Hide glue color

[oldwave maker]

FYI-here's a color comparison shot of Nova(Eastman accessories), JR Music Supply, and International Violin 1 pound hide glue bags purchased recently, would have included stew-mac, LMI, and others, but I've been buying (nfi)from JR for years.

[Michael Lewis]

Bill, have you tried Milligan and Higgins for hide glue? I think they are the last hide glue maker left in the USA. I have been using their 192 gram strength high clarity stuff, and it is lighter in color than the lightest one you have there. The higher the strength the shorter the open time, but you probably don't have to worry about that where you live since it gets so warm there it probably won't gel before it dries. As long as it stays dry it keeps forever.

[james condino]

Rabbit hide glue is typically very light in color and very high gram strength, without the strong smell of the cow based darker glues.

j.
www.condino.com

[Klaus Wutscher]

Rabbit hide glue is typically very light in color and very high gram strength, without the strong smell of the cow based darker glues.

j.
www.condino.com
While this is a perfectly valid and really appropriate statement given that this is the builders section, I have to admit that it has a slight bizarre touch from a "players only" perspective http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

But anyway, keep it coming guys, I´m learning... Sniffing mandolins will never be the same http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[testore]

The lighter stuff is easier to use, generally, and it closes joints better, visually at least.

[james condino]

Beyond the working qualities of the different hide glues there are more subtle ones that have an effect on your work. I typically have the lighter colored rabbit hide glue, a weaker strength dark brown cow hide glue, and sturgeon bladder fish glue in the shop. They all have their individual uses, but the cow based can be create quite a stink if you have the pot going all day long.

In addition to mandolins, about half of my business is upright basses. They use a LOT of glue compared to a mandolin. The rabbit glue is a very mild smell. A number of years ago Jeff Elliot taught me to wrap up a couple of cloves of garlic in cotton and drop them into your glue pot when it is on; the claim was that it leaches some of the inpurities out of the glue. Instead of a stinky mess, the shop smells like my great grandmother's kitchen.

j.
www.condino.com