Titebond liquid hide glue

[Brian Evans]

http://www.titebond.com/product/glues/9 ... 7daa20f8ed

Have we tried it? What do we think?

[Barry Daniels]

I used it one time to glue the fretboard of my first guitar. The next day I took off the clamps and the fretboard fell off the neck. Threw the glue in the trash and haven't used it since. That was 46 years ago.

[Alain Lambert]

I made my first guitar with it some 20 years ago.
Five years ago, the back braces started to unglue. I had to reglue with real HHG.
Do not use it for structural joints. Maybe binding, even there I am not sure I would use it again.

[Alan Carruth]

What they said. There are claims that it's fine when it's fresh, and so on. The problem I've had, and heard of from many others, is that it's unreliable in the long term. It seems particularly prone to softening with heat and humidity. The consensus is that it's not worth the risk in any structural application.

[Brian Evans]

Thank you all very much. I was under a mistaken impression that it was a brand new product - the ad for it I saw kind of implied that. But 46 years ago is a long time!

[Barry Daniels]

Not that long.

[Dick Hutchings]

I believed all this "malarkey and switched to HHG for many years. I've recently switched back. If you buy fresh, look at the date, it works fine long term. I have a violin I reattached the top with it 30+ years ago. I still play it and there have been zero problems. It's hide glue and so much easier to not have to mess with a glue pot. I've gone back to it and love it.

[Barry Daniels]

Glad it worked for you.

[Dick Hutchings]

If it works for me, it will work for anyone willing to do as I did. Go to the hardware store and check the dates on it. If it's well under a year old like mine is then it's good. I tested it and it dried glass hard just like HHG. I guess it's easier to know it's fresh when you make it yourself in a hot pot but I wanted to get away from that and still have the ability to redo a joint without having to remove the old glue. I haven't experimented with that aspect yet. Maybe I should do more testing before spouting off but I'm a hobby guy and spend little time gluing stuff or building for that matter. Takes me a year or 2 to finish an instrument in my limited spare time. Anyway, no more heating glue for me, at least until I retire and have more time for stuff like that.

[Clay Schaeffer]

Titebond liquid hide glue is made by Franklin International, so it's probably the same as it was 46 years ago.
I have heard people on this and other forums recommend liquid hide glue, as long as it is "fresh". Others have recommended adulterating HHG with urea or salt to extend the open time, which can also reduce it's strength. We picks our poison and takes our chances.
For bridges and braces I think I will cook up HHG. For other things I have used Titebond, epoxy, CA, contact adhesive, solder, and whatever else I think is appropriate to stick things together. I'm not a glue snob, but I do want things to stay stuck and be somewhat repairable.
That said liquid hide glue can be handy for less structural joints and gluing loose veneer on furniture In situ.

[Dick Hutchings]

I think I was a little over the top on that post. I'll never get rid of my glue pot and hide glue but save it for the right moments in building and repair. I actually have a couple of heat lamps in my Amazon wish list for this purpose.

My Titebond hide glue has turned to paste already so I won't be using that any more and most likely won't purchase it again because of that.

[Barry Daniels]

How long have you had that bottle of glue?

[Dick Hutchings]

I'm guessing less than 1 year. It may have been too cold, I'm not sure but the paste cured me of wanting to use it again. So now I'm onboard with the majority even though I have proved to myself that it can work very well.

[Clay Schaeffer]

Did you try heating it up? I wonder if heat would reactivate it like it does regular hide glue?
Some people have made their own "old brown glue", but I forget now who it was that did that.
I like to use hide glue for critical joints and places where cleaning the old glue off would be difficult to do if things came loose.
For longer open times and in places that can be cleaned easily for regluing I usually use Titebond.