How do you glue your labels in with hide glue?

[Darren Kern]

On my #1 mando I used homemade gelatin glue and had no problem, but now that I've got real hide glue and a glue pot from Stew Mac, the result was a mess. I know I let the glue get hot enough, it was completely liquid. With my first one I placed the label and brushed the glue over the top, is this how you all do it, or do you put glue on the back? Fortunately once it started to solidify, I was able to clean it off and start over.

[Dennis Russell]

I use that bottled hide glue for backs of labels, because that is all that is good for, sometimes it peels up a little and I have to go back in and dress up edges of label. I tried some other adhesives and they do well also, tightbond is also very good for labels, but the problem is if it dry,s and you want to move it or remove , it is almost impossible to get off... Dennis in Arizona

[Gail Hester]

I brush the hot hide glue on the back and put the label on like you would a postal stamp.

[Jerry Byers]

Check out Frets.com.

[Stephen Perry]

Installation through a hole: thin spline of wood split at the end. Label in split. Thin glue, I use hide. Brush on back of label quickly. Use spline and other thin spline to manipulate through hole and into position. Quickly. Hold down with free spline to yank split spline off the label. Smooth out with spline.

[Jerry Byers]

Installation through a hole: thin spline of wood split at the end. Label in split. Thin glue, I use hide. Brush on back of label quickly. Use spline and other thin spline to manipulate through hole and into position. Quickly. Hold down with free spline to yank split spline off the label. Smooth out with spline.

And if you don't have a spline handy, just remove the back, apply label, and reinstall back.

Working on the inside of stringed instrument is like working through a small incision, except that the opening on the instrument is fixed. Someday, I'd like to watch Steve do his magic with mandovoodoo™ - I'm impressed.

[Hans]

I use a tweezers and a new pencil with a new square eraser to smooth it out. Glue it in with Titebond, so I suppose at temps above 200 degrees it would fall out. S'OK, cause at 200 degrees, it'll void the guarantee anyway!

[Darryl Wolfe]

I do what Hans does, but I always use that grade school brownish stuff in the bottle with the rubber slit tip. "LePages" or something like that. I guess it's some sort of simple gelatin or hide glue and I thin it down a bit.

[amowry]

I do it exactly the way that Hans does. The pencil eraser is "sticky" enough so you can slide the label into the correct position before pressing it down.

[Gibson A5]

I use Titebond and aligned it with a scratch awl or a pointy knife blade, then install a 12" Wal-Mart Party Balloon in the body to hold it against the back shape until dry. I use such a big balloon because then it covers a large area and you don't have to put much air in it, so I feel I'm not going to crack the mando with too much pressure. It conforms the label to the back perfectly and you don't have to leave the balloon in very long.
Bill P.

[Darren Kern]

Thanks for all the tips. I doubt I'll ever be brave enough to try to glue the label in after the back is already on. Jerry, thanks for the link to the article, I searched frets.com but didn't find that one. Makes sense to thin the hide glue and dip the label like that. I was able to go back and get it to stick using the normal consistency hide glue, I just brushed on a thinner coat and made sure to not brush over a layer after it was already drying which would make it clumpy and sticky. Sounds like Titebond might be the easiest way to go in the future, since I have no reason to think that my labels will ever need to be removed.