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I'm about to apply my first label. It's a nice parchment paper which has been shellacked. What is an appropriate adhesive? Spray glue?

Mike

I use hot hide glue..........but I use hot hide glue for pretty much everything. I believe pretty much any type of glue would work, including spray adhesive. I use hot hide glue because I always have some handy.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

I like slightly thinned fish glue for this job. Spread it on thin & wipe the label down with a damp paper towel, once it's in place.
Thinned white or yellow glue work fine too.

Paper is too mainstream

Really, I'd use hide glue for paper labels. http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/GenMaint/Label/label.html
Although, the shellac may prevent it from sticking that well, especially if it has to bump over a center seam reinforcement. Spray adhesive may hold better. Run some tests.

I think I will try spray adhesive (3M). See how that works. If it fails, least likely to cause a mess. I have yet to even mess with hot hide glue.

Mike

Fish glue is the stuff that's used on reinforced paper box sealing tape. You know that stuff you wet to activate.

It's perfect for gluing paper labels.

I don't shellac my paper labels, don't know how this would work with shellac, but I glue them on with a glue stick from Staples. Has worked great so far.

Chris.

Another glue stick convert here.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Glue sticks and spray glue get used a lot around here for non guitar related things (paper). In my experience, things stuck with them don't stay together.

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

I use titebond to hold em down and then paint over them with thinned titebond. I've done that on small signs for over 10 yrs and had labels in instruments for 8 yrs. Still holding up fine with no signs of deterioration.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

The only problem I see with titebond painting is neatness.

No way am I going there.

Mike

Now I hope your aware and have verified that your labels are made with the pulp of 300 plus year old spruce trees.

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Another day, another dollar.

I make my labels from 100% cotton bond, sealed both sides with spray shellac, and glued with slightly thinned Titebond. Any mess cleaned up immediately with damp rag. No fuss, and seem to stay in place.

everyone trips pretty hard about back thickness, stiffness, resonance, etcetera....and applying a label is basically applying an acoustic dampening pad. with this philosophy in mind, i would think about forgoing the paper sheet altogether, and burning/branding or painting/stenciling/inking a logo instead. if i were to use paper, i certainly would not want to use something rubbery to adhere it, such as spray adhesive....rubbery stuff is what studios use to absorb reflection energy and vibration energy. but in the big picture, i bet it doesn't matter

3m Super 77 spray glue.

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
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?? Not an issue unless you're very ham-handed. No different than using HHG or fish glue. Of course I did spend my formative years building models so detail painting is not difficult for me. I'll photograph one later, maybe I wasn't very clear.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

elmers white glue on paper, an a vlnmakers burn in name stamp on the center strip using a lighter

I switched to doubled sided adhesive sheets from LMI that are intended for pickguards. Very thin and sticky, just trim them to the shape and stick 'em. No issues for 2+ years on the ones still on the bench (yes, I build that slow!).

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

What Marcus and Todd said. It's true. And if you're worried about your ink jet ink or your laser toner, print several copies and experiment a bit with Krylon artist's workable fixatif #1306, or their Kamar artist's varnish. MIST COATS ONLY!!! AND ONLY TO THE SIDE WITH THE INK / TONER, AND FROM ABOUT 12" AWAY FROM THE LABEL. This is why I said print several copies. Inevitably, someone will shoot a heavy coat of either from about six inches away, and their label will instantly dissolve and run. It doesn't need to be that way. Mist coats from 12" away. Ten minutes of drying time. Between each coat. Two or three coats. Then It works.

Then 3M 77 on the side you want to stick. Again, print a few copies of the label, just in case the first one gets contaminated with the sticky stuff.

Clean your aerosol cans as usual (and immediately), shooting upside down into an empty box or a piece of old newspaper until only the propellant comes out.

One other thing, and this is IMPORTANT!: These fixatif / varnish spray products are as volatile and noxious as nitro-lacquer. Spray outside, or in your garage, or in your well-ventilated spray booth, and wear you respirator mask. I mean it.

Glue is too messy. I use double sided tape.

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I use 3m spray adhesive. Be sure you don't use pulp paper or it will ruin the guitar's tone lol

+1 for 3M Super 77 (with shellacked parchment labels).

Fish glue.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Who'd a thunk a question about label glue would attract so many answers and different ideas?

Thank you all!

Mike

Never had a problem using slightly thinned Titebond. I spray with some clear shellac, lacquer, whatever I have around, brush on the glue and clamp it in place until the glue dries. I do it before final assembly. Have some dulcimers over 30 years old without an issue.

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Chuck Kish