Hide glue

[David Love]

The nicest thing about hide glue is the reversibility.  Removing bushings
glued in with PVC-E is a pain.  Bushings glued in with hide glue will nearly
fall out when saturated with an application of water spiked with a small
amount of the surface tension reducer of your choice.  Hammer heads won't
click with hide glue if the fit is reasonable and if you apply it to both
parts before assembly (and if you use a bit of urea to be sure assembly
takes place before the two surfaces gel and won't bond as well).  I've
recently tried using Franklin's Trim and Molding Glue for hammers and it
worked nicely.  But I had to remove a set glued on with it and while it was
no trouble to heat the joint and remove the hammer head, I found it
difficult to get all the old glue off the shank.  When heated it turns into
a kind of sticky rubber band that doesn't really come off that easily.  The
hide glue softens up nicely and can be heated to a crystalline state where
the poorly named "Hammer Shank Reducer" works quickly and effectively to
remove the old glue without "reducing the shank".  

If the objects you are gluing together will never have to come apart there
are many choices.  But if you anticipate ever having to undo the joint, or
want to make it easier for the next guy, you might want to consider hide
glue.  

David Love
davidlovepianos@comcast.net 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Porritt, David
Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2005 1:59 PM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Hide glue

I've been called a heretic before so clearly I don't mind that nomenclature
or I would shut up now.  The longer I'm in this business the less I see the
need for hide glue.  It's fussy, has to be kept fresh, has to be stirred
constantly, water added constantly and has to have a special pot.  There are
other glues that can do as well and are a lot more worker friendly.
 
In the cast of key bushings....we're not talking about holding together the
Brooklyn Bridge.  It's felt that needs to stay in a mortise all on its own.
I've used hot hide glue, cold liquid hide glue, and finally PCV-E for key
bushings.  I've never had a bushing fall out, all have been extremely easy
to remove (the PVC-E even easier than the hide glues) and it's far easier to
work with.  
 
For hammers, I've used hide glue, Andre's Dutch glue, and Franklin's Trim &
Molding Wood Glue.  The last one the easiest to use, and quite inexpensive.
I've had more trouble with clicking hammer heads with hot hide glue than
either of the others.  
 
As a result of my trying other adhesives my glue pot remains on the shelf
and hasn't been plugged in for a couple of years.  I still have it, but I
hope I won't have to use it.
 
For what jobs (and why) do you think hide glue is "the answer"?
 
The heretic!
dp
 
__________________________
David M. Porritt, RPT
Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275
dporritt@smu.edu
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