I just tried hide glue for the first time, in this case, the Titebond brand in the plastic squeeze bottle. I’ve used it on a indoor bench where I’ve glued up three eight-foot 1x6s (butt joints) to form the bench top. I used a generous enough amount of glue that there was noticeable squeeze-out all along the joints on both sides, and a number of spots where the squeeze-out dripped out. I did the glue-up on Wednesday (now four days ago), scrapped off a bit of the larger drips on Thursday (three days ago) and as of Sunday (yesterday) evening, the glue is still soft enough that I can mold it with my fingernails, and is a bit tacky if I scrape enough of the drip off. I bought the glue less than a month ago. I’m in California (SF bay area), and the weather is warm and dry, and the bench is in the garage where it gets even hotter.
I’m assuming that I used too much glue — but still, shouldn’t the glue harden and cure faster than this? I’m anxious to start planing the surfaces, but I don’t want to get the planes crapped up with glue.
Replies
You're right that part (most?) of the problem is the use of too much glue. The other factor is that liquid hide glue takes several days to totally cure. Although it's generally considered "set" (e.g., no more working time) when the glue "gels" it doesn't cure for several days after that.
I don't generally think of the Bay Area as being a dry climate, BTW. What's the relative humidity there at the moment?
If you scrape the excess of and wait a few days and it's still very flexible between the boards, you may need to undo and redo. Hide glue is easy to soften and remove (water reverses it). Next time, sounds like you need to ease up on the amount!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
OK, we may not be a "dry climate," but how dry is it really? Well, (i) when I go outside, I know I'm not in Philadelphia, (ii) no one here EVER (and I mean EVER!) says, "it's not the heat, you know, it's the humidity," and (iii) I had to drill down a page or two on the SF Chronicle weather page to find out, in small print, that the current RH is 53%.
Thanks for the info, BTW, I always enjoy your posts.
What you used is liquid hide glue. They add certain additives to it to keep it from hardening in the bottle. As a result, the glue never really get hard. I used it once many years ago and found that over time the glue began to let go. I am sure this has been used successfully by a number of people. But due to my experience and what I have learned about the glue, I have never used it since. I suggest that you use the Titebond PVA or the real hide glue.
Doesn't sound right but I haven't used liquid hide glues enough to know for sure. Sqeeze out wastes glue and makes for problems during finishing but it's only the glue left in the joint that determines set up time.
A few years ago I had some questions about a Titebond glue and I found their customer service to be excellent and technically competent, I'd give them a call. They used to put their phone number right on the bottle as I recall.
John W.
Check the expiration date on the bottle. LHG is a decent product, but you've got to watch the expiration date. Just because you bought it a month ago, doesn't mean it didn't expire while sitting on the shelf.
I was at a lumber supplier the other day and I pointed out that the twelve bottles of glue in their display were all past the expiration date (all the same date). I went in again and they had not removed them. I guess they're willing to foist the stuff on an unsuspecting customer. What a shame - a company with a MM++ lumber inventory that doesn't want to take a hit on $50 worth of glue.
I'm thinking new supplier...
Edited 9/8/2003 6:47:06 PM ET by CHASSTANFORD
Right, the shelf of liquid hide glue is only a year after it's been made.
when you think about how genuine hot hide glue is to use... and cheap... i'd give it a shot. i mix mine (251 grade) in small quantities; put it in a plastic water bottle; keep it in the freezer till i need it; hit mildly with the microwave; put it bottle and all in the glue pot; and i'm ready to go. If the joint is true, the glue literally pulls itself together. FWIW.
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