Hide Glue for filling

Has anyone used Hide Glue for filling pores in the finishing process?
Ive noticed in the little Ive used it that it seems to do a pretty good job of filling around the braces where it squeezes out or where I get a tad sloppy with it..
I end up scraping and sanding to get it off.
Ive tryed using it to glue things up on the latest build Im doing and it is definitely difficult to use due to the short open time..I need to get my clamping time shortened in order for it to be viable for me. Example:::
Gluing a top or back to the sides and getting it all clamped up in time before it starts to gel....
Ive read that it can be used for fill but Id like to get some feed back from anyone who has done so with it..
Thanks.

My friend Roger Skipper, who does terrific work, puts hide glue on the edges of the lined sides and on the outer rim of his plates, lets it dry, then clamps it together at his own pace. He then goes around the instrument with a hand held steamer and reactivates the glue. He reports no ill effects from the steam getting on the wood itself.

I've tried it for pore filling but didn't like the effect. It seemed very flat and one-dimensional.

Mind you, I prefer my pores mostly filled, not completely flat, so as to retain some texture to the wood.

Why not just try it on an offcut? HHG shrinks, so probably two coats. Wipe some shellac on top and see how it looks.

I've done a number of experiments with this. It shrinks a lot, which means you have to keep applying it. The new glue dissolves a little of the glue that you've put on previously, unless you add a little alum. It doesn't do great things for the visual aspects of the wood. There are better fillers. Personally I use a thick oil varnish because it pops the grain. It's not quick but time spent isn't a great deal, it's all time waiting for it to harden. I think I've tried most fillers out there and a few home concoctions too. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. I don't like the fillers that are pigmented, they result in all the pores being a uniform colour, kind of unnatural looking. I prefer fillers that are fairly clear. I can see how something like CA or epoxy would work well but I wouldn't want to work with the stuff for pore filling. Aqua coat - I didn't like at all.

UkulelesRcooL said:

Ive tryed using it to glue things up on the latest build Im doing and it is definitely difficult to use due to the short open time..I need to get my clamping time shortened in order for it to be viable for me. Example:::
Gluing a top or back to the sides and getting it all clamped up in time before it starts to gel....

Click to expand...

Warming the surfaces with an iron or a hair dryer helps to slow the gelling. Some violin makers clamp the front and back dry with spool clamps all round, then remove one or two clamps at a time and insert the hot runny glue with a thin knife - an artist's palette knife is good.

See this link - about half-way down the page. If you don't already have clamps they are easy to make.

I really appreciate everyones input.......Thank you, it opens up different ways for me to look at the techniques and methods that I hadnt thought of before...
I appreciate your insights and opinions..

Michael N. said:

... Personally I use a thick oil varnish because it pops the grain. It's not quick but time spent isn't a great deal, it's all time waiting for it to harden. I think I've tried most fillers out there and a few home concoctions too. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. I don't like the fillers that are pigmented, they result in all the pores being a uniform colour, kind of unnatural looking. I prefer fillers that are fairly clear. I can see how something like CA or epoxy would work well but I wouldn't want to work with the stuff for pore filling. Aqua coat - I didn't like at all.

Click to expand...

Hi Michael- Do you make or buy this oil varnish??? and does this give a flat surface on which one could nitro over?

I have a tub of Aqua Coat which im yet to use- i keep hearing conflicting views on it- some like it, some seem to really dislike it.

I certainly fell in the latter camp. Don't care for it at all.
Currently I'm using some home made stuff which I deliberately made thick. I use an old plastic credit card to spread it on. No finesse to it, just spread it as quickly as possible. Then I leave it for a week or two. Quick wet sand and repeat. I want it in the pores but you do need a very thin coating to cover everything. If you sand through and remove patches of oil varnish it will also look patchy when you apply the finish. I've done it with Tru oil too but Tru oil is very much on the thin side. I just squirted it on and let the solvent evaporate, then it thickens up a little. Tru oil takes quite a few applications though. The whole thing is a long process but I like the effect of oil on wood. No idea if it's compatible with nitro but I shellac on top. You may need to test on oily woods. It may not dry, although I blast it with UV and I can get it to dry on EI rosewood.