I finally changed my mind about using PVA glue for book spines

For 3 years I swore by wheat paste for all my bindings, thought PVA was just for lazy people. Then I watched a 10 minute repair on an 1880s ledger at a local shop in Denver, and the guy used PVA because he said wheat paste can attract bugs over time. He showed me the spine he fixed 7 years ago with PVA, still flexible and no cracks. That got me thinking about my own shelves with wheat paste jobs from 2 years back showing some yellowing. So I tried PVA on a 400 page novel last month and the spine opened flat like a dream. Anyone else make the switch and regret it or stick with it?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew713d ago

Makes sense @wyattbennett. PVA is like my truck - works fine till you push it on the stuff that matters.

wyattbennett14d ago

Hang on, I gotta push back hard on this. I tried PVA for a few projects after hearing the same arguments, and within 8 months the spines on those books started getting this weird stiff feeling when you open them, like the glue was pulling away from the signatures in spots. Wheat paste may yellow a bit faster, but it stays flexible way longer and you can reverse it with just water if a repair goes wrong, try doing that with PVA without wrecking the paper. I also asked around at a few antique binderies in Boston and they all said they stick with wheat paste for anything pre-1900 specifically because the old paper handles the moisture better and doesn't trap stress in the spine the same way.