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My old hold heat glue pot is on it’s last leg. I’m looking for a new glue pot without a whole lot of luck. What are people using these days for a glue pot?


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Formerly know as Mandodiddle.

There’s a used Hold Heet for sale on eBay right now. But I prefer the MusiCaravan double boiler style glue pot on top of a hot plate.

Colin mentioned the wax warmer pots you find on eBay sometime ago, and that is what I have been using. Before buying one of those I used the mini crockpots. They both worked, but the wax warmer is more adjustable for temperature and has a removable inner pot that makes it easier to clean. I put the glue in small squeeze bottles and heat them in a water bath. I also use the water bath for glue cleanup so being able to change the water easily is a plus.
I don't use hot hide glue on a daily basis, so can't comment on the longevity of these devices.

I like the music caravan one too. It keeps the temp at 145-50 without having to even think about it. Then I take the little crucible and cover it in plastic wrap with the lid on and put in the refrigerator when done at the end of the day.

https://musicaravan.com/gluepot/

I've been using one of those wax warmer pot for a couple of years as well, in the same manner. Very useful, cleans in the blink of an eye. Well… no cleaning required.

One trick I got from someone here : I keep a layer of glass marbles (yes, those marbles) in the bottom of the inner pot, it helps keep the temp constant.


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse

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Pierre Castonguay

I keep my hide glue in a small plastic bottle I can store in the freezer. My glue pot is an adjustable baby bottle warmer from Walmart. I put a candy thermometer in the water so I can set the dial to get the right temperature. The bottle goes in the water bath in the warmer. It’s easy and repeatable every day.

This is where I eventually landed - Musicaravan pot, Casori variable temp plate and a 2oz needle bottle.

https://cosori.com/products/original-au ... r-co294-cw

M

I own two VWR laboratory student hot plates I bought used on eBay. Once you get the right temperature dialed in, you mark the dial with a pencil, and all is good. The size of the plate works well with the MusiCaravan glue pot, they heat up very fast, and they hold their temperature.

+1 on the baby bottle warmer. Cheap and works great.

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier

I've been using a small coffee cup warmer for years. It holds an enameled metal cup for the baby food jar of glue in a water bath, with a layer of marbles at the bottom to boost the cut up so I can reach it. I've been using some 295 gram glue that has a longer working time than I expected.

After 27 years, my Hold Heet pot bit the dust. I bought one of the wax warmer pots and have been using it for the last several years. Works great.
A couple of years ago, I decided to investigate the Hold Heet to see if it could be repaired. I found someone online who was selling Hold Heet thermostats, so I took a leap of faith and tried one. It did the trick.
The only issue now is that I like the wax warmer better, so the Hold Heet is serving as an emergency backup [FLUSHED FACE]

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John

HotPot with marbles in the bottom and an old coffee pot that you have to jiggle the cord three times and stand on your head four times and it will start creaking and wam up.

For us in the repair world we don't need a ready supply of HHG at all times. Instead we keep it mixed in a baby food jar and toss it on one of the pots 1/2 hour before we will need it and that's not every day.

Wax warmer here. Works great, temp is stable, cost less than $40, my current one in regular use for 5 years now. Inner pot is teflon coated.

Thanks for all the replies. I think I have plenty to choose from now.
At what temperature do you like to keep your pot?

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Formerly know as Mandodiddle.

My thermometer sits in the glue and I like it at 145 degrees f
I found this very useful, http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Glue/UseHideGlue/usehideglue1.html

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Like Colin, I measure the temperature of the glue itself, not the heat source or water bath. Once I have a stable 140 F for the glue itself, I mark the dial on my heat source and keep it there. Since my heat source is stable and reliable, I don’t have to keep measuring. The heat is repeatable if I keep the dial at that mark. I recheck over time to make sure there is no drift away from 140 F.

I have a few marks on my temp dial - one denotes the setting for correct temp when the pot is full of water, the others denote the position for when the pot is partially full. Often, if I’ve mixed up a tiny batch of glue in a shallow disposable sauce cup, I like to run the pot with only enough water to do the job (1/4 full, say). This allows the pot to come up to temp rapidly, useful for a quick job.

I use a HotPot. Drilled a small hole in the top so i can put a candy thermometer through the hole into a stainless little jar with thee hhg. When done, put the jar back in the freezer.