The idea to make glue from cottage cheese did not come to me right away. Having tried recipes with various components, I settled on the curd-ammonia composition. The main reason was the cost of the final product. I’ll talk further about the ease of making glue at home.
Glue: chemistry or food?
As you understand, although carpentry is associated with the master’s philosophy, in which accuracy, careful treatment of wood, and many years of experience come first, this business is imbued with ingenuity and the ability to combine the incongruous. The value of the product depends on the carpenter's imagination. But the ways to achieve results usually remain secret. However, now it's time to reveal one of the secret recipes for strong glue. More precisely, its basic formula. Let's not get into chemistry. Meanwhile, for inquisitive minds who want to understand the essence, the road is open and the green light is given in mastering chemical formulas. After all, the basic recipe can be modified and improved. Strength characteristics are what everyone wants in full. And who would have thought that ordinary cottage cheese can turn into real glue? And he is capable.With all subsequent physical and mechanical properties. Now, instead of giving yourself an artistic description, take some cottage cheese, water and one more ingredient.
Simple but cheap secret glue recipe
This is the case. I needed to glue window frames. An adhesive was required that was not only strong, but also had some water-resistant properties. The chemistry of the adhesive comes down to the rate of hardening due to the chemical reaction that occurs during drying. And the degree of hardness affects strength. Parameters such as adhesion, water resistance, and changes in properties due to temperature changes also need to be taken into account. But why not go back to school for chemistry class? Therefore, I began to choose from what I had already dealt with:- Epoxy, although it is hard and durable in the long run, will not work well with wood in changing conditions.
- Stationery and PVA do not differ in durability.
- All types of titans are weak to penetrate wood.
- And superglue threatens failure and a big waste of money.
Still, I used the Internet to compile the top 10 existing types of wood glue. For those who don’t know, carpentry means woodworking. Imagine my surprise when the price tag popped up. Either a small jar (250 ml) with a miracle composition that costs almost one thousand rubles, or several liters, which can simply go bad if stored for a long time. I felt internally that neither one nor the other suited me. What is glue made from? This is exactly the question I asked myself. If I do it myself, then I don’t have to pay for the container. Yes, and any volume can be made. But why not cook bone meat? And then the GOST documentation on wood adhesives came to my aid. It turned out that many formulations (from simple to complex) contain casein.Further searches were short in time. Regular cottage cheese, made from cow's milk, contains a sufficient amount of casein. All that remains is to dissolve it in water. I have already encountered this problem when making impregnation based on pine resin. It (impregnation) is a substance used in concreting foundations. It's called SDO. Saponified wood resin. They say resin cannot be dissolved in water. And I dissolved it. That's a different story. But cottage cheese also does not dissolve. And I dissolved it.
The pharmacy will help you prepare glue
Yes, pharmacies sell a lot of things that can be used in construction, cooking, art, and engineering. However, the cost of materials is much cheaper. After all, their purpose is completely different. As you know, the construction market is bursting with prices. But we need to use ingenuity and not complain about capitalism. So, to dissolve casein in cottage cheese, ammonia is required. Aka ammonia - 10% solution for external use. A 100 ml bottle cost me 51 rubles. This substance is irritating to mucous membranes. That is, the eyes, nose and mouth need to be protected from sudden contact with the solution. My experience should warn you. In an attempt to open the second cap on the plastic bottle, I touched it with my teeth. Literally a drop fell on my lower lip. I felt a burning sensation. It was useless to rinse, although it was necessary. The burn remains. What can I say? But I need to prepare some glue. Therefore, next I will describe a method for cleaning cottage cheese and mixing it with ammonia.
Which cottage cheese to choose for glue and how to dissolve it?
- Pour boiling water over the cottage cheese.
- Stir with a spoon.
- Drain the water. This way we will get rid of excess fat, which is still present.
- Repeat the procedure three times.
- Pour the cottage cheese again, but with warm water.
- Grind it with an immersion blender. The resulting small grains are casein.
- Take a sieve and place a cloth in it that allows water to pass through.
- Pour the crushed cottage cheese into a sieve. The longer it drains, the better. The outlet water should be clear.
The result will be a dry white mass. It peels off easily from the fabric.
Next, put the white mass into the container where the glue will be stored and fill it with clean water at room temperature. You need a little water first. Then add ammonia solution. Stirring will speed up the casein dissolution process. The result will be a gelatinous, opaque mass. If you add purified cottage cheese to it, then stirring is not necessary. Everything will dissolve itself.
Testing homemade cottage cheese glue
You can use it after the white mass has completely dissolved. Homogeneity indicates the end of the process. I made a prototype. I glued two palm-sized bars together and left them in the open air. That is, on the street. It was raining and the sun was scorching. The glue lasted six months. It has hydraulic properties. However, if it stays in water for a long time without protection, it swells. In the case of my bars, they were the first to deform. In real conditions, windows will not be directly exposed to water. But the change in humidity that affects the wood is compensated by the flexibility of the dried curd glue. The strength of the composition is colossal. There is another recipe with the addition of slaked lime. This is a different story and other experiments.
Conclusion
It must be remembered that the manufacturer creates complex products from simple substances.Even minimal knowledge, the desire to achieve the goal and safety precautions will give excellent results. Who knows what else cottage cheese can turn into, not to mention other food products? My glue helped save a lot of money. Moreover, it is easy to operate. Does not spoil or dry out in a closed jar. Try making it yourself. Get for a hundred rubles what stores sell for five times more.
