Hide glue is made up of only a few raw materials, which are all natural:
• Gelatin • Water • Corn syrup/sugars • Glycerin • Epsom Salt
Hide glue is very commonly used in book binding, box-making, laminating, packaging, and graphic arts industries. Other uses include match heads, abrasives, woodworking, and antique furniture restoration.
Since hide glue is made up of only natural raw materials, it can be sensitive to changes in heat and humidity, and may run slightly different depending on the season. Please visit our troubleshooting page for tips and tricks for adjusting the running parameters to combat these seasonal differences. We also offer winter and summer formulas of some of our hide glues for this reason. As always, if you cannot troubleshoot the problem on your own, contact LD Davis’ adhesive lab for help. We are always here for you!
All of our hide glues can be easily modified for viscosity, tack, open time, and pH. Contact us, and we can either give you some tips to adjust your current hide glue or we’ll be happy to formulate custom hide glue specifically for your application and specifications.
Hide glue and hot melt adhesives have very different chemical makeups. Hide glue is made up of all natural materials: gelatin, water, sugar, glycerin, and Epsom salt. Hot melt adhesives are composed of polymers, resins, wax, antioxidants and plasticizers. Hide glue is heated to about 140 degrees before use while hot melt adhesives must be heated to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Hide glue comes in dehydrated or cake form while hot melt adhesives come in sticks, pellets, or pillows. While they are both useful for certain types of bookbinding and packaging applications, hide glue is all natural, eco-friendly, and recyclable while hot melt adhesives are not. LD Davis distributes hot melt adhesives from HB Fuller and Ashland Chemical, but we manufacture our own line of custom hide glues.
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