Key Bushings & Hot Hide Glue

[Jon Rhee]

Charles,

Schaff's cabinet glue is a hot hide glue. Cabinetmakers and fine furniture
makers used/still use hot hide glue.  Hide glue (rendered from the hides of
animals) was the glue of choice (or only choice ?) before synthetics came
about.  It is desirable because among other things it is forgiving and
removed easily by steam/heating.  Basic carpenters don't use it probably
because it's not quick and dirty (carpenters don't mistake my meaning), and
they don't need to be able to remove pieces later or reset them during
assembly.

Jon Rhee
Weymouth, MA

> From: Charles Neuman <piano@charlesneuman.net>
> Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 13:10:50 -0500
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Key Bushings & Hot Hide Glue
> 
>> What methods do folks use to keep the water bath at 130 F? I have a
>> Rival Hot Pot (the one Bill Spurlock recommends).
> 
> Soon I'm going to try an old fondue pot from the basement (we all have
> one, don't we?) for my first hot hide glue and key bushing experience.
> I'll let you know how it goes...
> 
> By the way, is Schaff's "cabinet glue" the same thing as hide glue? Is
> it used for making cabinets? Does anybody use hot hide glue besides
> piano technicians? I didn't see any in Home Depot, so I guess your basic
> carpenter doesn't use it.
> 
> Charles
>