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Hot take: I was wrong about using PVA for everything
For the last three years, I used standard PVA glue for every single book repair in my shop. I just figured it was the safe, all-purpose choice. Then I had to fix a 19th century leather journal with a broken spine, and the PVA made the leather way too stiff and brittle after it dried. My mentor told me to try wheat starch paste instead, and the difference was huge. The paste stayed flexible and didn't damage the old paper at all. It took longer to set, but the result was so much better. Has anyone else switched adhesives for specific types of restoration work?
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angelaw783d ago
Three years of PVA on everything, wow, that's a long time to stick with one glue.
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reese_hayes713d ago
My first year I ruined a 1920s photo album with PVA. The pages stuck together like cardboard. Switched to methyl cellulose for that kind of thing and never looked back.
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