Loading…
22
Showerthought: switching from PVA to wheat paste on my limp vellum bindings was a game changer
I spent the past six weeks binding a small run of Coptic books for a local art fair in Portland. My first three used PVA glue and the spines cracked every time I opened them past 90 degrees. I switched to fresh wheat paste last Friday and the difference is wild, the pages flex way better and the sewing thread actually sits flush in the signatures now. Has anyone else noticed this with PVA on exposed spine work, or am I just undercooking my paste?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
wesleyb2010d ago
Wait, you were using PVA on a Coptic binding and were surprised the spine cracked? That stuff dries hard as a rock, so of course it fights you every time you open the book past 90 degrees. It's like gluing your knees together and then trying to run a marathon, the hinge just gives out. Wheat paste stays flexible, so the signatures can breathe and the sewing actually sits where it's supposed to. Sounds less like undercooking your paste and more like you finally stopped using wood glue on a book that's meant to bend.
7