Hide glue cheap pot and other Q's?

[Phil Thien]

Hi. I'd like to use real hide glue for some veneering. I haven't used anything but the liquid hide glue.

Are there any inexpensive pots I can find at a big box store that will work? I'd rather not spend $100.

Also, can the glue be spread with some sort of brush when hot?

Also, what kind of shelf life will I find on it if I don't use all of it, how long before it goes bad sitting on a shelf with the pot turned off?

Also, after I've applied veneer, how long would I have to wait to trim it to the substrate with a router? I understand the glue tacks pretty rapidly but don't want to start trimming and find that the glue is still gummy and just gums-up the bit.

[R Clark]

Go to the Goodwill second hand store, pick up a used crock pot for a few dollars and do this:

Linky

I'm not a hide glue user, so I can't speak to the rest of it. But I do use an old crock pot to melt paraffin for use on rockers and other projects.

[packerguy®]

Thats a great idea.

Ive used a crock for years, but just a mason jar in the bath, and lift the lid off....only issue is a fine skin sometimes forms because you let the heat out when you lift the lid.......this idea solves that issue.

[Paul K. Murphy]

http://periodcraftsmen.blogspot.com/2015...-glue.html

Here is a link to a video to save and preserve the glue.

[Rob Young]

A chip brush works to spread. Remove the loose bristles first.

You will need to wait 24 hours for maximum strength if hammer veneering. Longer if using vacuum press or clamps and cauls as all the moisture must leave the joint.

Crock pots, baby bottle warmers, poupri heaters all work. I used an inexpensive electric kettle to make a double boiler. Use some kind of temperature control to maintain 140F.

[DaveHuber]

I've been using a cheap wax warmer that salons use for eyebrow and other waxing.

I use an acid brush. I also use a rocker silicone brush.

Works great. The lady that cuts my hair gives me empty wax containers that pop in the fridge between uses and have a tight lid.
$30 on Amazon, as I recall.

[mike4244]

I use a $10.00 crockpot and a candy thermometer. I put a tin can bolted to a 5 lb weight in the crockpot. This keeps the pot clean using the can to hold the glue and the weight keeps the can from floating.I removed the knob from the glass top and attached it to a mdf top.Then cut a notch for the brush and a hole for the thermometer.You want the water about 140°. My crockpot does not have temperature control.If the pot gets to 150° I turn it off til the thermometer reads 135°.
If you have a lot of glue left over and no projects in sight,pour the glue in containers with lids and refrigerate it or freeze the glue. I also poured a good amount of left over glue into a shallow pan .When cool I band sawed the glue into 2" squares.If I only need a small amount I heat a cube up in the microwave.
mike

[Rob Young]

One other neat trick I picked up for hide glue is to get cheap squeeze bottles. Harbor Freight has some small ones in a 3 pack that work pretty well. Otherwise any clean, small squeeze bottle, preferably with a good snap lid.

Make a small batch of hide glue in the bottle, put the bottle in the warmer and you have a (reasonably) neat applicator for small joints. Larger joint, get a bigger bottle. I have a couple of the larger ketchup & mustard squeeze bottles you used to see on the table at restaurants as my larger vessels.

http://www.harborfreight.com/pack-of-3-8...-caps.html

http://www.amazon.com/ChefLand-Squeeze-B...=ketchup+bottle

The heat does make the polyethylene bottles a little floppy so try to find the thickest walled versions you can but otherwise DON'T SQUEEZE HARD!

(fixed typo)

[mike4244]

Rob Young said:

---

One other neat trick I picked up for hide glue is to get cheap squeeze bottles. Harbor Freight has some small ones in a 3 pack that work pretty well. Otherwise any clean, small squeeze bottle, preferably with a good snap lid.



Make a small batch of hide glue in the bottle, put the bottle in the warmer and you have a (reasonably) neat applicator for small joints. Larger joint, get a bigger bottle. I have a couple of the larger ketchup & mustard squeeze bottles you used to see on the table at restaurants as my larger vessels.

http://www.harborfreight.com/pack-of-3-8...-caps.html

http://www.amazon.com/ChefLand-Squeeze-B...=ketchup+bottle

The heat does make the polyethylene bottles a little floppy so try to find the thickest walled versions you can but otherwise DON'T SQUEEZE HARD!

(fixed typo)

---

Good idea, been using hide glue for many years and the only problem I had was applying small amounts.Will try it soon.
thanks,mike

[fredhargis]

That crock pot trick is really a good idea.....I may wind up giving it a try.