Official Luthiers Forum!

I got my order of fish glue about a month ago and just got around to trying it. Just like I said when I started using HHG, I wish I had tried it sooner. It is great to work with, cleans up easily, and the smell is not as bad as I had imagined. It will be great in several situations where HHG is difficult to use.

Thanks to to all the folks on this board for sharing their information and giving me the bump I needed to give it a try.

James

Filippo, do you refrigerate fish glue or will it last several years on the shelf?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

go to
www.norlandprod.com/fishgel/hightack.html

_________________
Mike Collins

What applications are people using fish for? I mainly use it for binding but would love to hear where others are implementing it.

_________________
ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
http://elevatelutherie.com
&
http://ensorguitars.com

uke fb, bridges, binding /purfling ,headstock veneer front and rear gives assembly time instead of using dowel pin locators, bracing, repairs. I used a 250 deg omega heater to see if it can remove a fb , didn/t budge .This fish glue from LV is tough.I froze 1/2

Like Filippo, I use it for everything except braces and occassionally bridges. Haven't had any problems so far.

Sent from my GT-I9100M using Tapatalk 2

_________________
Under Compensated Nut!

I like it for re-installing the tops or backs on a restoration. I had trouble using HHG in this application. The fish glue is great for this since it has a longer open time to position everything.
I like HHG for braces on a new top. I am able to work fast enough with the go-bars to get the braces where I want them for the short open time on HHG. I'll use the fish glue for re-gluing existing braces on a repair.

I will try the fish glue on my next binding and see how that goes.

James

I use it for almost everything except gluing fretboards. As a relative beginner, I really appreciate the slow set time. I don't have to hurry setting up clamps or go-bars, and if things start to slip a little under pressure I have time to correct it.

_________________
Tim Allen
"Never hurry, never rest."

I use it for every joint. I've been using epoxy for fretboard to neck but the last one I did fish glue and its just fine.

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"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

Same - I've used it on every joint for the past 10 builds - love it!

I even use it for repairing 100+ year old baseboards, and door & window trim.

Bob

I wish LMI carried fish glue. I know Lee Valley has it but I rarely order from them so I never get them...

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

anyone in UK recomend a supplier?

_________________
We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

I've not seen it sold in the UK. I get it from Kremer Pigmente. I prefer HHG for virtually everything, apart from laminating backs and end grain to end grain joints.

I use fish glue for everything with the exception of Titebond for:
-Laminating heels (1 joint)
-Joining tops (Titebond is a bit less visible according to Romanillos)
-gluing fret board (less moisture in Titebond I think)

Well, This is a statement he made at the 2007 course in Siguenza. I had always used Titebond to join tops up till that time so I simply continued. I've never done any experimentation to confirm or deny this.

My impression on moisture (and the percentage of solids to water in the glue) is based on the fact that Titebond gets very snotty very quickly (much more so than Fish) so even if the moisture content is similar I think perhaps less of it gets into the wood itself which is of course what everyone is trying to avoid.

I used rabbit skin glue (RSG) for the first time today, not on a guitar, just practicing with it

It's quite satisfying making it up and using it, a little different to getting glue straight out of the bottle

I don't know what the benefits and disadvantages of RSG are though - can anyone enlighten me?

is it possible to dehydrate hide glue?

If anyone in Seattle wants to try some, I am selling some from Lee Valley over in the classifieds. BYOB

I am only using it on bindings & I love it. I bought the giant 34 oz bottle to save on shipping, but I think half that will last me a long time.

_________________
Pat

One great advantage of HHG is that it is relatively easy to separate a joint without damage. Does fish glue share this advantage?

I heard fish has the same advantage of hide glue and long open time. I do agree it's easy to separate hide glue, especially if the joint is old. Often all it took in that case was a knife in the joint and they would pop free without damage. Heat isn't needed either. Do have to be more careful and use heat with fresher hide glue joint however, it is not as brittle.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Fish Glue seems to be harder to pull apart, at least it does on the few bits that I've tried to disassemble. I suppose that depends on the HHG as well. There's an awful lot of variation in HHG, not much in Fish glue though.

Cheapest I could find here http://shop.apfitzpatrick.co.uk/63550-kremer-fish-glue-liquid-250ml-1578-p.asp

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Well, after all this fish glue talk I decided I should give it a go, so just received this in the post today!


It didn't come with any storage recommendations, so what is best? Kept in fridge? Avoid too much cold?

Long term I'll keep in the fridge........normal term (several years +) room temp seems fine.
I'm just finishing up now glue I bought 5 years ago........

I guess it's different depending on what fish it came from... I wonder if you could use Catfish glue and then string the guitar with Catgut string, so it goes MEEEOOOWW when you pluck it.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com