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Glue changes I've seen in the shop
I remember when everyone stuck with animal glue for spine work because it held up well. Learning to heat it just right was a skill passed down in my early days. Now, with new adhesives around, I had to figure out how to work with them without ruining the pages. It felt weird at first, but now I mix batches by feel. Those old methods still come in handy sometimes, though.
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danieltaylor3mo agoTop Commenter
Who needs animal glue skills now?
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schmidt.amy3mo ago
Seriously, my luthier friend needed hide glue to fix a vintage violin.
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the_fiona2mo ago
Funny enough, my buddy who fixes old furniture needed rabbit skin glue for a 19th-century chair last month. The modern glues just wouldn't hold the joint right, and he said being able to undo it later was key for future fixes. He spent a whole weekend getting the mix right (it's way harder than it sounds). Without knowing how to use that old-school glue, the chair would be ruined now.
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