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Wondering if anyone here has any insights into the types of glues used on some of the less expensive student violins that are made in China. My question being, do they use the traditional hide glue ? One reason I ask is that the type of glue will have a bearing on how easy the instrument is to repair should a repair require disassembly. . The proper hide glue is very strong, yet can be softened by water (i.e. steam, etc) in order to disassemble parts if a repair warrants it. If a glue is used that cannot be softened it can make certain repairs more difficult if not impossible. On the other hand hide glue is tricky to mix and work with if left for too long will spoil. So I wonder if they may use a different kind of glue to keep costs down.
Hyde glue is the only type of glue used on any violin. I must be melted in a small pot then brushed on and let stand for a couple hour's.
Don't use anything other than hyde glue. No crazyglue or white carpenter's glue.
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Actually Fiddlestix, there is another glue used by luthiers, it's called "Franklin Titebond" glue. Although I'm in agreement with you that hide glue SHOULD BE the only glue used on violins!
Titebond is clear when dried and it's a modern aliphatic resin glue. It's also water soluable, dries slower, overnight in most cases, and sands easily costs about $6.00 less per container. It's also applied at room temp instead of heated to 140 degrees like hide glue requires. Hide glue is around $16.00/lb and this is about $10.00/16 ounce bottle.
Just helpin. 
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
There is (must be) some additive in the Tite Bond to keep it liquid. So "drying" would have to allow for that additive to disperse or else the bond says weak or creeps.
I made a repair with Tite Bond once and it worked but I let it dry for 2 weeks.
I don't think hide glue is that expensive in China so my guess is they do use hide glue. The other reason I said this is I have been looking into violin kit from China, some of them do include hide glue in the kit.
I see what you are saying, Denny,,, I guess you could use this as well. 
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The luthier I work for part time uses the titeboind on fingerboards and that's all I've seen him do so far. Hide glue hot on everything else.
I think those other glues have some very modern chemicals in them and wonder what the effects are on the wood and the sound longterm.
I bet nobody at the company has done a long term analysis test on it.
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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Fiddlestix said
Hyde glue is the only type of glue used on any violin. I must be melted in a small pot then brushed on and let stand for a couple hour's.Don't use anything other than hyde glue. No crazyglue or white carpenter's glue.
Yes, I have actually worked with the hide glue. It comes in dry granular form and you have to prepare it. I used it to glue the fingerboard back onto my old violin. I would never use anything else to glue a violin.
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Hide glue is a tried and true adhesive for musical instruments.
But whether or not that is what they use on the cheaper instruments, I don't claim to know.
I will agree that it is what they *should* be using. But that doesn't mean it is what they actually do use. I mean, with my cheap Mendini, they *should* have spaced the strings evenly across the bridge, for example. It takes no more money to space them evenly. But they didn't. See what I mean?
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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