re: Gotta love hot hide glue, a small shop mishap

The usual mistake for HHG beginners is to have the glue too thick. Consistency is what you are looking for. If you lift a brush out of it Patrick says you should get a steady stream of about a foot before it separates into droplets. That can get messy but a good way to get comfortable is just to experiment.

A few thoughts off the top of my head

1)Thicker is not stronger.
2)Thicker cools quicker as the water holds the heat.
3) If hammer veneering isn’t working, it is a good bet you are too thick.
4) If it’s as thick as your PVA glue, it’s likely too thick
5) If it seems a little too thick, just add some (hot) water.
6) If seems too thin, leave the lid off and let it cook a while or add a bit more (hydrated) glue.
7) I would rather err on the thin side than the thick side.

Patrick Edwards is the best authority that I know on the subject. Here’s a video he made on HHG.

Enjoy!