Titebond Genuine Hide Glue.

Timbuck

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I've been giving this a try out on a couple of sopranos ... It appears to have done an excellent job on a dovetail neck joint ..and I'm in the process of gluing on a fretboard with it ...so I'll report back after the clamps come off... I don't like the taste much tho' 🥴 I notice that this is different to Titebond liquid hide Glue of old but I don't know what the difference is.

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I bought some of this about 5/6 years ago to glue up fretboard extensions, but then read bad reviews about it and the very short shelf time. It got relegated to gluing in frets and other little non structural jobs. The point is Ken, I'm still using it now and it's fine. I've never had a problem with it, so don't always believe the reviews. They were probably posted by "Glue snobs" who would only use the real thing(hot).
 
I've just taken off the clamps and the fretboard is fixed ok with no problems ...the only thing I can see that the glue doomsters don't like is that it takes a bit longer to cure than the TB Red Top and it's very sticky on the fingers but a bit of water soon gets that off.
I'm going to use it mainly on the neck joints... but I may find other uses :)
 
Ken, I've been doing this stuff for over 45 years, using good old Titebond Original. I'm always interested in folk's reasons for changing to hide glue. There is no issue getting Titebond to let go to remove a dovetail, so why change to an unknown product? Sure, hide glue is easier to separate if you need to do it for repair, but how often is that the case? 99% of people doing repairs will most likely repair it with Titebond anyway. Mostly you don't want things to separate. It's not like the violin world where it is expected that the top or back will need to be removed in time. Some people say hide glued instruments sound better due to the glue being more rigid. I have a very hard time believing that anyone can prove that in an ukulele listening test. Whenever I see these hideglue posts I think of all the new builders and hope they are using Original Titebond. It works. Hideglue is tricky stuff.
 
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Ken, I've been doing this stuff for over 45 years, using good old Titebond Original. I'm always interested in folk's reasons for changing to hide glue. There is no issue getting Titebond to let go to remove a dovetail, so why change to an unknown product?

Ah yes, the glue wars... I am thinking the same thing as Bob when I read about using these commercial hide glues out of the bottle. Why? TiteBond Original (not talking about TB II or TB III) is so good why use anything else? When things are glued with TiteBond they don't come apart. Period. That is if you glued the parts properly, use the correct amount of glue and didn't forgot to clamp or over clamped and glue starved the join. Yes, getting the joins apart can be a bear, (believe me, I know), but with heat, patience and moisture it can be done. On the other hand, hide glue is perfect for violins and other instruments that are meant to be disassembled. Generally ukuleles do not need to be disassembled.

Some people say hide glued instruments sound better due to the glue being more rigid. I have a very hard time believing that anyone can prove that in an ukulele listening test.

Personally I think these claims are pure horsehockey (bullshit). I knew a prominent luthier that swore that fish glue gave the best sound because it didn't "absorb the sound vibrations like aliphatic glues did". Okay.

And then there was a guy I knew who worked in a luthiery shop (a drone) who was also a classical musician who played in a major orchestra who said on a couple of occasions on really hot days people instruments who were glued with hide glue started to come apart. In the middle of a movement! Oh no! People do not like it when they pay good money and their ukuleles become unglued. Ukulele in a hot car trunk anyone?

I will shut up now.
 
Ken, I've been doing this stuff for over 45 years, using good old Titebond Original. I'm always interested in folk's reasons for changing to hide glue. There is no issue getting Titebond to let go to remove a dovetail, so why change to an unknown product? Sure, hide glue is easier to separate if you need to do it for repair, but how often is that the case? 99% of people doing repairs will most likely repair it with Titebond anyway. Mostly you don't want things to separate. It's not like the violin world where it is expected that the top or back will need to be removed in time. Some people say hide glued instruments sound better due to the glue being more rigid. I have a very hard time believing that anyone can prove that in an ukulele listening test. Whenever I see these hideglue posts I think of all the new builders and hope they are using Original Titebond. It works. Hideglue is tricky stuff.
There is no special reason I'm trying it out ....it's just that I like to keep moving about with things ...so I don't get in a rut :)
 
There is no special reason I'm trying it out ....it's just that I like to keep moving about with things ...so I don't get in a rut :)
Ken, Yeah, I do that too, so I know what you mean. I hate it when it does not work out and I'm left wondering why I did it!- Getting too old for that, so more and more I tend to stick with what works.Bob
 
I also mess about with glue mixes sometimes ..like using Titebond original on the dovetail flanks and using Titebond dark on the fretboard extension and on the edges of the heel so that the glue line shows dark when I use Cuban mahogany.
 
I've been giving this a try out on a couple of sopranos ... It appears to have done an excellent job on a dovetail neck joint ..and I'm in the process of gluing on a fretboard with it ...so I'll report back after the clamps come off... I don't like the taste much tho' 🥴 I notice that this is different to Titebond liquid hide Glue of old but I don't know what the difference is.

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The last thing I want to do is buy glue that labeled "Hide." I have enough trouble finding my regular glue when I want it. I don't want glue that's been trained to hide. 😁

Actually, I do have some hide glue - somewhere.
 
I use Old Brown LHG. Liquid hide glue is regular hide glue with urea added so it is liquid at a lower temperature. I use an electric teapot to heat the OBG to working temp, about 130 degrees F. I like the liquidity, the longer open time, and the ease with which it cleans up. Squeeze out can usually be removed with warm water and (big benefit if you're married) if you get it on your shirt it comes out in the wash. Just dont leave your Uke in the car in the sun.
 
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