Hide glue

[Kegan]

Well, I am in the process of sinewing a nice little 61" D bow and want to get some hide glue (my attempt at making it failed ). But which to buy? Crystalline or liguid? I know liquid needs vinegar, but heard taht it still comes out tacky. Or perhaps someone might be able to help me make some GOOD glue ? Any and all help would be appreciated!

[michbowguy]

keegan go to local pet supply store and buy rawhide strips,circles or what ever, cut into smallish size pcs, and add just enough water to cover your pile o goodness, and turn crockpot on low overnight.
in morning squeeze the dickens out of the stuff then slow cook till about noon.
bing bang boom.
hide glue.
jamie

[Kegan]

Thanks, I'll have to try that !

[tom sawyer]

Knox gelatin in little packets from the grocery store, is equivalent to hide glue.

I';ve alwyas been told not to buy liquid hide glue as it has a limited shelf life.  The crystals are easy to hydrate and melt, and it stores indefinitely this way.

[Kegan]

Thanks! Now I have no excuses do I ?

[Coo-wah-chobee]

         IMHO knox does not have the strength of hide glue. Knox can be made of hawg bones er skin no way of tellin'.Also is approved fer human consumption by FDA so it has ta have other properties. Tom, Trapper (Joe) posted a trick fer liquid hide glue ta prolong shelf life and combined with somethin' else ya do will prolong it indefinately. Knox is good but it aint the best ya can do ! ......bob

[Justin Snyder]

Like Bob said, Knox is "animal" glue, not "hide" glue.  Hide glue is the strongest.  Liquid hide glue is garbage.  It does not gell when it gets cool, so it has to dry before it gets good glueing strength. Try the rawhide trick from Michbowguy.  You wont be sorry you made your own. Justin

[mullet]

 To the naysayers,Liquid hide glue works REAL good. If it doesn't jell good its old.Put some between your fingers and then seperate them.If it's tacky and pulls strings between your fingers,it's good.If not add a little vinergar to it and shake and stir and you are ready to go.I keep mine in the refridgerator till I need it.I've had some for 3 years.If you really want some good glue and do it yourself,boil down some fish skins and air bladders.

[kiwijim]

Davies gelatin is good. It is made from "beef skin".
It is at least as strong as commercial hide glue.
Also, i think Tim Baker rated gelatine as stronger than commercial hide glue in his TBB glue test.

James

[rdb]

Well, I am in the process of sinewing a nice little 61" D bow and want to get some hide glue (my attempt at making it failed ). But which to buy? Crystalline or liguid? I know liquid needs vinegar, but heard taht it still comes out tacky. Or perhaps someone might be able to help me make some GOOD glue ? Any and all help would be appreciated!

I'd recommend using real hide glue made from a game animal. It's proven to work and you stay true to the native material. Backing a bow w/ sinew is heaps of work so why not? You'll be that much more proud when you get it done.

I don't know if this guy's still around but I have purchased hide glue from him in the past and he supposedly makes it from deer. His name is Michael Foltmer (970.339.5608). Toss this dried stuff in the freezer and when ready to use, reconstitute and go to work. If you have leftovers, simply let it gel in the fridge for an hour then place it in a zip-lock and in the freezer for later use. I just backed a bow with this stuff that has been in the freezer for 5 yrs.

[Coo-wah-chobee]

          Excuse me an "color me dumb" but what is"commercial hide glue?" Da ya mean liquid hide glue ? Whose Tim Baker ? Knox gelatine ifn thats what ya mean  is not made from beef skin but hawg bones er skin .......bob

[Justin Snyder]

Eddie, I guess I shouldn't use such strong terms.  You are right, it will work. But they add a salt solution to it to keep it from gelling like untreated hide glue.  As soon as it gels, it is all good glue.  It just has to gel first, which it is designed not to do until it starts to dry.

Kiwijim, what is bakers definition of commercial hide glue, or gelatin.  Gelatin is commercial animal glue.  If Davies gelatin is made from "beef skin" it is commercial hide glue. How can commercial hide glue be at least as strong as commercial hide glue, much less stronger.  They just treat it with a few more chemicals and call it gelatin it so people will eat it.  Justin

[Hillbilly]

I'll agree that hide glue made from deer or other wild rawhide  has more juju, and if I was making a true replica, I would make my own. But if I just want a good functional sinewed bow, I go with Knox. Easy, and it's way stronger than it needs to be. I've sinewed three bows with Knox, and it works great, the stuff is very strong.  If the sinew comes off, it will have chunks of wood attached to it.

[Kegan]

Well, due to a lack of both moeny and materials, I am gonna go with Knox for this one (the bow performs well on it's own, the sinew is just... well I just wanna sinew it ). If it does wana pull off I assume a few lashing every few inches of sinew will help it? Oh well, this will be just another experiment .

[Hillbilly]

If you degrease the bow, rough the back up a bit, and size it good with some Knox, you shouldn't have any trouble with the sinew coming off. Like I said, if it does, it'll have chunks of wood still attached to it.