[Ansteorra] Adhesive!

[Miles Grey]

Lady Grainne,
  Hide glue dates back at least to Roman times and I believe it was used
in Ancient Egypt.  You can buy the ground flakes and mix it up yourself
- many lutiers and others who use hide glue own an electric glue pot
that will keep it warm, others just use some normal source of heat.  You
can buy the ground hide glue at woodworking supply places like
Woodcraft.  It dries transparent (mostly) and cleans up with water - and
it is NOT waterproof.

  There are also pre-mixed versions of hide glue available, usually called
"traditional brown glue."  Titebond makes a version (available from
Woodcraft) and there's also "Patrick Edwards Old Brown Glue" available
at their own website (http://www.oldbrownglue.com/) and elsewhere.  It
also dries clear.

  Hide glue has the advantage that it's reversable - you heat it up with
an iron and you can pull apart the joints.  Another advantage is that it
is repairable - that is, you do not have to remove all vestiges of the
glue from the joint to re-assemble it.  I believe you heat up the joint
to soften the old glue, apply some fresh glue, and re-assemble - I've
never tried doing that so I don't know the exact process.

  As a sealing and protecting agent, shellac (the real thing, made from a
resin secreted by the female lac bug) goes back to ancient times
(originally as a coloring or dying agent and sometimes to make molded
items), I understand that there are references to it being used as a
varnish in Europe as early as the 13th century, so it's even period in
that application.  I'm not sure what solvent was used in antiquity, but
the solvent used these days is denatured alcohol (which is ethanol with
a "denaturing" agent added so you cannot drink it - essentially poisoned
Everclear).  Distillation was known in period, mostly for perfumes and
things, so using alcohol as your solvent is plausibly period and may
actually be period.  You can buy shellac flakes from Woodcraft and most
other woodworking suppliers.  "Blonde" shellac is the variety with the
least color to it, but, like even a lot of modern plastic resins, it is
not completely transparent.  Natural shellac has an amber tint to it,
with blonde shellac having the least.  Basically, what you are buying is
just flakes of the natural resin, which you then dissolve in a solvent. 
After it is applied, the solvent evaporates leaving behind the natural
resin.  Shellac is waterproof, but, as you might guess, it is NOT
alcohol proof (don't spill your margarita on it) nor is it heat proof
(don't put a hot pot on it, but a hot Ansteorran day shouldn't be a
problem - I'm not sure if it would survive being left in a car on a
sunny day though).

  I hope this is of some use to you.  My knowledge of both hide glue and
shellac is from the woodworking perspective, though I know that shellac
has been used to stiffen felt hats.  Either or both may prove to be just
what you're looking for or completely worthless, but it's certainly
worth a little experimentation.

  In service,
    Miles Grey

Chelsea Durham wrote:
>
> Sorry my mind was going faster than my fingers. what I meant to add was "I
> want a stiff to hard, clear coating on the flowers." they're pretty
> delicate. which should have been followed by the "I'm pretty sure it
> wasn't something that was done to the flowers in history."
>
> -Lady Grainne Kathleen NicPadraig MacDaniel
>
> Son, I never knew there was part of me missing until you were born.
>
>
>
>
>> From: chiara.francesca at gmail.com
>> To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
>> Date: Mon, 30 May 2011 19:58:27 -0700
>> Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Adhesive!
>>
>> Actually, you would be surprised. :)
>>
>> Try these sites
>> http://www.roxelana.com/articles.html
>> http://tinyurl.com/42zlus7
>> http://tinyurl.com/44eoq24 (The history of English secular embroidery By
>> Margaret Jourdain)
>>
>> ♫
>> Chiara Francesca
>> (said in my best southern drawl) You want a silver lining to that sad,
>> little, cloud; come sit by me. :)
>>
>>
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