How To Prepare Rabbit Skin Glue And Where To Buy

What is Rabbit Skin Glue? this refined, collagen-based glue is made by boiling animal connective tissue and pelts. Mixed with warm water, it creates a strong, flexible, and reversible adhesive. Local suppliers such as Gilding Supplies NZ offer it for traditional fine arts and framing.

In New Zealand, rabbit skin glue (RSG) is mainly used as a traditional sizing agent and adhesive for fine arts, antique restoration, and classical craftwork. It is valued for its flexibility, quick bonding, and historical authenticity.

Rabbit Skin Glue is used for:

1. Canvas Sizing for Oil Painting

The most common use for rabbit skin glue is to size raw linen or cotton canvases before oil painting.
Rabbit skin glue penetrates fabric fibres, shrinking and tightening them to produce a taut, firm surface.
More importantly, it seals the fabric pores, preventing linolenic acid in linseed oil from damaging the canvas over time.

2. Picture Framing & Water Gilding

Rabbit skin glue makes gesso paste for water gilding and is also important for preparing gilders’ clay, or bole. When applied as a coarse powder, it forms a strong bond between the gold leaf and the gesso layers. Made from rabbit skin byproducts, Inue is more flexible than other skin glues and has a lower adhesive strength, but it still works well for priming and gilding.

3. Luthier Work and Instrument Making

Makers of traditional acoustic instruments, such as violins, guitars, and concertinas, use rabbit skin glue to assemble lightweight wooden components. Its hard finish and low creep, meaning it does not stretch or slip under constant string tension, allow it to transfer acoustic vibrations effectively without dampening sound.

4. Bookbinding & Art Conservation

Museum conservators and fine-art bookbinders use rabbit skin glue because it can be softened and removed with heat or water, even centuries later. This allows them to repair manuscripts, reattach paint layers, and mend tears in historic artworks without permanent alteration.

5. Gilders use rabbit skin glue to create gesso paste for water gilding

A layer of bole, or gilders’ clay, is applied over the gesso to prepare the surface for gold leaf. Rabbit skin glue is also essential for making the gilders’ clay (bole). When in coarse powder form, rabbit skin glue produces a strong bond between the genuine gold leaf and the gesso layers. This glue is made from shreds of rabbit skin, which are byproducts of rabbit skin production. While it is more elastic than other skin glues, it has lower adhesive strength; however, this does not pose a disadvantage for priming and gilding techniques.

How to prepare rabbit skin glue:

Put 100 grams of rabbit skin glue into 1 litre of water and let it soak overnight.
The next day, put the mixture in a double boiler and heat it slowly until everything is dissolved.
Keep the temperature around 50 degrees Celsius and avoid overheating.
When the air bubbles are gone and the mixture has cooled, it is ready to use.
Store any leftover mixture in the fridge and use it within seven days.

We stock a range of high-quality glue, manufactured in Germany and Italy, specifically designed to meet all your needs. Including bone glue (Knochenleim), coarse powder rabbit skin glue, grain rabbit skin glue, Barley hide glue, Gel Tablets of Rabbit Skin Glue (Colnasol), and convenient ready-to-use liquid Rabbit Skin Glue (Colnafix) for water gilding. Whether you are an artist, a professional restorer, or a DIY enthusiast, our products guarantee exceptional results.

Considerations and Limitations

Rabbit skin glue is effective for traditional techniques but is hygroscopic, so it absorbs and releases moisture from the air. In areas with changing humidity, the glue expands and contracts, which can eventually cause oil paint layers to crack. Additionally, it is incompatible with acrylic paints, which will flake off surfaces prepared with rabbit skin glue.