Hide glue

[sunburst]

Does anyone have any info on gram strenght of hide glue and how it is affected by adding urea to slow down the glue?
Do you use urea and what are your impressions?
Where do you get urea if you use it?

thanks in advance.

[WoodyMcKenzie]

Try this site:

http://home.pacbell.net/ebeniste/gluepage.htm

I would bet that you could email this fellow and ask him what his formulation is. If you do, let me know.

I bought a bag of small white pellets of urea at an arts/crafts store in Culpeper that was going out of business a few months ago. I assume that this is sold in art suppplies stores, since it was packaged like some of the other supplies for painting.

If it turns out that all you need is a few grams, let me know and I can send you some.

Woody

[Chris Baird]

Urea is the result of the metabolic process in mammals. The kidneys filter it out and it leaves the body in the #####. Of course the stuff you would buy is synthesized and didn't begin a pee. I use hideglue for almost everything and haven't had the need for it.

[Chris Baird]

I guess the technical term for "pee" is considered a bad word on this site.

[sunburst]

The other day as I was gluing a rather large piece of spruce inside a 1907 Martin guitar with my rather large hand through the rather small sound hole, I suddenly felt the need. one false move and it's too late.

[Michael Lewis]

John, just keep the parts warm and the glue will remain "open" for quite a while. Use a hair dryer to get everything up to temp. Summer time is really good for gluing up with hide glue. Winter time you need to be very careful.

[sunburst]

Thanks, Michael. I use a heat lamp, a heat gun, and sometimes a damp sponge, but customers want their guitars and mandos back in the winter too.