Hide glue

[RBLusthaus]

So, i have been experimenting with hide glue trying to find a formulation to get a longer gelling time, and per the kArpowitz book, he suggests adding some fish bladder to the mix.  Is this also called isinglass and where can i find it for sale, or trade?  I can only find isinglass in liquid form (has additives) at beer and wine making supply shops. 

Russ

[wizardgoat]

Do you have a china town in your city?
I believe fish glue is best for horn to wood.
Fish bladders are not cheap

[loefflerchuck]

When I was working on a crab boat we had about 600 pounds of rockfish racks for bait from our processing plant. I spent a couple hours cutting out bladders when I could have been getting much needed sleep. I made 12 hour glue from it later. The glue was not any good as it came from fish from cold water and therefore will not jell. Try and get sturgeon bladder as you know it will work. I've bladder glue on ebay but don't trust a untested ebay product on something you spend at least 50 hours and 6 months on before you test it. It's expensive from credible places but you don't need much of it for your mix and you know it's good.

[JoJoDapyro]

Not that I have a dog in this fight, but perhaps this will help.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,110,42965&p=20019

[mikekeswick]

Not that I have a dog in this fight, but perhaps this will help.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,110,42965&p=20019

I wouldn't use that stuff its highly likely it will have all sorts of additives in it to stoip it going off.
You need to find your local China town as mentioned before. They make a soup from the bladders. Yellow croaker bladders work very well.

[RBLusthaus]

Thanks for the tips.  I will have to get myself down to China Town and see what there is to see.  I guess I will have to go lunch time, because, well, it is China Town and the food is great, although I think I will take a pass on the bladder soup.  I wonder if I need to find a Chinese speaker to accompany me, for translation purposes? 

Russ

[RBLusthaus]

To update you, I found dried yellow croaker bladder in a market in china town, but have yet to try it out.  I also found bona fide sturgeon bladder glue from a bow maker in France. He sold me 100 grams of dried and cleaned bladder for a little less than 60 euro, shipping included.  Pricy since the hide glue I use is 8 bucks for the same 100 grams.  It works well though, as per my experiments, and I get an open time exceeding an hour at 12.5% mix ratio to regular hide glue.  My measurements are approximate.   Once I experiment with the croaker bladder, I will report back.  Thanks for the help.