Using Hot Hide Glue

[matthew]

I did a quick photoshoot on my glue prep stages.

From start to ready-to glue approx 12 mins, and is enough for quite a bit of work.

[kiwigeo]

Just to clarify.....in Photo 4 the switch has to be in the "on" position and to get it from the "off" to the "on" position you use your index finger?

[P Bill]

Good thread matthew. Mixing and using hide glue is a dark art to the newbie.

[WaddyT]

Just don't allow it to be! It's one of the oldest glues known, and use is simple. It's only a mystery because someone told you it was. It's not. I started using it on my first, and have not found anything better. I do use other glues where I think they offer me an advantage, like open time or shorter cure time, but there is no mystery to HHG. It just has to be mixed with water, has to be hot, and has to be applied and clamped within it's open time parameters. What's more simple than that. Cleans up more easily than any other glue I know.

[matthew]

Just to clarify.....in Photo 4 the switch has to be in the "on" position and to get it from the "off" to the "on" position you use your index finger?

I'm glad you cleared that up Martin. It can be so confusing knowing which finger to use. In this case I use my thumb, because my index finger is used for taste-testing the glue to make sure it is properly cooked. It is not good to get gobs of glue on the on/off switch. But if you do, it all cleans up nicely with hot water. This is why hide glue is so safe.

**Readers please note: the switch can also be used to turn the electricity off when finished.

[jeffhigh]

So I should claen all my lectric switches with hot water then?

[matthew]

yes definitely. Unscrew them from the wall (leave the wires attached - you don't want to make your life too hard) and immerse the whole thing in a bucket of hot water for a few minutes. Be careful to use a plastic bucket so you don't burn yourself.

edit: on second thoughts, let me make quite clear that i am freely providing stupid advice. There may be some idiots on this forum who'd believe anything. Electricity and water don't mix. Danger, Danger, Warning Will Robinson.

[Dennis Leahy]

Martin and Matthew, great exchange! That was freaking hilarious.

I'm thinking that by standing on a ladder with one foot, while throwing the bucket of water, there would be an incomplete circuit and thus completely safe.
And, in the odd chance that you would complete a circuit, simply drop the bucket and raise both hands quickly, creating a "Jacob's ladder" for the electricity to arc across (which will keep it away from the testicles AND provide a tremendous YouTube video.

Dennis

[matthew]

YES!!!!

BE SURE TO GET WIFE TO FILM THE WHOLE THING

Are we not MEN? We are Deviants!

[Lillian]

Are we not MEN?

Not all of us.

[matthew]

yeah I guess you're right Lillian - you are not men.

And in any case, you wouldn't stand on one leg on a ladder in the dark and throw buckets of hot water over an electrical switch to clean the gobs of hide glue off it ... while having it all filmed in case it turns spectacular ... or would you??

[Allen]

Wouldn't see that on any of those uptight politically correct forums. Might just get sued by someone dumb enough to follow those directions to a T.

[jeffhigh]

I resemble that remark Allen......

[Allen]

I'm just like Matthew. I reserve the index finger for tasting. Tells me how much to thin it out for the job on hand by how it coats the tongue.

[matthew]

yeah one consistency for gluing, another for spreading on a Sao and a bit thinner for drinking. mmmm glue.

[Lillian]

yeah I guess you're right Lillian - you are not men.

And in any case, you wouldn't stand on one leg on a ladder in the dark and throw buckets of hot water over an electrical switch to clean the gobs of hide glue off it ... while having it all filmed in case it turns spectacular ... or would you??

I've been know to lose all common sense in the name of fun. So, maybe.

[greg c]

Safety first

[greg c]

One of the best things about hide glue is the ability to undo a join, I had a bridge which was not right so I applied a little heat with heat gun and 90 seconds later its off, you can just reheat the glue that's on there or add a little more hide and it gels right into the old glue , its also the best glue for filling gaps, sawdust bit of hide patch it wipe it clean,
If you dont get the clamping right , like a fretboard and there's a tiny gap, heat it clamp it gap gone,
hide glue is king,
tastes great too,

[triffid_hunter]

I used HHG for the first time yesterday, was trivially simple.. teaspoon of granules in a baby food jar, bit of water, stuck it on the bed of my 3d printer until it looked (and smelt!) about right. Reattached my violin's nut and fingerboard, seems to be good so far! I had the neck and fingerboard warming on the bed alongside the glue to extend the open time since it was my first try.

so any inexperienced who come across this thread, don't despair it's actually really easy

[ernieman]

Hide Glue is so convenient. I use it for gluing the tops on a lute. Especially because lute tops may need to come of more then often.
Did you know you can also loosen hide-glue with pure ethanol? Just watch that finish though. The alcohol extracts the last bit of water and makes it very brittle. I used it to undo a neck on an old tenor guitar. You could even hear the glue "crack"!

[sprocket]

Appreciate this how to , keep them coming up !