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Fish Skin


Information provided from The Traditional Bowyer's Bible, Bois d'arc press:

A moderately strong glue, but weaker and more brittle compared to the weakest hide or sinew glue. Remove flesh, fat and scales. Wash the skins. Cut into strips or squares, then proceed as for sinew and hide glues. Fish Skin glue does not jell at room temperature, but remains liquid. Pour into trays and let dry down to a medium syrup. To store as a liquid, add boric acid as a disinfectant. Fish glue can be dried as a solid: Once the "leather" stage of drying is reached peel the glue free from its tray. When hard and dry break into small flakes for storage. Like hide glue, dried fish glue has unlimited shelf life. Fish bladder glue jells like animal glue. It is also as strong and flexible.

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