Two Glue Recipes.
A glue ready for use is made by adding to any quantity of glue, common whisky, instead of water. Put both together in a bottle, cork it tight and set it for three or four days, when it will be fit for use without the application of heat. Glue thus prepared will keep for years, and is at all times fit for use, except in very cold weather, when it should be set in warm water before using. To obviate the difficulty of the stopper getting tight by the glue drying in the mouth of the vessel, use a tin vessel with the cover fitting tight on the outside to prevent the escape of the spirit by evaporization. A strong solution of isinglass made in the same manner is an excellent cement for leather.
A valuable glue is made by an admixture with common glue of one part of acid chromate of lime in solution to five parts of gelatine. The glue made in this manner, after exposure, is insoluble in water, and can be used for mending glass objects likely to be exposed to hot water. It can also be made available for waterproofing articles such as sails or awnings, but for flexible fabrics it is not suitable. A few immersions will be found sufficient to render the article impervious to wet. It is necessary that fractured articles should be exposed to the light after being mended, and then warm water will have no effect on them, the chromate of lime being better than the more generally used bichromate of potash.