18th Century Question

**4V50 Gary** · October 29, 2022, 10:54 AM

Hide glue has been around since Pharoah. I've never read an account of a settler making it though. I'm certain they were aware of it but can anyone confirm it? They had cattle, horses and mules that they could get the raw material from. It would have been useful for furniture making or in our case, gluing the wood plugs on the end of powder horns. Thoughts?

mehavey · October 29, 2022, 11:28 AM

All over the place -- especially wood-working, musical instruments, and books
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2005...ding-hide-glue

and ...

https://youtu.be/CHZetq3QTgo

.

**4V50 Gary** · October 29, 2022, 01:38 PM

Thanks.

mehavey · October 29, 2022, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by "4v50 Gary (Brand-X Forum :rolleyes:)

Would a frontiersman/settler have it?

See https://www.instructables.com/Home-Made-Hide-Glue/
...and even earlier...
(No kidding) mountain men process in the middle of nowhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoW6njwoICc

**4V50 Gary** · November 3, 2022, 11:45 PM

Great videos

Pahoo · November 4, 2022, 11:46 AM

Gary,
When I was actively working with powder horn, a Veterinarian I knew, would save me some of the horns from de-horning time. I would set up and boil them, outside as this was one of those times, the wife would not allow this work, in the house.

I boiled the horns and "Popped" out the bone core. Noticed a sticky layer that was also present. Scraped it out and later use is as a glue for my horns. I know it has a name that I have long, forgotten. It was a strong and useful glue for these projects. Besides making powder horns, I made BP measuring cups and Ram-Rod tips. I really do not know the process, for making Hide-Glue......

Be Safe !!!

**4V50 Gary** · November 4, 2022, 12:48 PM

Hi Pahoo,

I've worked with scaled horns before but never ones with the core intact. I gotta ask my rancher neighbors for some.

There is a maker's space in the 4th floor of the Berg Building of Trinidad College. That's the same building the college big wigs are in. I should do that horn work on the fourth floor and see if it reaches the madam president's office on the 2nd floor.

Years ago a classmate and I stunk up Trinidad when we rendered bear fat into bear grease. Classmate who was downhill and downwind smelled it from over 1/2 a mile away. His thought, "It must be Dan and Gary making bear grease."

**Mike Irwin** · November 4, 2022, 07:11 PM

Try the Foxfire books. I bet there's information in there about settlers making glue.

**4V50 Gary** · November 5, 2022, 09:29 AM

Never thought of Foxfire Mike. If it's in there, that suggests the frontier people knew of it and made it.

Anybody got a complete set of Foxfire?

ETA: Townsends link:

https://youtu.be/Qwyyi5-Ye7c

Joseph Moxon's The Mechanick's Exercises (1703) had instructions. Ordering a leather hardback sewn copy from Gyan Press (India).

ETA: My local animal shelter thrift store has old rawhide chew toys. Guess where I'm getting mine from to make hide glue?

ETA: I went today and the store sold out.

I did buy a 2 1/2 qt Revere Ware Pot with lid for $4.50 and Kruschev Remembers for $2.

**4V50 Gary** · December 28, 2022, 06:03 PM

Page 104 of The Mechanick Exercises foar free!
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?...ew=1up&seq=105

October 29, 2022, 10:54 AM	#1
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,680	18th Century Question Hide glue has been around since Pharoah. I've never read an account of a settler making it though. I'm certain they were aware of it but can anyone confirm it? They had cattle, horses and mules that they could get the raw material from. It would have been useful for furniture making or in our case, gluing the wood plugs on the end of powder horns. Thoughts? __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 29, 2022, 01:38 PM	#3
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,680	Thanks. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

November 3, 2022, 11:45 PM	#5
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,680	Great videos __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

November 4, 2022, 11:46 AM	#6
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,715	Interesting Gary, When I was actively working with powder horn, a Veterinarian I knew, would save me some of the horns from de-horning time. I would set up and boil them, outside as this was one of those times, the wife would not allow this work, in the house. I boiled the horns and "Popped" out the bone core. Noticed a sticky layer that was also present. Scraped it out and later use is as a glue for my horns. I know it has a name that I have long, forgotten. It was a strong and useful glue for these projects. Besides making powder horns, I made BP measuring cups and Ram-Rod tips. I really do not know the process, for making Hide-Glue...... Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

November 4, 2022, 12:48 PM	#7
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,680	Hi Pahoo, I've worked with scaled horns before but never ones with the core intact. I gotta ask my rancher neighbors for some. There is a maker's space in the 4th floor of the Berg Building of Trinidad College. That's the same building the college big wigs are in. I should do that horn work on the fourth floor and see if it reaches the madam president's office on the 2nd floor. Years ago a classmate and I stunk up Trinidad when we rendered bear fat into bear grease. Classmate who was downhill and downwind smelled it from over 1/2 a mile away. His thought, "It must be Dan and Gary making bear grease." __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 29, 2022, 11:28 AM	#2
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,630	All over the place -- especially wood-working, musical instruments, and books https://www.finewoodworking.com/2005...ding-hide-glue and ... https://youtu.be/CHZetq3QTgo .

November 4, 2022, 07:11 PM	#8
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,246	Try the Foxfire books. I bet there's information in there about settlers making glue. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

November 5, 2022, 09:29 AM	#9
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,680	Never thought of Foxfire Mike. If it's in there, that suggests the frontier people knew of it and made it. Anybody got a complete set of Foxfire? ETA: Townsends link: https://youtu.be/Qwyyi5-Ye7c Joseph Moxon's The Mechanick's Exercises (1703) had instructions. Ordering a leather hardback sewn copy from Gyan Press (India). ETA: My local animal shelter thrift store has old rawhide chew toys. Guess where I'm getting mine from to make hide glue? ETA: I went today and the store sold out. I did buy a 2 1/2 qt Revere Ware Pot with lid for $4.50 and Kruschev Remembers for $2. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 28, 2022, 06:03 PM	#10
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,680	Page 104 of The Mechanick Exercises foar free! https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?...ew=1up&seq=105 __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

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