Official Luthiers Forum!

up until now I have only glued wood bindings. Now I am going to glue celluloid with the UHU Hart glue. besides roughing the surface and applying to both surfaces I am looking for any tips. ie. Can I just tape it on? What is the open time? what is the dry time? With wood I use surgical tubing to clamp it? Can I use that here...

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Mike McNerney

May I suggest making up a test piece prior to committing to your project? A scrap of 3/4" wood with edge milled to waist and upper bout curve with channel milled would be easily fabricated.

I have not used this glue, so I hope one of the builders here can provide more first-hand information.

In the event you have to proceed without that input, a check of the SDS data in comparison to other adhesives such as Duco cement may provide some insight. My own quick check suggests that the glue appears to be similar to Duco in terms of the primary ingredients, but without the cellulose nitrate gap-filler in Duco. I suspect a short open time based on the SDS information, so work in increments of 3-4 inches with a narrow high tack tape to hold things together (shellac the areas of the top where the tape will land to minimize/prevent fiber pulls...use a little heat and directional cross-grain tape pull as well). Tape cuts by the sharp binding edge during the glue-up process may be minimized by gently chamfering the free edge of the binding material in the same way that the inside corner is prepped...the final binding edge treatment will remove this chamfer on that outside, free edge.

Again, no direct experience, but I may order some to play with in the shop. Also - a test piece may sound like a wasted hour or so of time and some pricey binding materiel and adhesive, but worth it in my limited experience.

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We have become a civilization that elevates idiots, prostitutes, and clowns. Am I still to defend it? Yes, for its principles. Yes, for what it was. Yes, for what it still may be.

-Mark Helprin, The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story (A Novel)

Tape is fine for celluloid binding.

I've always used CA glue for celluloid bindings after an early and messy experience using Weldon 16.

Duco or CA glue, always. Duco can soften celluloid, and it may take a few days to harden back up.
I use tape. Celluloid is very flexible.

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John

I ended up using the UHU hart glue I bought from Rothko/ Frost and it worked out fine.

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Mike McNerney

I have used the LMI FCA for probably 14 years. I am sure Duco works great too. I load it in a 5cc syringe with a 20G needle and lay it into the area to be glued in 4-5" increments. Hold with brown binding tape from LMI or StewMac.

Good advice from Woodie based on my experience. ALWAYS shellac the top. Watch the direction of the runout and use heat with tape removal. Running a little alcohol along the edges of the tape with a pipette helps loosen it too. Wait a couple of days to remove the tape and if possible a few more to scrape out.

Looked at the data sheet for UHU. Should work. Ingredients look similar to Duco

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

For sure wait at least 3/4 days as the cement swells and soften the celluloid. Takes about 4/5 days to shrink back.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.