Tried using a wallpaper paste for leather book covers as a cheap alternative

The spine split clean in half after three weeks on a shelf in my garage, so does anyone else stick to the pricier PVA glue or did I just use the wrong ratio?

3 comments

3 Comments

foster.jordan15d ago

Oh man, that is rough but kind of hilarious in a frustrating way. I feel like that's just how it goes with any "hack" or shortcut, isn't it? You think you're saving a few bucks, and then it blows up way worse than if you just spent the extra dollar on the right stuff in the first place. I learned the hard way that with glue for books you really can't cheap out, the PVA is sticky enough to hold but not so brittle it shatters. It's like trying to save money on a cheap knife that then slips and cuts you versus spending a little more for one that stays sharp.

jana88115d ago

Last summer I tried to fix a torn book cover with regular Elmer's glue and it literally crumbled into pieces like three days later. Had to rebuy the whole book which was like 30 bucks. I did that with a cheap knife too, got a no name brand from a gas station and it folded in half the first time I tried to cut a box. Now I just suck it up and get the decent stuff even if it costs more upfront. Way less swearing that way lol.

rowanhernandez15d ago

30 bucks for a book is annoying but not really a life ruining disaster.