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Hi All,

Has anyone ever used hide glue in a bottle? Is there a down side to the pre-mixed stuff? Do you feel it's any better or worse than Titebond? I don't want to do the glue pot thing, but might look at an alternative to Titebond (although there's nothing wrong with it as far as I am concerned). Just thinking.

Dave

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It's not strong at all. I use HHG, but I'd recommend Titebond, or LMI white over bottled hide glue.

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

i bought a bottle of titebond hide glue at woodcrafters that i havent opened yet. (the salesman said all the luthers are using it) any suggestions what it would work well on?- besides spreading it on the salesmans balony sandwich

I started a similar thread a little while back. Most people had negative responses. The biggest problem is that most commercially available, pre-mixed hide glues go bad quickly. I asked about "Old-Brown" in particular, which is made in small batches. People didn't have much positive to say about it. But then I don't know how many have tried it and how many have been sure to only use a fresh bottle.

If you're going to buy pre-mixed glue and you want the similarity of hide glue, use fish glue. Dries crystal hard like hide glue, you don't need to mix it and you don't need to heat it. Same basic properties, less hassle (although hide glue really is not that difficult) as hide glue.

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I use it to glue the blocks to my mold when making a violin. The blocks have to be removed from the mold after the ribs are complete. I've also used it for a little insurance to hold tapered end pins in old Martins. Ironically Woodcraft sells behlens ground hide glue.

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

What Rod said - give fish glue a try. I have been using it for a while, and it has nice properties when dry, but it does prefer a much longer clamp time so it can be harder to make progress on a good work day unless you have multiple projects going. I tend to pick up the LMI white glue now if the bottle is closer to where I'm standing. I have yet to become a hide glue convert but haven't really given it a shot yet.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

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I've built 3 guitars with liquid hide glue. I had to repair one later and found the glue to be plenty strong. Get it in small bottles though, it turns to jello pretty quick once air gets in. I prefer plain white Titebond.

Fish glue for sure !
Jim & Rod have hit the nail on the head !
Give it a try -if you need a sample pm me & I'll send you one !

Mike

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Mike Collins

We had a post on the fish glue before and i know many swear by it. We are mostly talking acoustic instruments. How about for electrics? I'm talking lamianted necks and even for gluing set necks and gluing body pieces up.. Any opinions on it for these methods. I want to give fish glue a try. Should i just stick with titebond for this and save the fish for acoustics?...Mike

Hey Mike, I can't see the electricity having the least effect on it.

Anywhere you would consider using titebond, you can certainly use fish glue.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Ive built 4 guitars entirely with LV fishglue and I am certainly sold on it. Even if one or two would come apart I would still use the stuff and just blame it on de*** and the bad planet alignment.
Recently I've switched to hide glue for some stuff like braces or linings, just to speed things up, but I will definitely keep on using fish for the FB and closing the box.

Not sure how hide joints will react to bending heat, but fish purflings take the heat with no problems.

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