Homemade glue

[Magpie]

Kind of a scientific question.
I have recently came across an artist who takes old textiles, shreds them and mixed the threads with a bio glue she makes, and creates art. I understand the process, and I've looked up how to make the glue on youtube. What I'm not sure of is how the glue doesn't 'go off'. With the threads mixed in would it maintain structure, and more importantly, would it not smell after a while? Does anyone make glue here - other than for children's projects?

 

[SoulSeeker]

You can try Milkweed sap, maybe Pine resin. Check out YouTube!

 

[Neb]

Skillkult does hot glue.




Ben

 

[LadyLocust]

What is in the bio glue you are considering. One more thing to consider depending upon the ingredients is pests over time.

 

[Weedygarden]

Knowing how to make glues would be a good skill to have. When we were kids, we made glue from flour and water. It was probably worthless glue. I don't remember.

 

[Caribou]

Knowing how to make glues would be a good skill to have. When we were kids, we made glue from flour and water. It was probably worthless glue. I don't remember.

We called that paste. It was fine for sticking paper together in a very low pressure usage and dry.

Skillkult does hot glue.




Ben

The problem with this glue is that it shrinks. I have used this in making chipped glass where the shrinkage is a plus. Sandblast the glass, mix the glue with water, spread it on the glass, place it in a slow oven to dry. The glue holds onto the glass and pulls chips of glass from the surface as the glue shrinks. I’m sure there are other usages where that glue is just fine. That is where the expression, “ready for the glue factory” comes from, usually referring to a horse.

 

[Weedygarden]

We called that paste. It was fine for sticking paper together in a very low pressure usage and dry.

Ah, yes, paste, not glue. But there must be some recipes out there for some homemade glues.

 

[Caribou]

Ah, yes, paste, not glue. But there must be some recipes out there for some homemade glues.

Paste is a glue. It is a cheap glue and is only effective in limited usage. Paper ornaments, made to last one season, or children's paper craft projects, made for Mom’s refrigerator.

 

[Weedygarden]

The website had a few recipes for glue and this particular recipe is deemed the best of them.

https://onelittleproject.com/wprm_print/how-to-make-glue/

How to Make Glue
Glue Recipe #1 (The winner):
Learn how to make glue with this easy recipe using simple, pantry ingredients. It dries clear and strong. This recipe for homemade glue is the BEST!
Active Time
5minutes mins
Cooling time
2hours hrs
Total Time
2hours hrs 5minutes mins
Yield: 1 cup of glue Author: Debbie Chapman Cost: $0.25
Equipment
Measuring cup

Saucepan
Spoon
Mixing bowl
Whisk
Mason jar (or other container for storage)
Materials
1 1/4 cups Water (divided)
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 cup Cornstarch
Instructions
Step 1: Cook glue
Add 3/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon vinegar to a pot.

Stir, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Whisk together 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 cup cornstarch. Pour it into the pot and stir well.
Allow the mixture to come to a boil again, then remove it from the heat immediately.

Step 2: Cooling time
Pour your homemade glue into a mason jar, or other sealable container, and let it cool for at least two hours (with the lid off) before using.

Your homemade glue is complete!

This glue can technically be used right after making it, but I would definitely recommend at least two hours cooling time. You don't want any little fingers getting burned!

---------------------------
They have a recipe with flour, water and a pinch of salt.

1/2 cup All-purpose flour
1/3 cup Water (may need more)
1 pinch Salt

 

[Canon29]

I've made several types of primitive glues for different applications. Hide glue is made by boiling skin and tendons down, and works much like wood glue- the downside is the water resistance is poor. It's good for applications where you'd attach wood to would or other such materials- works well for fletchings.

Pitch glue is an art, the key is the right ratios for the application. Quality pine pitch and charcoal makes an extremely brittle glue, you need to soften and toughen it up using some animal fat. You adjust the ratio to fit the preferred application- for hafting arrowheads I like a pitch glue that you can barely dent with a fingernail at room temp. For something more flexible add more fat.

A pretty arrow made using both types of glue respectively, hide glue on the fletching (wrapped with squirrel gut) and pitch glue on the point (wrapped with deer sinew)

 

[Tim Horton]

Ah, yes, paste, not glue. But there must be some recipes out there for some homemade glues.

Yes... As I remember it as a kid and making it for my kids it was always lumpy, dried out and let loose of things, would get moldy, and couldn't be scraped off things you DIDN'T want it on..

 

[SoulSeeker]

Beautiful arrow! That obsidian point is sharp as all hell I bet! At least looks like obsidian.

I've made several types of primitive glues for different applications. Hide glue is made by boiling skin and tendons down, and works much like wood glue- the downside is the water resistance is poor. It's good for applications where you'd attach wood to would or other such materials- works well for fletchings.

Pitch glue is an art, the key is the right ratios for the application. Quality pine pitch and charcoal makes an extremely brittle glue, you need to soften and toughen it up using some animal fat. You adjust the ratio to fit the preferred application- for hafting arrowheads I like a pitch glue that you can barely dent with a fingernail at room temp. For something more flexible add more fat.

A pretty arrow made using both types of glue respectively, hide glue on the fletching (wrapped with squirrel gut) and pitch glue on the point (wrapped with deer sinew)

View attachment 169141

 

[Canon29]

Beautiful arrow! That obsidian point is sharp as all hell I bet! At least looks like obsidian.

It is indeed obsidian, not a local material- I love the black. It is rather pointy but I wouldn't consider stone points sharp by my standards.

Sharpness wise obsidian as a material has the potential to be much sharper than anything else we know of, and this is true of simple flakes- but not true in regard to shaped heads and tools. There are parts of the cutting edge that are extremely sharp, and I can kind of exasperate that effect by serrating the edge at the cost of more durability, but I prefer not to. That's also why I cut such shallow corner notches, it's a durability concern- and durability is concern #1 with arrow performance.

 

[SoulSeeker]

Doctors doing eye surgery prefer shards of obsidian over anything else as the edge leaves a super clean cut. My mom had an obsidian boulder in her yard about 3 feet in diameter. I went over to do some work and it was gone! I screamed someone stole the obsidian and she said she paid a guy to take it! She said I should have told her I wanted it, I did! Parents don't listen. At the time I was thinking of trying to copy Aztec ceremonial knifes as well as my jewelry interests. O yes, one misplaced shot and it's goodbye point!

 

[Magpie]

Thanks everyone- yes the glue recipe posted is the one I have also.
@Canon29 that is a beautiful arrow; will show husband

 

[Canon29]

Doctors doing eye surgery prefer shards of obsidian over anything else as the edge leaves a super clean cut. My mom had an obsidian boulder in her yard about 3 feet in diameter. I went over to do some work and it was gone! I screamed someone stole the obsidian and she said she paid a guy to take it! She said I should have told her I wanted it, I did! Parents don't listen. At the time I was thinking of trying to copy Aztec ceremonial knifes as well as my jewelry interests. O yes, one misplaced shot and it's goodbye point!

That Boulder was easily worth a few hundred dollars- if you spall it up you can sell the stuff for like $5/pound making it worth more than copper which people commit crimes to aquire haha

 

[joel]

Many have used wax to seal paper like the Kings Seal.
Not sure how it will do on large objects.