Switched from PVA to wheat paste after 15 years of bookbinding

I used to think PVA glue was the only way to go for spine repairs until a job last March fell apart completely after six months. Turns out wheat paste lets the spine flex way better with the paper grain. Has anyone else run into cracking issues with PVA on older books with brittle pages?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadeg921mo ago

PVA on old brittle pages is like putting superglue on a dust bunny and expecting it to hold. Mine fell apart in a stack before I even got it back on the shelf.

paul_mason121mo ago

Did you try anything to consolidate the paper before applying the PVA? I coated a 1920s manual with a Japanese tissue and methylcellulose mix first, let it dry completely, then used PVA on top. Held fine. @wadeg92 curious if you skipped that step or if the paper was just too far gone for any adhesive.