Hide Glue help needed

[Mark Stutz]

Time for all of you hide glue gurus to step forward. This afternoon I was writing another chapter in my Chimney Cupboard project, that is taking forever, in part because of paragraphs like today. I successfully got the top cabinet door fitted, and proceeded to mortise the 3 hinges into the face frame. Took my time, worked carefully...best ones I've ever done, but ON THE WRONG SIDE:mad::eek::o After bad words, and after I calmed down, I remembered that I had glued the face frame on with hide glue. I'm still not sure why, other than the fact I had never used it and wanted to try it out. Pulled out the old iron I stole from LOML a few years ago. That plus a wet towel equals steam, and before you know it, the face frame is free!:D Now the question...how much of the old glue do I need to remove? ALL of it as in scraped to bare wood, MOST of it so that there none visible, or NONE of it. Looks like there will definitely be more hide glue in my future!

Mark

[Martin Shupe]

My understanding is that you don't have to remove any of it.

In other words, old hide glue will stick to new hide glue.

You might check with Patrick Edwards in San Diego.

He makes a product called "Old Brown Glue", which I like a lot.

http://www.wpatrickedwards.com/gluepage.htm

No connection, I just like his glue.

Call him and ask him, he and his wife are happy to help.

[jerry nazard]

Mark,

Are you using HOT glue or bottled? The hot glue will dissolve itself so you do not have to scrape or wash the joint completely clean. Hide glue will stick to itself: but remember, you are gluing wood to wood - not making a hide glue sandwich. Your friends are a hair dryer, iron, and hot water.

Best!

-Jerry

[Stephen Shepherd]

Mark,

One of the joys of hide glue is its ability to be reversed as you have discovered. You do not need to clean off any old hide glue, hot or liquid before regluing. You will only need a small amount of new glue to reconstitute the old stuff.

When I am repairing old furniture that was glued with hide glue, I only clean off the dust from the old joint and add more hide glue and everything works just fine.

Stephen

[mike holden]

Mark, if you used real hot hide glue, or bottled, remove only that which is in the way of the parts fitting together, then apply some fresh glue and assemble. No one but us will know the difference, and I wont tell.
Mike

[Mark Stutz]

Thanks, guys. This is pretty much what I thought. A hot iron and a wet towel have proven to be a great addition to the shop. What a lucky break...picking this application to experiment with hot hide glue!

Martin, the Old Brown Glue looks interesting...I'm going to order some.

Mark

[harry strasil]

FWIW, an old fellow that used to repair antique furniture, when doing the rungs(stretchers), he always used strips of cloth soaked in boiling water and a pair of needle nose pliers or old forcips to swab the inside of the hole to renew the glue before reglueing. if he had a loose fitting tenon, he would renew the glue on it with the hot water and a cloth then spread a little new glue on a plane shaving and wrap the shaving around it and secure it with a rubber band till it dried, then work it down to fit snugly for the new glue joint.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I'd try to get it as much as possible off.

The new glue will adhere to the old glue but, there will be the fact of added thickness.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Mark,

Another item I've found handy with hide glue is a heat gun. When I have to redo a joint that I've taken apart I use the heat gun to remelt the old glue and then reassemble. It also comes in handy to warm up parts before gluing to get a touch more open time.

Cliff

[Tom Sontag]

...Took my time, worked carefully...best ones I've ever done, but ON THE WRONG SIDE:mad::eek::o....Mark

Why is it always this way? I suspect every single reader of this sentence smiled knowingly to themselves. Sounds like everything is going to work out fine for you Mark.

In the minor hide glue tip vein: I have used my radiant heater on colder days to warm the wood to be glued or to loosen a joint gone wrong. Not that anything like the above ever happens to me...

[Dave Anderson NH]

Another way of working loose a joint with hide glue is to add a little vinegar to the hot water. Works for aliphatic resin glues like Titebond too.

Gee Mark, wrong side.... I've never done anything like that before.:eek: If you believe that I've got this great bridge in Brooklyn for sale at a very attractive price.