Sheppy Glue

[Chris Knight]

Funny name for an animal (bone) glue but I think it may just have to do with the fact that it is made on the Isle of Sheppey?

In any event it is possibly the strongest glue I have ever used and has some wonderful characteristics:-

Can make super rubbed joints - as most animal (Scotch) glues, I guess)
Is great for hammer veneering.
No need to mix with water on first use but may need diluting as the pot grows hot - so to speak.
Oak, end grain to end grain joins are very, very ,very strong
Can use it like super glue (hold whilst it semi sets - or at least grabs enough to let go)

I could go on - but try it!
http://www.sheppyindustries.co.uk/adhesives/cabinet.htm

 

[Alf]

Funny name for an animal (bone) glue

"Get down, Shep!" immediately sprang to mind, I'm afraid.

Interesting site. The whole glue pot thing is, so far, unknown to me, but it's definitely on the "to try" list. I'm frankly astonished at the end grain to end grain result. Drat. Wish I'd picked up that glue pot I saw the other day now... Haven't found any price yet; expensive? :|

Cheers, Alf

 

[Chris Knight]

Alf,
I honestly can't remember. I bought a 5 kilo bucket from Mylands if memory serves. About the same price as white glue I think.

You don't need a fancy glue pots, this will do:-

 

[Alf]

You don't need a fancy glue pots

No wonder you've changed your sig with that attitude... :roll:

Cheers, Alf

 

[dedee]

Chris,
I have never used anything other than white "resin w" white glue straight from the bottle.

What are the merits of this type of glue you describe. The one I can think of is the ability to steam a joint apart as I have seen my father do during furniture restoration, but as I have never seen a white joint glue fail is this really necessary?

Is it a traditionalist thing?

Andy

 

[Chris Knight]

Andy,

Reversibility is a good reason you might want to use animal glue and it's the only thing restorers use for that reason.

I am not really a traditionalist and do/use things because they seem to work well for me. At times this results in very traditional solutions because they seem the best for a particular job. In this case, I wanted to have a very quick "grab" because I was gluing some strips on my box that I wanted to hand hold and I also wanted something stronger than superglue and I also wanted the possibility to reverse it if I got the gluing wrong (potential misalignment)

I use white glue (actually, the yellow variety - Titebond more often than Resin-W) for most things. I do use animal glue if doing any hammer veneering - it's all you can use really for that particular application.

Also if I want extreme strength I will use the Sheppy glue - it is the strongest glue I have found - though not at all water resistant of course.

 

[dedee]

Chris

As I clamped up my own little box last night in such a way that will not enable me to see how tight the joints are until I take the clamps off, all of a sudden reversibility seems like a very good reason for having a cooker in the workshop.

Is the temperature of the glue that critical that it requires a thermometer?

Andy

 

[Chris Knight]

Temperature is not that critical - needs to be around 60-70 degrees C. YOu can tell it's OK when it runs off the brush in a nice watery stream. However, you should not overheat, or boil it - that destroys the proteins and wrecks the glue.

I forgot to mention another big plus - it will take finish very well so it doesn't matter if you get it on the face of the work - in hammer veneering, you slather the face side of the veneer with glue to allow the hammer to slide, then simply scrape the veneer afterwards and before finishing.

 

[Pete W]

Sounds like a great glue, especially the bit about taking finish, but I'm not sure I can find room in the shop for the necessary gubbins (might just squeeze in a small electric gluepot, I guess).

But I can't help but wonder why, with the miracles of modern science, they can't come up with a glue with exactly these characteristics that squeezes out of a cold bottle :roll: .

BTW Chris, belated congratulations on the rocking chair article in GWW. Enjoyed it enormously while sipping wine by the French pool .

 

[Chris Knight]

Pete,
They do make liquid hide glues - Titebond and others make them but I have never found them nearly as good as the real thing. The extenders (like salt or urea) which are added to keep the glue liquid at normal temperatures inevitably reduce the glue's performance to a degree. However, I'd recommend a fresh bottle of Titebond liquid hide glue to any one who cares to try hide glue without the fuss of heating it - although the instant grab etc won't be there precisely because it will not gell as quickly as the hot stuff does in cooling down.

Thanks for your kind words on the article - are you sure it wasn't simply the mellowing effect of a nice wine? :wink:

 

[Pete W]

Thanks for the info, Chris.

I may have seen liquid hide glues advertised somewhere but it never registered. I'll definitely check it out. The lack of instant grab wouldn't be an issue for any projects I have in mind at the moment.