Hide Glue Heater

[Joe Grittani]

I've been using Titebond Liquid Hide Glue for some time, but have heard a lot of favorable comments
about Old Brown Glue and decided to try it. I didn't heat it and, as a result, it was un-usable - so thick
that I couldn't get it out of the bottle. So I'm looking for a small "heater" to get the glue into the 110
to 140 degree range recommended on the bottle.

I've heard of people using small crock pots or baby bottle warmers. All the small crock pots I've found
lack even an on/off switch let alone a thermostat, and baby bottle warmers are so hard to find that I
don't know if they have a temperature control or not. Am I over-thinking this or is there a reasonable,
low-cost solution?

Joe Grittani in balmy Dayton Ohio

[Mike Null]

Joe

You might be able to find a cheap hot plate with a thermostat. (also from Dayton, home of the Pine Club)

[Derek Cohen]

Get a small electric pot for leg wax (I had to get my own as my wife would not let me borrow hers).

Such as: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Spa-360-Heating-Wax-Warmer-Pot-Paraffin-Wax-Heater-Depilatory-Wax-Kit-Y-/201159227373?hash=item2ed60637ed

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mike Brady]

Oh sure, Derek. Did a little "manscaping" with the hot wax, eh?;)

[Robert LaPlaca]

I use a Rival Hot Hot for hide glue, the device is made to boil water, but there is a thermostat on the side that you can dial back to get the water temperature in the critical range of 140-145F with the help of a Taylor cooking thermometer. The device is about $20..

[Tony Zaffuto]

I struggled with a small crock pot for years, with a fabricated plywood top, with a sliding cover to help regulate temp, and a thermometer installed. Never could keep the temp consistent and I finally bit the bullet and bought a hide glue heater from Highland Hardware a few years back. Best move I made.

[Will Boulware]

For Old Brown Glue in the small bottle, I microwave a coffee cup full of water and dunk the bottle in there. You have to re-heat the water every so often, but this is less of a big deal than I thought it would be.

For actual hide glue, this obviously won't work. I can't imagine the smell of microwaved hide glue... :eek: I'm also eyeing the hide glue pot from Highland Woodworking, but I've got a mini crock pot I'm going to try first. Let us know what you end up with!

[Dennis Ryan]

This is my glue pot ($14)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002DUCC8S/ref=yo_ii_img

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Oh sure, Derek. Did a little "manscaping" with the hot wax, eh?;)

Mike Brady for the win!

[ken hatch]

I struggled with a small crock pot for years, with a fabricated plywood top, with a sliding cover to help regulate temp, and a thermometer installed. Never could keep the temp consistent and I finally bit the bullet and bought a hide glue heater from Highland Hardware a few years back. Best move I made.

Guys listen to Tony. First Old Brown Glue is good and has a place in my shop but it doesn't bring all the advantages of hot hide glue to the table. Second, in the long run and yes I know in the long run we will all be dead, a "real" glue pot is worth the couple of pennies paid.

ken

[Frank Drew]

Depends on how much glue you plan to run through on a daily basis, but a small stainless steel bowl inside a slightly larger saucepan partially filled with water, heated with a hotplate, make an ideal double boiler for hide glue.