Let hide glue gel/tack before clamping?

[Mike Cornwall]

Looking at sloane’s book on page 72, I was surprised to read his instructions for gluing a fretboard to the neck by letting hide glue tack up on the faces of the fretboard and neck for 10-15 minutes before clamping. I’ve only ever heard of clamping a hot hide glued joint in haste, before the glue gels. Does anyone have experience with this technique?

   Thanks in advance 

[Mike Kolb]

That's surprising to me, as well.  The whole idea (as far as I've ever known) was to clamp HHG quickly to avoid any gelling or premature set-up. 

Following this, as it sounds bass-ackwards unless there's something we're missing?

[Roger Häggström]

The only thing I can imagine is to do like that and then heat the fretboard to melt the glue in place.

[Mike Cornwall]

I have done it with contact cement but I’m gonna have to try it and see, I guess?

[Frank Ford]

Haven't seen the Sloane book it decades.

Might be he was using LIQUID hide glue.   Clamping regular hot hide glue after it gels is an almost certain road to failure.

[Mike Cornwall]

That’s what I thought too, but he’s pretty specific. Gotta say I’m curious 

[Greg Mirken]

It's a plain ol' mistake. I dug out my old copy, and you're right, on page 72 of the Classic Guitar Construction book he says exactly that. But on page 34 discussing glue, he says that hide glue must be clamped before it gels, which is correct.

[Mike Cornwall]

Yea I am sure you’re right, I have looked in eight other woodworking books off the shelf for any mention of it and of course there is only what we Know already. Still, I’m curious enough to try it next time I melt up a batch without urea, which I hardly ever do