Hide glue is made from animal collagen and was popular until the 20th century. It is still used in fields such as antique restoration, instrument making, and fine woodworking. It is sold in sheets, flakes, or pellets and must be mixed with water and heated. The bond is strong but can be reversed with heat or steam, making repairs easier. It is brittle, which can be beneficial for repairs. It can be reheated for adjustments and repairs.
Hide glue is a type of glue made from collagen, a protein found in animal hides and hooves. Up until the 20th century it was probably the most popular glue in use, used in a range of fields to create strong joints between various objects. Today, a range of synthetic glue products are available in addition to concealing glue; a hardware store or woodworking supplier is a good place to find this type of glue if you need it for a project.
In some fields, leather glue continues to be the glue of choice. People who restore antiques often work there because they want to keep the materials true to the era in which the antique was manufactured. It is also used by instrument makers, because it has a number of properties which make it ideal for fine instrument making. It is also used in fine woodworking. These uses ensure that this glue remains readily available, along with the supplies needed to handle it, such as a glue pot for heating and work.
Typically, hide glue is sold in the form of sheets, flakes, or pellets. Dried glue must be mixed with water and heated to make it usable, and precise temperature control is extremely important, as glue degrades and becomes less effective if allowed to get too hot. Many people use a specialized glue pot for this purpose, because glue pots are designed to handle delicate temper settings. If allowed to cool, the glue will become brittle and unworkable. Fortunately, the glue can be heated multiple times; this feature can be extremely useful for fine-tuning and adjustments.
The bond created by hide glue is extremely strong, but can easily be reversed by applying heat, steam, or a very fine blade to the joint, depending on the type of joint involved. It’s also quite brittle, which can be a big plus when a joint experiences extreme stress and breaks. Typically the break will be very clean, making it easier to repair, whereas synthetics tend to create irregular breaks that are difficult to repair.
Many people take advantage of the heatable section of the hide glue. In instrument repair, for example, it may be gently melted to allow a luthier to take apart an instrument for maintenance, then the glue may be reheated when the instrument is reassembled. Furniture makers also appreciate leather glue, as they can easily adjust the construction of a piece of furniture made with it, and it makes repairs very easy.
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