A word about hide glue for violin making.

This is made from the rejected scrapings and thinning’s from the leather making process. These are processed using lime and converted into glue. This is dried and formed into sheets, crystals or pearl form. Also, with some manufacturers, during the process a small amount of preservative is added to increase the glue's life as it tends to go mouldy over time once it is made up.

A glue solution is made up by placing it in a jar or old mug with twice the volume of water. Don’t use a metal pot as the glue will turn the pot black. It is then left to soak for about an hour with some regular stirring. It can then be heated to a temperature of between 50-60 degrees C. It is very important that it is not overheated as it will start to denature and will not bond so well. You can buy a glue Pot but a great tip is to use a baby bottle warmer which gently heats the glue.

The mix will last for many days but if there is any sign of it going mouldy then the glue should be thrown out and a new pot made.

Once it is made up it can be thinned if required - using more water for different gluing jobs. Also the water will evaporate over the course of a day and the glue will need to be thinned.

I personally prefer the Pearl form as it will dissolve more easily in the water. I store my dry glue in a polythene bag contained within an air tight jar. I am giving a link to Hide Glue to help you find it.

If you have time read up on this important and interesting subject and you will be able to understand why hide glue works so well in musical instrument making. There is nothing that compares to it for violin making - not even modern glue technologies!