Other than the above advantage, it cannot excel in any task that hot hide
glue can. Glue joint strength is not any better. It will not bond to itself
unless heated. For restoration and multifaceted piece work it is too time
consuming and creep resistance is marginal under the wrong
circumstances. In glueing marquetry, if the exterior is not taped up you will
have squeeze out amoung the joints. These will have to be cleaned up after
unclamping. Not a fun chore. That is not to say I do not find it useful in
glueing large surfaces. One product I have found superior to others is
Franklin Liquid Hide Glue. This was the first that appeared on the market.
It comes with an expiration date and I have used it 6 months after it expired
with good results. Do not try that with other cold hide glues that are
available.
In contrast, hot hide glue has a quick tack and good gap filling properties. It
will set in a matter of minutes and requires minimal clamping beyond that
unless you're apprehensive. Any squeeze out can be scraped off after it has
gelled. Has no glue line and the best part is it never gets old. Just heat and
reconstitute with water. I've edge veneered marquetry in a matter of
minutes. I have even added a mitered border around a marquetry picture
using only a straight edge, knife and a 45 degree miter gauge in less than an
hour. Fast and perfect miters. I do not claim to have invented the
technique, but neither have I seen it ever done by anyone other than myself.
And you will not find it in any marquetry book.
Sometimes a task becomes easier by using hot hide glue as in the example
below.
The circular cross banding was inlayed by such a method. First, the oval
border was routed out using a laminate trimmer and a template guide.
Tulipwood was used for the cross banding, but to give the appearance of a
circular curvature only one inch of veneer was inlayed at a time. Working
on one section of the oval while another was setting up with hot glue
allowed me to work in an orderly fashion. The whole process took just over
an hour saving me several days of clamping time.
I have always felt that one should adopt oneself to the medium you are
using. There are many more applications where hot hide glue can be useful.
It makes a fast wood filler. Veneer can be sized and flattened. Can even be
used as a finish. Cabinetmakers and instrument makers use it. I even know
a bookbinder who uses nothing else. All that is needed is a glue pot and a
brush. Most woodworkers are set in their ways. Once they learn a
technique, change is not an option to them. I guess I'm guilty of this
because in all the years of creating marquetry using hide glue not one has
delaminated. Sometimes the old way of your forefathers is the best way and
in my case the only way.
