veneer runs with the base grain, double veneer it, one with the cross grain. Solid base more likely will split with same grain direction veneer.
The other thing is, that the knots will show through the veneer. It dries differently to the surroundings and with time you can tell the difference. Try using faultless timber.
Contrary to belief, veneering is not to hide second grade timber, but to use timbers that are rare or not practical to use in solid.

Have fun, I rarely use other glue than hide glue, I learned the trade with it and its is superb. My master use to smash the timber joints on the edge of the bench to see if it strong enough. If it broke the timber grain, it was strong enough but I still had to make it again. Hi hi hi.

Thanks for the info katbobkat Where are you based?

Far South Coast of NSW, south of Batemans Bay.
How did the hammer veneering go?? You can try building up simple patterns, or place an inlay strip into the veneer.
When you feel very adventures, veneer two layers of differnt colours and cut away the top layer to reveil the veneer under. Its works well with hide glue.

Hi Mic,

I totally forgot to mention the "toothing" - small cross cuts on the surface to improve gluing surface - of the solid base and "sizing" - coating the cross cuts base with thinned hide glue prior gluing the veneer on -. (If you use plywood or mdf there is no need for that.) "Sizing" helps to move around the veneer sheet during gluing. That is important when you need precise positioning.
Have fun!

Thanks again katbobkat. I'm just coming to terms with the practical aspects now after having assembled many of the tools I need and reading up about it. I bought a toothing blade for my scraper plane and have given it a go with good results.