Switched from PVA to wheat paste for endbands and never going back

I used to just glue on pre-made endbands with PVA cause it was fast and easy. About 6 months ago I watched a guy at a binding workshop in Portland show me how he does them with wheat paste and paper wraps. Took me like 3 tries to get it right but the way they sit flush with the spine now is just way better. Anyone else find wheat paste worth the extra hassle for certain parts?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_clark1mo ago

Ask how he attached the paper wraps to the endbands before you glue them on? I tried wheat paste once for endbands and my wraps just slid right off the spine before they dried. Ended up with a mess of wet paper and paste everywhere. Did he let the paste sit for a bit first before wrapping, or did he use a different method to keep everything in place?

gavin2281mo ago

Honestly, I gotta push back a little on that. In the dozen or so times I've done paper wraps on endbands, I used wheat paste and never had them slide off like that. The trick for me is to let the paste sit for maybe 5 minutes after mixing until it gets a little tacky, not watery. Then I apply a thin, even layer to the spine side of the wrap and press it on firmly for a solid 30 seconds with my fingers. If your paste is still thin and soupy, it's gonna just run off and make a mess. Also, don't overload it with paste a thin coat works way better than a glob. Maybe the issue is how long you waited before wrapping, or the paper you used was too smooth?

max_brown1mo ago

I let my wheat paste sit for about 10 minutes before using it on newspaper wraps and they stayed perfectly.