Microwave ovens

Aaron Beebe <beatcrazed [at] aol__com> writes

>Standard practice for heating up pastes and glues seems to me to
>often be about annoying hotplates and time consuming processes.  Is
>there a problem with using a microwave oven to heat something like a
>sturgeon glue or a rice paste before using it?

While our work uses hide glue, mostly 251 gram strength, we also use
a good deal of rabbit skin glue and other gram strengths. We have
had a great deal of success using a microwave oven in the
preparation and subsequent reheating of stored refrigerated
batches. The trick is not to "cook" the glue, breaking down the
protein chain. Setting the microwave at half or lower power, the
glues will melt at a desirable rate. Since all glues melt at
different rates, experimentation is required to get the proper
timing and power levels.

Craig Deller
Geneva, Illinois

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:39
                Distributed: Wednesday, October 16, 1996
                       Message Id: cdl-10-39-005
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