Unpopular opinion: I was totally wrong about PVA glue for spine lining

A binder at the Chicago fair last year told me my quarter leather bindings would fail in a decade because I used straight PVA for the spine linings. He said it gets brittle and cracks, and to mix in 20% wheat paste for flexibility. I tried it on my next six books, and the spines now move so much better when you open them. Anyone else mix their glue or think this is overkill?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_diana15d ago

Wait, so if you mix it, what's the actual dry time like? I've always avoided adding paste because I heard it sets way slower and my workspace is tiny, I can't have books sitting around for ages. Does the mix still let you work fast, or do you have to change your whole process?

robert_scott571mo ago

That "brittle and cracks" theory hasn't matched my twenty years of using straight PVA.

tessa_murray1mo ago

Your climate's probably different than @robert_scott57's.

michaeltorres1mo agoMost Upvoted

Feel your pain, man. I had a book come back to me with a cracked spine after only a few years, and it was totally the stiff PVA. Started adding a bit of methyl cellulose to mine, and it made a world of difference for how the text block moves.