Thread: Animal Glue Success

We used animal glue in the workshop before the advent of aquahdere, about the middle sixties. It was absolutely verbotten to reheat the glue. The pot was cleaned out after each day and the pearls in the pot were only just covered with water and allowed to soak overnight. The pot was cast iron about the size of an old cast iron kettle with a smaller pot suspended inside. The outer pot was filled with water and heated over a small fire. The hardest thing was to keep the glue at the right temperature, about 140 degrees farhenheit. We then went modern and acquired an electric cast aluminium kettle. As the apprentice, it was my job to keep the glue useable. I know well the feeling of a boot for not achieving that goal. Animal glue does need pressure to keep the surfaces in contact and has one major advantage over modern glues, in that if the veneer doesn't bond properly, simply iron it down with a clothes iron. The introduction of aquahdere was a hell of a relief. I still use animal glue, but only to repair old furniture because the wam water will softem the old glue and bond to it. Modern water base glues do not adhere well to the old glue. Some of the furniture I have made can be seen at www.geocities.com/jimmac_4880/jimsshed.html
Jim

Hey Jim.... "Sorry, the page you requested was not found."
You need to loose the "www."
As in http://geocities.com/jimmac_4880/Jimsshed.html

Originally Posted by steve54123alt

I used a stick as i didn't want to deadicate a brush to glue...(tight i guess) and the stick worked really well.
Steve

Steve - you can get very cheap, suitable brushes from the chain hardware stores. I think the ones I use are called 'acid brushes' or something like that - just a bit of hair roled up in a piece of tin. (When I was a kid, we made them out of a wad of horsehair and a bit of jam tin). Each brush lasts a long time, unless you let it set in the glue and try to wrench it out.........
The advantage of using brushes over a stick (which I do occasionally, when in a hurry on a small job - doesn't everyone?) is that it's quicker, and I find it a good way to judge the glue consistency - if it brushes on easily, it's about right.
Cheers,

I disagree that you can reheat hide glue (animal glue) any number of times. If you look up on the Web I think you will get general agreement that you should ideally only make up what you need. Refer to http://www.inthewoodshop.org/2005/hideglue.shtml for some good information about hide glue.

Originally Posted by geppetto

Hi All,


Another question about hide glue.
How many times I could re-heat the glue until it loses its characteristics?:confused:

I use the stuff on some of the joints on my guitars (mainly tops and backs of instruements). I generally dont keep the stuff...once Ive done a job the excess gets chucked and new glue gets made up for next job. I dont make alot in one batch..just enough for the job(s) Im about to do. One trick which I havent yet tried is to make up small batches in small yoghurt containers and stick them in the fridge untill theyre needed. When time comes for the job you take out container and reheat..

If you dont mind me asking WHY are you using hide glue? Do you need to reverse the glue joints at some stage? (reason I use it on some joints on guitars). If thats not the case then IMO there are better glues to use.

Check out Guild of American Luthiers website for links to other sites which have screeds of material discussing hide glue.

Happy gluing!

"If you dont mind me asking WHY are you using hide glue? Do you need to reverse the glue joints at some stage? (reason I use it on some joints on guitars). If thats not the case then IMO there are better glues to use."

I'm useing hide glue as i've had a couple of bad run-in's veneering with other glues... thought that i would give it a go, and well it worked really well. don't thik that it will get hot enough on the coast here (inside) to melt the glue again...

Below is a pic of my pot and the hammer that i made. i'm still looking for a peice of brass to slide in to the leading edge, but it works just fine.