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Tried PVA glue vs wheat paste on a hardcover rebind... not even close | Bookbinders - Free To Speak

Tried PVA glue vs wheat paste on a hardcover rebind... not even close

I've been binding for about 2 years now and mostly used PVA for everything. Last month I needed to do a full rebind of a 1940s cookbook my grandma gave me, and I figured I'd try wheat paste on the spine since I heard it was more reversible. Man, what a difference. The wheat paste gave me way more working time to adjust the spine cloth, and it didn't cause that stiff cardboard feel like PVA does on older paper. Has anyone else found wheat paste works better for vintage books or is that just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannah3202mo ago

Hold on a second, I gotta jump in here because that difference you're feeling is NOT just about the glue. Wheat paste is ALWAYS better for older books like that because it's reversible and PH neutral. PVA dries acidic over time and that's what causes the stiff, crackly spine and actually damages the old paper. So it's not just a preference thing, it's the RIGHT tool for the job. You're doing your grandma's cookbook a massive favor by going with wheat paste. If you ever need to redo that book again in 50 years, the spine will come off clean without ripping the pages. PVA is fine for new stuff like modern hardbacks, but for anything vintage you REALLY want to stick with wheat paste.

amy_craig282mo ago

Used to think PVA was the only way to go for everything, but you've got me reconsidering. Tried wheat paste on a 1950s novel last week after reading this and the difference was night and day. The spine cloth settled so much nicer and I didn't have to fight with it like I do with PVA. Plus the book still opens flat without that stiff crackling sound. Might switch over for anything older than 1960 now.

adams.uma1mo ago

Exactly what hannah said about reversibility is the real game changer. People don't think about their books getting repaired again down the line, but that's the whole point of proper conservation work. With PVA you're basically committing that spine to permanent stiffness, and if someone in 2075 wants to fix it, they're gonna have to tear through old glue residue first. That flax paper and wheat paste combo also lets the cloth breathe more naturally over time. Have you noticed how the endpapers don't pucker up around the hinges with wheat paste? That alone sold me on it for anything pre-1970. Once you go reversible you really can't go back, can you?