Sealing Wood with Glair
by Dick Cartwright
Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #154, 1980 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000Procedure:
Beat an egg white stiff and let it stand for a few hours. The clear liquid that settles out is called glair. Put 5G gum arabic (cheap from any art store) into 20CC water and let stand for a few hours, shaking occasionally. Add 10CC glair and 1/2G honey to the gum arabic.
This solution paints on easily, dries quickly, and is an effective sealer. I suggest two coats. It’s also used by some as a sealer/isolation layer on the outside wood between stain and varnish.
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