glue chipping question

[Catharine C. Kennedy]

Happy New Year to all!
I'm looking for tips on how much water to add to dried (previously activated and leftover) hide glue so I can use it for anthother round of glue chipping.
Thanks-
Catharine

[Kent Smith]

That depends upon how dried out it is. I add small amounts and heat until it gets to a gelatinous state, then add just enough to gain liquidity. This only works in a pot, not microwave.

[Dennis Davis]

Hi Cat...thanks for posting the question. I don't have an answer to your question, but I would like to ask one of my own. What is the proper way to store the unused glue? Is it poured into a plastic container and placed in the refrigerator or freezer? Has anyone every used one of those vacuum sealer machines to seal and then store it...probably overkill, but thought I'd ask. The glue I left in the pot out in the garage got moldy so I know there must be a better way.

Dennis in Boise

[Mike Jackson]

Dennis,
I am surpised your glue got moldy in the pot (especially in a dry climate like Boise). Normally, it skins over and dries rock hard in a relatively short time. We always just let it dry, then add water when it was time to do another project. I store my unused glue in gallon jars. Zip lock bags should work fine, too.

Good luck,
Mike Jackson

[Kent Smith]

The only time I had a mold problem was when I acciently left the heat on real low for a couple of days which obviously promoted the growth. I have even stored it in the application bottles I use with no problem.

[Patrick Mackle]

Hi Cat...thanks for posting the question. I don't have an answer to your question, but I would like to ask one of my own. What is the proper way to store the unused glue? Is it poured into a plastic container and placed in the refrigerator or freezer? Has anyone every used one of those vacuum sealer machines to seal and then store it...probably overkill, but thought I'd ask. The glue I left in the pot out in the garage got moldy so I know there must be a better way.

Dennis in Boise

Yes you can have a variety of thriving mold crops of in a few days.
You can add a small amount (drops) of formaldehyde and refrigerate in tupperware to stop the mold.
I lay down a sheet roll of black PVC plastic or a PVC cement mixing tub (HomeDepot) and pour the wet glue out to dry in the sun. Then crunch it up into a 5 gallon bucket. Doing this creates glue flakes that dissolve easily as opposed to chunks.
Different grades of glue seem to have different mold rates. The blonde glue that Rick later sold was refined like the sort sold for stamps and envelope manufacturers.
I was told that one of my glue suppliers largest buyers were the makers of Ragu Spaghetti Sauce. Animal glue can be anywhere from containing hair, wood, and sand from the stock yard, to being refined with added peppermint oil so you can lick the envelope. Yummm...
Pat

[Patrick Mackle]

Happy New Year to all!
I'm looking for tips on how much water to add to dried (previously activated and leftover) hide glue so I can use it for anthother round of glue chipping.
Thanks-
Catharine

It can be difficult to accurately weigh the used glue due to the added glass chips mixed in.
To get the proper water ratio in used glue I made a viscometer out of a PVC pipe end cap in which I drilled a 3/16" hole.
When mixing up fresh glue, I poured some into the viscometer and timed the time it took to empty out. When I cook up used glue, I now can add water till it takes the same time to run out.
Also, when I have a large amount of glue heated in the pot, and steam escapes from constantly removing the lid, I can add more water to replace that escaping moisture and insure a consistent chip throughout the job.
One other thing is that I've learned not to apply glue to chilled glass. Instead I place each panel onto a warmed level surface as it allows the glue to flow out evenly.
When I think about the way Rick recalled about how Rawson and Evans used the asphaltum method, it makes even more sense to warm the glass as the glue could be applied further away from the tar and allowed seek its own way easily to the edges without out glopping over.
Pat

[Kent Smith]

Great viscometer Pat. Mine has been the app bottle sometimes. I use medical irrigation bottles so the stem is consistant for flow. Also, I agree completely about the warm glass, especially superior flow-out. I find now with radient heat in the shop, all the surfaces are warm and consequently so is the glass. I also supplement with the wood/coal stove which dries the ambient air for superior chipping. I have also broken up a chunk of glue with a rubber hammer, inside a cloth bag so that it dissolves quickly. Still too dry here for mold though, just like Wyoming.

[Ron Berlier]

Hi Pat,

What size PVC cap did you use and what was the time for it to run out? That might help some of "hit" a good viscosity when mixing our own glue up.

TNX in advance.

[Patrick Mackle]

Hi Ron,
That PVC cap is at my other shop but I remember it to be a 2 1/2" white pipe cap with a rounded bottom. I drilled a 3/16" hole in the center of the dome.
You could also drill a hole into a stainless soup ladle, I chose the PVC because the glue falls off when it drys. I attached a metal handle.
Do to the fact that I mix my glue in different ratios, my draining time might throw you off.
It is best to mix some fresh glue to the ratio you prefer, even different ratios, and record the times they take to flow from your chosen viscometer.
I recall my time out of that PVC cap to be about 6 seconds.
Pat

[Sarah King]

Rick - and other folks - recommend mixing 2 parts water to 1 part glue by weight. I use this ratio for used glue that has dried hard as well as new glue granules.

The best way to deal with hot liquid left over glue is to spread out the backing paper from your vinyl mask with the shiny release side up and pour the used glue on it in a thin layer and let it dry hard. It does not stick to the release paper at all. When it has reached the rubbery stage you can have lots of fun ripping the big pieces into little pieces to make them easier to store and measure out later. If you are using glue with glass chips in it then - as Pat has said before - put the dried chips into a bucket and pound them with a hammer or mallet. Shake the bucket and the glass will fall to the bottom. I don't think that the weight of the glass that remains in the glue is enough to significantly alter the mixing ratio.

If you start with dry glue every time and you measure by weight rather than volume, you can be sure you have the right amount of glue to water and the glue will never go moldy.