wood panel preparation

The first step in preparing a wooden panel for use with egg tempera
is to seal the wood with rabbit skin glue.

Here is a recipe for rabbit skin glue. You can purchase the dry powder glue from
"Natural Pigments" which sells on the internet.

Ingredients:

rabbit skin glue (dry)
water
powdered alum

Mix One part dry powered glue to about 10 parts warm water
Let it set for at least two hours until it turns into a gel.
Warm the gel mixture (do not exceed 150 degrees) until it liquifies
Make an alum solution of one part alum to 25 parts water
Add alum solution in a 1 to five ratio to the glue solution.
Alum will make the glue waterproof
Paint the liquid glue onto the wooden panel and let it dry thoroughly.

I generally use either poplar or beechwood panels.