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If rubbed into position like hide glue, it will hold immediately, much like hide glue. In the Romanillos course, I am told, it was used to glue tenetllones/dentellones, by holding them in position for 10 or 20 seconds, then moving on to the next one.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Great video Robbie my friend!

Regarding how long we can keep fish glue I get mine from David Collins who buys a fresh batch annually. Apparently David wants to use FG that is no more than a year old and David is one of the guys here, like Robbie, that I listen to.

It will also release with heat at about the same temps as HHG which makes it a favorite with repair folks because of the reversibility.

The only thing that I do not like about it, as mentioned by Bruce, is that it does not clean up nearly as easily as HHG but the extra open time and most importantly to me the very hard, crystalline hardness that results, just like with HHG makes it possible to have very thin, hard glue joints. Although I have no science to back this up I suspect that it also has very low dampening as does HHG.

Great stuff. It's probably not recommended by the sturgeon general but who cares......

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Thanks Tony,
There are several ways to use and apply hide glue. I didn't have enough time in a short youtube video to explore them all. This is why I referred to Frank's frets.com site. I highly recommend that if if anyone is interested in hige glue that you check out what he has to say about it on his site and also here in the archives.

Robbie -

Great videos as usual. Thanks!

Regarding reversing fish glue joints. Have you done this often? So far, on the unfortunate occasions when I have had to try it, I find that it is way, way harder than reversing a Titebond I joint. The temperature required to get it to release seems to be a lot higher.

One thing the video could have used is a caution against overclamping epoxy joints and starving them. After using Titebond exclusively on my first couple of guitars, I switched to epoxy for fretboards. My first two fell off after a while . Live and learn.

Jim

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Jim,

I have reversed many fish glue joints. It needs moisture and heat, not just heat. It works really well on bindings when after unwrapping the bindings after glue up you may notice a small gap in some areas. You can actually remove the binding back to that area and re-glue it. Works like a charm.

I can't believe these are free. Great great stuff. Thank you, Robbie.

Thanks Robbie, great tips on broken binding!!

You can also use baking soda as a cyocrynate exellerant in a pinch, but test before using for color issues.

Q: Is fish glue also rated for strength? Where do you get 'luthier' compatable fish glue??

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Robbie,
Thanks for this new vid. Great information!
I've got a real basic question, I think, about glueing. In making jigs and such to get ready for the "REAL" build, I have trouble w/wood movement when clamping. An example is, when I tried to laminate 3 pcs. of maple for a neck. My maple board, being 4/4 by 6" wide and finished on all sides. Cut the pcs. in the side neck outline. Spread the glue on, started clamping, & man did it slide around. Since the boards were finished, I was trying to keep them exact as I wanted the top of what would be the fret board perfectly flat.
Can a person let the glue(Titebond Original) set up for a certain amount of time, then put pcs. together for a fast tack or will the glue dry out to much rendering a useless bond?
Looks like clamping braces would also have a tendency to slide around especially if using a go bar system? I haven't tried it yet so, I sure can't speak from experience.
If you or anyone else can give a little insight on this I'd be grateful.
Thanks
Dave

Dave,
Use less glue. The more glue you use the more it will tend to skate. Also, if you loosely clamp the piece for a couple of minutes this will give the glue time to tack slightly, then you can clamp with a bit more pressure.
You can use dowels to align pieces for those glue ups that need to be dead on. I always plane the face of the neck where the fretboard will go after glue up.

I bouight some of that Titebond Extended Open Time glue, and tried using it on a rosette. It still dries too fast. What a mess. I ended up tearing it out, but it wasn't the glues fault. I, somehow, skipped an alternation in the design. Saw it as I was finishing up.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Bummer! The Titebond extend still only gives you 15 minutes of open time. If you need more then the fish glue is the way to go.

Robbie, where is the best place to get luthier compatable fishglue, and what is the dry strength of it, etc?? Thanks

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Here is a link to a place that sells it and also a data sheet about fish glue. http://www.norlandprod.com/fishgel/hightack.html

I think Lee Valley also has it in smaller quantities.

Robbie, have you ever tried thinning Fish Glue, to make it a little more runny, and less sticky?

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

No, I have never done that.

Lee Valley is where I got mine. I've thinned fish glue to glue on bias ply tape for side reinforcements and it worked great.

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Jeremy Douglas

Robbie you never mentioned cascamite in your video that has a long open time, but it irreversible though would that matter for a rosette? Also for Titebond if I want a longer open time I wet, should say damp really, both surfaces probably the wrong thing, but it works

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

I didn't mention all glues available only those that are most used by today's guitar builders. If you find a glue that I didn't mention and it works for you then fantastic.
It is not advisable to thin Titebond.

I don't thin the glue just damp both surfaces, I got the idea from some repairs I've done where I've read to damp the area which needs re-gluing so the glue wicks into the joint. Like I say probably the wrong thing, but it works.

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

When is that voicing dvd gonna be out??

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

I should be getting a proof to review this week as a matter of fact. There will still be a few more reviews to do and changes to make before it is ready. There was just a ton of footage and trying to cut it down has been difficult because the information is all pertinent and very good.
The Set Up DVD, on the other hand, is almost done. I just did a review last week and I think I only have one more to go. It has been edited "ad nauseam" by both me and Kent Everett and is now in its final form with menu items, chapters, theme music, credits etc. Shouldn't be long on that one.

I buy my fish glue from Norland and keep a small bottle at the bench with the rest in the
fridge.
Waddy, I tried heating the fish glue in it's plastic container in my HHG pot. After a little heating it did get much thinner and less sticky, there may be some uses for it a bit thinner. I did not
heat if anywhere near the 145 for HHG but a little heat did produce a much less sticky and less viscous feel. The resulting joint felt every bit as strong as it does when used at room temp.

Best
Bruce

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Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."