Hi all,
Do yo have any advice on attempting to fill and glue casein pens? With the notion that like responds to like, would casein glues - like Elmers - do the job?

Most water based wood glues are "Polyvinyl Acetate".

Ron

I believe elmers has been a PVA for some time. I don't think it has been casein based for a long time, if ever.

ELMER'S GLUE - FAQ

John

Would what we call Cacamite wood waterproof glue, glue casein ? I do believe this is formulated from a milk by product, it comes in powder form, and is mixd with water for use in gluing timber for external use.

et

I was watching a show about medieval weapons in which someone was making casein gluw to laminate an authentic shield--

1) Add vinegar to milk to curdle out the useful proteins.
2) Add useful proteins to some slaked quicklime.

Alas, no specifics about proportions (the chap was working from one of those devilish period manuals which speaks of "enough" and "the usual quantity"), but I imagine some goolging about would turn up something for the enterprising glue-maker.

I've some book-binding manuals from the late 1950s which mention PVA glues "such as Elmer's", so it has indeed been non-milk for a very long time indeed.

Right, well, lot of help that then !!!!!!!!!!!! ha ha, thanks EB, I know adhesives, or glues if preffered, yes pedantically it's a differant animal. Not a chemist, but one may be needed here.

IIRC, slaked quicklime, is that, water is added, then it is covered, so CO2 cannot cure it. Water is added to calcium oxide (quicklime, Calcium hydroxide formed) calcium dioxide is then formed when exposed to air and water evaporated. The extent of CO2 in air is 2%, BTW in natural circumstances. All a natural process, cement cures chemically.

et????

The vinegar is used to separate the milk proteins. The quicklime is to neutralize the vinegar. Some formulas use other bases. There are some recipes on the internet.

It is NOT the same chemical reaction as cement.

Ron

After a session with Mr. Google, it appears that casein glue is primarily used to glue labels to beer bottles and for ship building. It is highly water resistant. It is sold by old-fashioned wood working supply shops. It is also akin to formaldehyde and is considered to somewhat hazardous.

I guess the question is - has anyone used it on casein based pens?

Just to add a bit more confusion .....

I'm not sure the modern "Plastic Resin" glues are really casein. I have used many pounds of "Weldwood Plastic Resin" glue and other similar glues. If I remember properly, they are a replacement for true casein glues.

I have never used real casein glue that I know of. I have used:

Epoxies
Aero-lite
Acrylic resin and solvent glues
Hide glue
Rabbit hide glue
Bone glue
Polyurethane glues
Urethane glues
Ploysulfides
Cyanoacrylates
Resorcinol

And probably several more that have escaped me. As I have stated, I don't think I have ever seen or used a real casein glue. The closest I have gotten is making 'milk paint'.

Ron