Hi,
I’ve to replace two missing leather parts for a lute stop. Should I stick with Titebond or is there a better option?
Regards,
Chris.
Titebond is hard to reverse (ie, troublesome to scrape/cut off the wood when you need to remove a piece and replace it or move it a bit). I vastly prefer fish or hide glue for the purpose. Fish glue can be had from Lee Valley Tools.
Titebond make at least five different glues with various characteristics, including a version of hide glue which does not require heating.
Right. But when people say TItebond without specifying, I always assume the yellow stuff, aliphatic resin glue. That is quite nasty to try to remove., and leathers for the lute stop need to be removable to make tiny changes so as to even them out. From my own experiences, Titebond aliphatic and various contact types (Barge cement, for instance) are quite unfriendly for that. You have very little room to work between the strings, so something that dries hard and crisp is best.
Fish glue has a better shelf life. Liquid hide tends to have a one year limit (I have experienced old glue simply not working AT ALL), and you need to worry how long your supplier had it before it shipped to you. Fish glue, if your main supply is kept refrigerated, lasts for years. I keep a 1-2 oz bottle in my kit, and refresh it every year or two from the big bottle. So it is my go to.
Hide, I make up from dry as needed. You can do that and refrigerate it, heat as needed, but that is more trouble for small jobs.
Agreed.
Hide glue from powder is my preferred glue in the workshop, though I do
have three Titebond aliphatic variants around, and they get an outing
from time to time on suitable jobs (not musical instruments).
I have often thought of trying a commercial liquid variety. Thanks for
sharing your experience, also your suggestion about fish glue, which I
have often wondered about. Time to look for a European supplier.
Come to think of it, I eat a lot of fish, and prefer to discard the
skins … the skin-to-bodyweight ratio would be more favourable than
large mammals … Perhaps not! Can’t have the neighbours crying
“Stinking fish!”
Le 24/10/2020 21:52, Fred Sturm via The Jackrail écrit :
Fish glue has a better shelf life. Liquid hide tends to have a one year limit (I have experienced old glue simply not working AT ALL), and you need to worry how long your supplier had it before it shipped to you. Fish glue, if your main supply is kept refrigerated, lasts for years. I keep a 1-2 oz bottle in my kit, and refresh it every year or two from the big bottle. So it is my go to.
How do you know the glue is no longer any good? Does its aspect change?
When it is no longer working, do things fall apart right away?
Thanks.
I would never use commercial pre-made liquid hide glue for anything. For buff pads you want something easily reversible and replaceable, and preferably clear when it dries.
It is easy enough to make your own hide glue in small quantities as needed refrigerating for a week or so when not in use. You can tell when it’s bad by the smell quite honestly. I cannot imagine keeping even refrigerated glue for a year!!
I have had excellent experiences with some of the water soluble craft glues, such as Aleene’s Tacky glue for attaching cloth or leather to wood. It is clean, easy to remove and replace (without having to use water to soften), and won’t wick up far and dry hard in the cloth like some glues, which can cause a click or buzz depending upon the application,