ATARNarchive

Check Your Glue!

7 posts2012live thread
nwrob1
It really does go bad! I had some fish glue and tendon glue refrigerated after their last use, and took them out to use again and noticed the firmness of each was not what it used to be. I made a test and neither of them ever gelled. I nearly ruined my project. If in doubt test your glue! :^)
Kviljo
This is interesting. Was it frozen or just kept cool in the refridgerator? And for how long did it stay there?

I have two litres of fish glue in the deep freeze that has now become one year old. Should I be sceptical of using it? I've recently used some of it and it still seems to be okay, although I have not done any strenght testing of it yet.

As far as I have understood, the dry glue does not become bad even after many decades?
Patrick Menzies
Dry or frozen is good, it's just leaving it only refrigerated that's the problem.
Try mixing up a batch of gelatin and putting it in the fridge. It will gel and stay thay way for a period of time and then suddenly liquefy again as it spoils.
Uli
do you mean you left it in the fridge (4?C) or freezer (-20?C) ?
at 4?C I had the same experience: I noted the gel slices meant to dry liquefy.
think the glue was digested by contaminating bacteria.
in the freezer however my glue (tendon+air bladder) stays fine.
mikekeswick
Yes frozen or dried is fine for a LONG time but just refridgerated is only ok for a few days.
Uli
conclusion:
some bacteria able to live at 4?C produce collagenase.
- who knows the name ? :wink:
Patrick Menzies
Since flesh eating disease is some form of Streptococcus I would say it's one of those.
I wouldn't be surprised if it's also any one of the myriad of other common bacteria types that are everywhere and we dodn't even notice them unless they cause infection..or liquefy our glue.