hide glue stew,glue question

[xin]

Ahh, rawhide dumplings.  What a palate tempter.

[El Destructo]

                                                             Looks like Chitlins!!!

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[dragonman]

thanks guys for the imput and appetizing pictures, whats with the negativity Adb ?  whats the point of doing anything if you look at things like that, why not just buy a bow as well to save clearing up the wood chippings? and the glue doesnt actually smell bad, hardly smells at all actually, I did taste it and it tastes ok too, pure prortein so it must be nutricous!!!

Isn't that the real point of making wooden bows? to empower ourselves by doing things our self?' FG bows are generally cheap and efficient so why bother making, why go only half way and not make the glue

[welch2]

One more picture ,for all you connoisseurs .You can see some frost from the freezer.




Ralph

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[adb]

thanks guys for the imput and appetizing pictures, whats with the negativity Adb ?  whats the point of doing anything if you look at things like that, why not just buy a bow as well to save clearing up the wood chippings? and the glue doesnt actually smell bad, hardly smells at all actually, I did taste it and it tastes ok too, pure prortein so it must be nutricous!!!

Isn't that the real point of making wooden bows? to empower ourselves by doing things our self?' FG bows are generally cheap and efficient so why bother making, why go only half way and not make the glue

Not negative... I guess i just prefer the ease of prepared hide glue. To be perfectly honest, I don't use hide glue much. I prefer a more waterproof adhesive for most of my applications. To each his own, and like I said, you guys have fun with making your glue.

[dragonman]

no problemo Adb, we've all got our preferences and diferent ways, its actually amazing how many people make diferent types of hide glue work by making it in diferent ways!. Some say boil some say dont and nobody seems to know any optimum proportions. Some say liquid hide glue is useless , others seem to make it work and I'm still not sure how thick to make my glue, I guess experimentation will be called for

[welch2]

You have to experiment .It's cooking after all .
        It can't be to thin or it won't gell .Yet it needs to have plenty of water while it's dissolving the hide. And stir it often .You don't want to burn any chunks of hide on the pot's bottom .
         For me that means the mixture is pretty thin while the hide is still kinda solid .Then after it is all dissolved ,I turn down the heat some and reduce my stock (never boiling). Still stirring even more often now.When it is thick enough that it clings to the stirrer ,like syrup kinda, It's time to pour it into a pan to gell.
      Do the same thing for fish swim bladders.

Ralph

[dragonman]

no matter how long it cooks it still drips off the stirrer fairly quickly, maybe i used too much water?

also, what about plumping and degreasing with lye? I've  heard different  things, how necesarry is this? in the TBB on glue making it says neutralize the lye with a mild acid like vinegar, but vinegar is an alkali not an acid

[Pat B]

Vinegar is an acid! Lye is basic.

[dragonman]

You're right PatB, thanks for putting me right( I just looked it up)  I've obviously been in illusion  about the nature of vinegar my whole life

[Justin Snyder]

Boil it down to thin it.  Let it cool to see if it will gel. Justin

[dragonman]

Justin, you say boil it down to thin it? would'nt that thicken it?

[welch2]

I never use vinegar , the lye (if you don't use to much) should all bind with fats ,and not remain in the poured glue.

Take the pot off the heat for a few minutes and check the thickness ,it can remain more liquid on the heat . Especially if the heat is kinda high.    I like using pretty low heat , But you will come to a way of making glue that works for you.

Ralph

[Justin Snyder]

Justin, you say boil it down to thin it? would'nt that thicken it?

OOPS I meant to say boil it down to reduce it. 

First things first. Cool it and see if it gels.  It will remain water thin as long as it is hot.   You could also glue something with it and see what happens. I think you will be surprised that it is already glue.  Justin

[dragonman]

thanks alot guys for the help, I'm gonna just test out what i've made now and see what happens, heard it takes 6 days to dry properly is that right??