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Is there any reason to be wary because of Lee Valley's description that the cured glue has low moisture resistance?

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Stay with the happy people.
--Reynolds Large

That's the glue I use. There shouldn't be a problem unless you have a habit of playing guitar in the shower.

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Jeremy Douglas

Right - all fish glue is less moisture resistant than say HHG or Titebond but certainly good enough for instruments.

I like it because it gives a little extra working time for gluing on wood bindings so that you arent in a hurry to get them in place (sometimes causing gaps). Excellent glue for that as well as other items!

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Reguards,

Ken H

I'm also using this glue more and more for the same reason that Ken states.
It allows you extra working time which can be an advantage in certain operations.

I'm getting mine from Norland. They sell it in bulk so perhaps this is precisely the same material as the Lee Valley. "High Tack Fish Glue " is exactly what Norland labels theirs. The high tack quality makes it great for putting in glue blocks and I've found that bracing is less prone to "swimming" when attaching it to a top or back with this glue. I have heard that the glue line is not as invisible as Titebond for joining tops so I have not used it for that.

Has anyone had fish glue that just seems to take way too long to dry? What is its shelf life?

I got some from a friend, but I think that it is on its way out...

Stephen

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www.ziegenfussguitars.com

Stephen...it sure takes long to dry/cure...that's why I use it. I typically leave all FG joints clamped for 24 hours whereas I can unclamp most HHG joints within 2-4 hours. I like the many minutes of working time on some operations with fish glue rather than the 1 minute max time with HHG. The only operation I now use for FG is gluing the tops and backs...most everything else is still HHG.

How long is the cure time that you are experiencing and why do you suspect the problem? How long have you had the glue and how was it stored? I have had glue in the fridge for a year and it still works.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

it was about 30 hours before the test pieces that I glued together didn't feel "squirmy" (probably totally mental) and about 5 days before the runout was hard and not the consistency of rubber cement...

It is totally new to me, so I have no idea what to expect..

thanks though,
Stephen

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www.ziegenfussguitars.com

Pitch it and get new stuff!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Yep pitch it Stephen my friend it should not take 30 hours and still not be cured.

David Collins buys a new batch annually and I get mine, parasitically....., from David.

I got some from, and from a new bottle it didn't totally tack up after a week.

I can only assume I got a bad batch, but I tossed that bottle and never looked back. Perhaps I should give it another go, but I've never had that problem when I make my own hide glue.