Period Glues

Another type of mediveal glue is fish glue-and this stuff is STRONG.
Good for wood/horn combinations.  This is a cold glue, meaning that it
is used cold.  Not heated, like hide glues.  And by the way, why didn't
anyone mention that Hide Glue can be bought in a hardware store?  It's
called Rabbitskin Glue-comes in granules, reconsituted with water and
must be heated to be used.  Much easier than breaking down the bones,
horns, hooves and hides and creating the glue...that takes even longer
than fish glue!
Been there, done that, don't do it anymore.

To make Fish Glue:

Remove the good meat parts of the fish then take the bones and remains
of your fish or several fish and place in a pot, cover with enough water
to be about 3" above the remains. Bring to a rolling boil, then turn
down to a rolling simmer (just below medium heat on a stove).
Cook for approximately 2-3 or MORE hours on a rolling simmer-to dissolve
all the parts of the fish-and adding JUST enough extra water as needed
to prevent from burning & sticking-stir frequently! (about every 10-15
minutes.)
The glue will be very very thick and gooey when done.  It will seem
liquid, but put a sample between your fingers and thumb and press them
together open and shut constantly...at some point, that excerise will
cease and you'll run around screaming "how do i get my fingers and thumb
apart!!"  
Can be kept in a tightly closed container for about 10 days under a
cool enviorment (read refigerator)....open downwind after 10 days.
Yeah, the longer it's kept around the stronger it gets...in glue
strength and smell.  Don't keep it longer than 3 months.

Oddly enough, when cooking, the creation of this glue stinks a bit for
about 10-15 minutes...then creates this WONDERFUL cooking smell that
makes folks who like fish, very very hungry.  Feed them the fillets you
took off those bones, and tell them to leave your glue alone.

~Rayah Blackstar



Not true.  Hide glue dries hard enough to chip chisels.  Hide glue can
also be softened and removed with water.  That is why it is still used
in instruments today.  A good supplier for hide glue is in an ad in Fine
Woodworking.  It is mixed with approximately equal parts water and glue
flakes and heated to 190 degrees.  Too hot and it ruins the glue
ability, too cold and it thickens.  If the glue set too quickly, it can
be reheated using a damp cloth and an iron.  I've used this stuff
exclusively in the lutes I've built and it is tough stuff, fully
documentable.

~Brendan McEwan, Steppes, Ansteorra


Yep.  Hideglues have to be applied hot. (know all those jokes about
horses being fit only for the glue factory? ta-dah, now you know why)
As for the making of hide glue, same principle as fish glue, HOWEVER,
you want to break down the bones, hide, hooves and horns into as much
small/powdered material as you can, and it takes a few weeks/if not
months to achieve that boildown consistancy over an outdoor heat.  This
is NOT one you do inside... this stuff REALLY (gag gag) stinks, and
medieval laws were passed about where glue/hide processing could be
done....air pollution laws no less :)

*instant* hide glue was manufactured by scribes in the middle ages by
throwing scraps of their vellum with water into a small pot and heated. 
Vellum is the very thin hide of a sheep/cow/rabbit whatever, that has
been scraped, stretched to a thin paper consistancy used for writing. 
This makes for a quick instant gradification hide glue, as the hide
material is very thin already.  Took me 20 minutes at one point to make
some with remains of some vellum scraps i had.  I had a little U shaped
alumimum metal stand, a candle for the heat, and a very shallow glass
bowl.  Threw the hide in, added water and let it heat while i stirred.
20 minutes i had great hide glue. 

Generally, with hide glue, after the liquid is processed, you layer it
over a flat surface and break/crush/powder it up and store it for
reconsitution later.

~Rayah Blackstar



I've seen a lot of posts on period glues, but none on plain ole' paste.
 
The basic difference between paste and glue is that paste dries hard,
while glue stays more flexible. Also, glue provides better
water-resistance; dry paste that gets wet will often revert to wet paste.
This tendency can be alleviated with a finishing application of wax or
varnish.
 
Paste also works better w/ surfaces that are at least partially porous.
Paper and cardboards are the best applications. But paste also works well
w/ leathers, cloth, and soft woods. And you can try it on everything. Use
a sample first, of course, before trying it on important projects!
 
One last caveat: Materials that are pasted my tend to curl while drying.
(Paste dries completely.) When pasting papers and leathers, they should
be firmly pressed flat (or whatever) until they are completely dry.
 
Here is a recipe for a simple flour paste:
 
 Flour paste
 
1 cup flour
1 cup cold water
4-5 cups boiling water.
 
Put the flour in a saucepan and gradually add the cold water, stirring
until all lumps are gone. Look for a whole milk sort of consistancy
(Thick paste is a very commen error. It can be thinned w/ water at any
time.) Slowly add the boiling water and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring
constantly. Let cool. You can also add a few drops of clove oil to
discourage mildew and to act as a preservative.
 
Hope that helps,
-Erik Wulfriksson-