The Church of Hot Hide Glue

[Eonratslea500]

I’ve decided to get into using hot hide glue for my next build (a Gibson L-00 clone). Any suggestions on heating pots and best brands for supplies? Glory be the HHG, brothers and sisters! Amen

[tadol]

my friend uses this quite happily - Proctor Silex 32oz Adjustable Temperature Electric Hot Pot - about $15, search the web -

[Bass.swimmer]

I got a baby bottle warmer from a local store and wired in a dimmer switch. Works like a charm and cost about $15 in total

[redir]

A lot of luthiers like to do it on the cheap but I went for an actual glue pot and have been quite happy with it. It's set and forget, I don't need to fuss with anything. Just turn it on and in 15 minutes it's ready to go. I can take the left overs and put them in the refrigerator for the next day or two.

https://musicaravan.com/gluepot/

[Bruce Sexauer]

I have been using the standard issue glue pot for 25 years or so and have never regretted spending the $100 or so. I use HHG pretty much every day, 3 teaspoons dry to the guitar, and while I do keep a lid on the jar in the device, I never refrigerate between uses. Heating it every day or so and paying attention to viscosity, adding water as needed, one batch will easily last a couple of weeks.

[Bill Kraus]

Here is another option that I have been very happy with. This link is for the glue pot and warmer, or you can buy the pot separately. I bought them both many years ago and they are still working very well. The warmer keeps the pot at about 145 degrees. It is nice because the pot is a nice small size for luthiery.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop...and-warmer-set

[Eonratslea500]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I’m going with Bills Lee valley find. It looks like 192 gram strength Is good for most things. Does anyone use 320 gram for bridges, or should I use titebond?

[Simon Fay]

Use the 192g for everything - it is versatile and completely suitable for every application you will encounter when building. Use the HHG for the bridge, out of all the joint on a guitar, this is the very joint that is best served by using HHG.

I bought a glue pot as I want the process as mindless as possible. I put the HHG in small squeeze bottles and store them in my refrigerator. You can put a stainless steel bolt in them to keep them from floating in the glue pot water.

[redir]

I use 192g for everything too and recently I've come to understand that the gram 'strength' has nothing in fact to do with strength but rather the gel time. 192g gives you a bit more working time before it gels. I add canning salt to it to give it even more time then that for certain applications. If you add enough salt (or urea) then you can make your own liquid hide glue which is suitable for pretty much any joint on a guitar except maybe jointing tops and backs and gluing bridges.

[Bass.swimmer]

I've used 315g for a bridge, is still holding well after about a year (pinless bridge). I think I like hide glue for bridges more cause it tacks quickly and keeps the bridge from sliding around.

[mercy]

Ive used a baby food jar and a home made wire basket in a tin can. You have to watch the temp though so maybe one of those warmers above would be better. Dont ever use higher strength glue

[Bass.swimmer]

Originally Posted by mercy

Dont ever use higher strength glue

If you don't mind me asking, why not?

[Frank Ford]

High gram strength glue is referred to as "too strong for woodworking" in the old literature.

Here's the reasoning, as I see it:

High (gel, gram, or bloom) strength glue takes a LOT more water to get it to a workable consistency. When the water evaporates or is absorbed in the clamped joint, there's far less collagen left behind to do the job of holding things together.

So, "high strength" results in low strength.

For non-clamped joints, the high gram strength glues can be quite useful - the "rubbed joint" where only hand pressure is used, for example.

I keep some of the 512 gram glue around for those special jobs - hand held cleats, cloth reinforcement strips - that kind of thing. Otherwise 192 is my stuff.