Which glues are made from animals?

Factual Questions
1

So, I keep hearing jokes and commentary about racehorses and other animals being made into glue. I would have assumed that Elmer’s Glue-All was derived from animals, but their FAQ says that that isn’t so. Which types of glue are derived from animals, and what are the advantages of such a glue, if any? While we’re at it, which types of animals are normally processed for glue?

2
      • You can still get genuine horse glue for using in the construction of string instruments–violins mostly that I have heard. (tee hee)
        ~
3

From Britannica on glue:

“gelatin-like adhesive substance extracted from animal tissue, particularly hides and bones, or from fish, casein (milk solids), or vegetables. Glue was used as early as 3000 BC in wooden furniture construction in Egypt.”

“Synthetic resin adhesives such as the epoxies are replacing glue for many uses, but glue is still widely used as an adhesive in woodworking, in the manufacture of such abrasives as sandpaper, and as a colloid in industrial processes; e.g., the recovery of solid particles suspended in a liquid.”

4

Almost any animal *can *be made into glue, as all it needs is collagen. But very few glues in use these days are made from animals, a quick search shows bookbinding as one use.

This link says “Animal Glue is used in various industries like matches, printer’s rollers, textiles, cycles, and sports goods. Printer roller composition manufacturers use this for making extra hard printer rollers. The extra hardness gives longer life. It is used in book binding to maintain right elasticity, resilience, non-warping proporties (to prevent curling on drying) and higher holding capacity of the pages” and much more.

5

The biggest current advantage of hide glue is that you can disassemble the joints if necessary by applying moisture and heat. But it also has some disadvantages – it usually has to be heated to use, and I seem to recall that it shrinks as it dries (which is how they make “glue glass” for stained glass work).

The primary reason it was used in the past is that the raw materials were readily available – all you needed was collagen-containing parts of some critter.

BTW, you probably don't want to know where Jello comes from...
6

Another common use for hide glue is for veneers. Especially wrap around veneers for exactly the reason stated earlier, that the glue can be made to release with heat and moisture.

7

I’m pretty sure Gorilla® Glue is not made from gorillas.

8

The jury is still out on Gorilla Snot, though. :slight_smile:

Thanks, all, for the helpful information.