ecobites

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

A Strong Cement

Mix a handful of quicklime with 4 ounces of linseed oil.

Boil them to a good thickness, then spread it on tin plates in the shade and it will become exceedingly hard, but it may be easily dissolved over a fire. This glue will join wood perfectly and will resist fire and water.

To Cement China

Make a thick solution of gum arabic in warm water, and stir in plaster of Paris until quite thick. Apply with a brush to the broken edges, pressing together. This cement is white.

To Glue Glass + Porcelain + Paper

Mix 1/2 cup casein powder + 1/4 cup of borax together to make a paste by adding hot water. This glue will keep in a tightly capped bottle or jar and will stick glass, porcelain and paper.

Flour + Water Paste

This old familiar glue is made by adding enough water to a cup of flour to make a thick paste which will glue paper and cardboard and may be used for papier mache modelling. It goes "off" after a week.

Clag

It's easy to make your own clag for your children. Mix flour, water and lots of salt together over a low heat until it thickens to the desired consistency. Use when cool. To prevent lumps, only stir in one direction until it has thickened. Keep in the refrigerator in a sealed glass jar. Discard when it starts to change color or becomes hardened. This can be made from plain flour, cornflour (opaque clag) or arrowroot. The secret is the amount of salt, which is the preservative agent.

Clag Paint

For something fun and different, make several batches of clag or one batch in several jars. Add natural food coloring, a different color in each jar, mixing well to the desired color density. Children just love this novel idea. Glitter, cut up recycled paper for confetti or other textures can be added to a jar of clag to add interest to the artwork.

Recycle Cooked Rice for All-Purpose Paste

Let cooked rice dry out a bit, then put it in a blender and grind it into flour. Mix smoothly in cold water, then simmer until thick. Makes a good all-purpose paste, especially for joining porous materials like cardboard.