Shopsmith Forums

pennview wrote:Dasgud, hot hide glue will work using the method you describe by sliding the two pieces together and letting them dry, but the bond isn't nearly as strong as using white or yellow glue and clamps, and I guess that is part of the reason hide glue isn't used that much today. Following the directions on the label generally works best and that calls for an even coating of glue on the surfaces and clamps.

Hide glue would work well for this I'd say. A high gram strength hide glue is actually stronger than the PVA glues but the kick against higher gram strength hide glues is that they have a very short open time. Hide glues IMHO have fallen by the wayside because other glues are easier to use. They lower gram strength hide glues are stronger than wood fiber anyway so you don't have to use the strongest / fastest. The question may be "Why don't more people use hide glue where they use CA now?" It sticks almost instantly, is plenty strong enough, can be easily reversed, and best of all won't stick you to the table saw.

Just standing up for a fine but misunderstood traditional product.

Paul M

Regarding hide glue, I built a floor loom about 25 years ago for my wife and for a few of the non-stressed parts I used liquid hide glue. Those joints subsequently failed -- they seemed to have developed some sort of mold and the parts simply came apart along the glue line. Perhaps the glue was old. I don't know, but I've not used hide glue since.

Regarding glue strength, Fine Woodworking Magazine, in the July - August 2007 issue, did a study using bridal joints showing that PVA glue outperformed both hot and liquid hide glue (as well as epoxy and polyurethane), but there was no mention of gram strength. But like everything else, I'm sure there are other studies out there showing opposite results.

To be honest, I've never used hide glue, but I've been researching it lately on "da Google" and I'm definitely getting some to play with. It is still used by musical instrument makers and is particularly good for chairs, apparently. The mold thing is mentioned on Highland Hardware's site and apparently is a problem when the pot is kept going too long with traditional glues. Their "new and improved" glue however is supposed to be immune.
This is not an argument, I just wanted to speak up for the stuff. If you're into Fine WW mag, Tage Frid is a big fan of hide glue.

Today I was searching for information on how to disassemble a hide glue chair. Found site- http://stason.org/TULARC/crafts/woodwor ... joint.html also # 70 is how to clean hide glue squeeze out. There is a good article in Wood Magazine by Bob Flexner “Fixing Up That Old Joint”. Oct 1998 Issue 108 page 39. Also in the same issue page 110 “Dealing with dowel joints” How to make old ones good as new. Another article in WOOD Workshop Savvy: Glues Mar 2002 issue 140 page32. It contains a short paragraph each on several different glues.
I am going to attempt to repair a chair for a niece. She calls it the teacher’s chair. It is a big wooden bent (curved) arm chair, like a teacher would have. The seat is split into down the middle along a dovetail joint. There is couple of other joints coming apart also. She bought somewhere for a dollar. My sister-in-law helped me out and told that she was sure if it could be fixed Uncle Jerry could do it. She has way too much confidence in her brother-in-law. It may in up as firewood.
Jerry