Fish Glue

[Lijongtao]

Hello again all and Merry Christmas

Can anyone help me? I am looking for a 500ml-1 litre bottle of Fish glue but and not able ti find any that don't have extortionate shipping fees.

Much appreciated. Thank you

 

[Orraloon]

Would hide glue not do the same job?
If it has to be fish glue then you could always make your own.
Making Fish Glue - YouTube
Regards
John

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

I get mine from Kremer Pigmente

https://www.kremer-pigmente.com/en/suche/?q=Fish+glue&l=+

 

[Adam W.]

That's cheap, Cornelissen sell Seccotine for a lot more , but I'm not sure if they are both the same quality.

https://www.cornelissen.com/roberson-gum-ammoniac-30-ml-14037.html

 

[Orraloon]

That's cheap, Cornelissen sell Seccotine for a lot more , but I'm not sure if they are both the same quality.

https://www.cornelissen.com/roberson-gum-ammoniac-30-ml-14037.html

I was wondering just what kind of work would need to have fish glue but having seen the things you are involved with I guess its really fine work.
I first became aware of it about 20 years ago when I was making traditional archery bows and reading up on Turkish and Mongolian bows. A few bowyers on archery forums I frequented made their own. They reckoned the best was made from the swim bladders of fish and you could get that by the bagful from Asian grocer shops. I never did get around to a Turkish bow as that was a bit above my skill level so never got around to fish glue either.
Regards
John

 

[D_W]

Common to us on musical instruments instead of hide or liquid hide.

 

[Adam W.]

I was wondering just what kind of work would need to have fish glue but having seen the things you are involved with I guess its really fine work.
I first became aware of it about 20 years ago when I was making traditional archery bows and reading up on Turkish and Mongolian bows. A few bowyers on archery forums I frequented made their own. They reckoned the best was made from the swim bladders of fish and you could get that by the bagful from Asian grocer shops. I never did get around to a Turkish bow as that was a bit above my skill level so never got around to fish glue either.
Regards
John

I don't use it for the stuff I do, as rabbit skin glue is good enough for me, but those involved in manuscript work and illuminated capitals would.

 

[Lijongtao]

Thank you all. It is for paper work and requires Fish glue only. Really appreciate the help and advice. Thank you and Merry Christmas all.

 

[GuitardoctorW7]

Hello again all and Merry Christmas

Can anyone help me? I am looking for a 500ml-1 litre bottle of Fish glue but and not able ti find any that don't have extortionate shipping fees.

Much appreciated. Thank you

Hi
I get mine from Dictum in Germany. Fish Glue, 100 ml | Natural glues | Dictum.
1/2 litre bottle is €16.90, postage is €12.90 + VAT, and any extortionate fees Royal Fail add on. I buy other bits and pieces at the same time like abrasives to soften the blow. For any StewMac fans, Dictum do an identical guitar makers vice (called a pattern makers vice) for about £100 cheaper after costs, but it's green and pretty darn good.

 

[pe2dave]

Education needed here - history apart, for what purposes are fish / animal particularly suited please?
(apart from stinking out the kitchen ;-) )

 

[baldkev]

I might be wrong but im pretty sure fish glue is mainly used for mounting those
'Billy big mouth bass' to the plastic trophy backing

 

[GuitardoctorW7]

Education needed here - history apart, for what purposes are fish / animal particularly suited please?
(apart from stinking out the kitchen ;-) )

Fish glue has similar properties to Hide Glue, but much much longer working times. I use it in fret slots before fretting, lot easier on the fingerboard than CA, and removal is just a case of heating before lifting
I have now opened a can of worms with some 'experts' telling me you don't glue in frets, "they never did in the old days", which is kinda true, but wood moves and glue in the fret slots stabilises them after they're pressed/hammered in. It's a "modern" technique which also seems to give better tonal qualities IMHO
Commercial FG is also not that smelly.
Happy Xmas
G

 

[D_W]

I glue in frets. even if they're in with CA, they can be removed in most cases by putting an iron on the fret briefly.

I dot the very ends of the fret slots with thin CA - If someone would like to boast about their never glued frets and then have a fret end lift and have to deal with it later - they'll probably end up gluing it.

I saw a well-respected custom shop in the US (figuring they'd have some ultra precise setup where they wouldn't need to glue in) setting frets totally by hand and very carefully beading the entire slot with CA. The comments on the video were filled with "tycoons" who probably never worked on a guitar. I'd bet the shop itself just didn't feel like dealing with come-back guitars with frets lifting in half a decade or a decade.

 

[profchris]

I use hot hide glue for frets. It helps them slide in, and when set it fills any voids around the tangs. Fish glue would do just the same.

One concern with fish glue is reports that it can soften in high humidity - for guitars we're talking Alabama or playing in the bathroom. I suspect that it's only a problem with very thin wood, as it takes ages for moisture to percolate naturally into thicker pieces.

 

[GuitardoctorW7]

I glue in frets. even if they're in with CA, they can be removed in most cases by putting an iron on the fret briefly.

I dot the very ends of the fret slots with thin CA - If someone would like to boast about their never glued frets and then have a fret end lift and have to deal with it later - they'll probably end up gluing it.

I saw a well-respected custom shop in the US (figuring they'd have some ultra precise setup where they wouldn't need to glue in) setting frets totally by hand and very carefully beading the entire slot with CA. The comments on the video were filled with "tycoons" who probably never worked on a guitar. I'd bet the shop itself just didn't feel like dealing with come-back guitars with

I use hot hide glue for frets. It helps them slide in, and when set it fills any voids around the tangs. Fish glue would do just the same.

One concern with fish glue is reports that it can soften in high humidity - for guitars we're talking Alabama or playing in the bathroom. I suspect that it's only a problem with very thin wood, as it takes ages for moisture to percolate naturally into thicker pieces.

I've not come across that problem myself. I follow Tom Woodford on YouTube (Twoodford) and I got the Fish glue idea from him for fretting, used to use CA, both are great, and both can be broken down with heat as D_W states, don't think I've the patience for Hide Glue and fretting

 

[Ttrees]

Thank you all. It is for paper work and requires Fish glue only. Really appreciate the help and advice. Thank you and Merry Christmas all.

I'd have thought rice glue would be used here?
Tried to find a kumiko or screen making documentary recently,
it showed the missus putting some rice aside whilst setting the table, which was then mashed into a paste later on, cannot remember if anything was added to it.
It seems it's called Sokui
maybe someone can find the film.
Nothing came up using kumiko

Alternatively, Mitch Peacock might have some alternative ideas, as he made some shoji screens not too long ago.

 

[RobinBHM]

I’ve never had a need to glue fish together.

 

[Adam W.]

Education needed here - history apart, for what purposes are fish / animal particularly suited please?
(apart from stinking out the kitchen ;-) )

This should help as a primer on animal glues.

https://www.pbs.org/video/the-woodwrights-shop-hammer-veneering-with-steve-latta/

 

[John Brown]

I glue in frets. even if they're in with CA, they can be removed in most cases by putting an iron on the fret briefly.

I dot the very ends of the fret slots with thin CA - If someone would like to boast about their never glued frets and then have a fret end lift and have to deal with it later - they'll probably end up gluing it.

I saw a well-respected custom shop in the US (figuring they'd have some ultra precise setup where they wouldn't need to glue in) setting frets totally by hand and very carefully beading the entire slot with CA. The comments on the video were filled with "tycoons" who probably never worked on a guitar. I'd bet the shop itself just didn't feel like dealing with come-back guitars with frets lifting in half a decade or a decade.

Does the word "tycoon" have some other meaning in American English? Genuine question. I'm married to an American, and I have never encountered any usage other than the usual.

 

[pe2dave]

This should help as a primer on animal glues.

https://www.pbs.org/video/the-woodwrights-shop-hammer-veneering-with-steve-latta/

Tks Adam. Could have been good - the pratt in the hat quite spoiled it for me, just cannot stop talking!