How to Prepare Hide Glue for Use
Hide glue is made by decomposing the protein in animal hides, and it is used for purposes ranging from furniture repair to musical instrument repair. Hide glue can be purchased from crafts stores and specialty repair stores, and learning to use it is a must in many different hobbies. The proper preparation of hide glue is an important part of learning to use it.
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Things You'll Need
- Hide glue granules
- Large jar
- Water
- Pot
- Electric hot plate
- Food thermometer
Instructions
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1
Pour ¼ lb. of hide glue granules into a jar.
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2
Pour 2 and 2/3 cups of water on top of the granules.
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3
Allow the glue granules to soak until they gain a soft, mushy texture. This should take about 10 minutes.
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4
Place the jar filled with glue into a small pot on an electric hot plate.
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Fill the pot with water. The pot should be short enough so that the water cannot get into the jar of glue.
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Place a food thermometer in the water.
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With the hot plate on high, heat the glue until it gets to about 150 degrees F. At this point, it should be liquid.
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Consider the consistency of the glue. If you are doing particularly fine work, you may want the glue to be very thin, but if you are doing something that requires heavier glue, you may want it to be thicker. You can adjust the thickness of the glue by adding more soaked glue granules or more water.
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Tips & Warnings
When you first heat the glue, you may notice that the skin that forms on top looks dirty or as though there is sediment in it. To get a purer glue, use a stick to gently remove this film and throw it away.
All of the jars and brushes that have come into contact with hide glue should be cleaned with scalding hot water and a strong disinfectant after use. Hide glue is organic and can rot and lead to bacterial infection.
References
- Photo Credit violin image by Mateusz Papiernik from Fotolia.com
