Making hide glue

[rich pierce]

I’m making some hide glue from deer rawhide scraps and such. How syrupy do I want it to end up?

[Tim Crosby]

I’m making some hide glue from deer rawhide scraps and such. How syrupy do I want it to end up?

 Put some on the pad of your thumb and touch index finger to it. When you separate them and there is a string or they want to stick together it is ready, if it is to thick just add a little hot water to it. An old Saddle Soap can or such, tight lid is a good thing to store it in. It won't last forever but a good while, just add a little water and heat.

  Tim

 

[rich pierce]

It’s got a ways to go

[Tim Crosby]

 I don't know how much your making, small batch or what you need is better but it takes hours to make. Cook the raw hide or whatever your using until you get a broth going, remove the scraps, can't give you a time on that, kind of depends on what your using, hide, hood, horn,etc... and keep cooking until it thickens, testing every once in a while. I would not recommend doing it on the kitchen stove. Well, Spring or distilled water seems to work better, than treated.

   Tim

[john bohan]

Rich ,I've tried making it for bows etc, then I found a place from N.C. selling it. Its in crystal form. one of the nice things about hide glue is when you don't use all of it just throw it in the freezer til next time.

[Tim Crosby]

Rich ,I've tried making it for bows etc, then I found a place from N.C. selling it. Its in crystal form. one of the nice things about hide glue is when you don't use all of it just throw it in the freezer til next time.

 Freezer, I never thought about that. Ain't this place great?

   Tim C.

[James Rogers]

I used to render it down and Tim has given some good rules of thumb (and index finger). I now also use crystals and mostly use it in a weak form for leather edge dressing. Most luthier supply places carry it.
I too have never considered the freezer.  Sometimes I have to trash mine due to stagnation.
Making it from scratch or even using the crystals, its not a smell I relish.

[Greg Pennell]

Any place that sells supplies for primitive archery or native crafts should have hide glue as well...

https://www.crazycrow.com/craft-glue/hide-glue-powder-form

I found this at Crazy Crow.

Greg

[rich pierce]

Thanks guys. I’ve got crystals. Just like making stuff. I had some scraps left over from making rawhide bowstrings. I’ve ended up with about 2/3 of a cup of glue. Now I have a better idea of how much rawhide it takes and also that the stuff kind of leaches out of the rawhide. It doesn’t exactly dissolve.

[Robby]

I use a fine rasp or course file on the hide and collect the dust. It dissolves faster and I think I get more glue per amount of hide used. I boil it down to the consistency, when cool, of Karo syrup.
Robby