Changed my mind about using PVA for everything after a project in my garage last month.

Had to rebind a 1920s family bible from my attic. The old animal glue was dust. Used my usual PVA, like always. The spine was way too stiff, couldn't open flat at all. My mentor in Chicago, she told me years ago to use a flexible paste for older books, but I never listened. Said it was 'basic'. Finally tried a wheat paste mix. The difference is huge. The text block moves like it should now. What other old-school adhesives do you guys actually use?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade2712mo ago

Try hide glue for leather bindings. It stays flexible and is period correct. Just mind the smell when you heat it up.

shah.olivia2mo ago

Honestly thought hide glue was just for old school woodworkers until I tried it on a sketchbook cover last year. That flexibility is no joke, the leather moves like it's supposed to. You're right about the smell though, my kitchen smelled like a weird soup for a day. But seeing the binding hold up after a year of heavy use totally changed my mind.

tylerr292mo ago

Yeah, @jade271 is right about the flexibility, but the real kicker is the working time. You have to move fast once it's hot because it sets up so quick. If you're doing a complicated binding with lots of parts, that pressure can mess up your whole project. It's not like modern glue where you can adjust things for a minute. You get one shot to get it right before it starts to grab.