Shoutout to the weird glue tip I thought was a joke
For years I heard people at the local book arts center in Austin talk about using a thin layer of wheat paste under PVA to help with flexibility on thick leather bindings. I always thought it sounded like extra work for no real gain, like mixing ketchup and mustard. Last month I was working on a big family bible repair, the leather was super stiff and old. I was worried the new spine would crack. Out of ideas, I tried the wheat paste trick. I mixed a small batch, brushed it on, let it get tacky, then put my regular PVA over it. Let me tell you, when it dried, the difference was crazy. The leather moved so much better and the joint felt stronger. I guess those old heads knew what they were doing after all. Has anyone else tried this on a really stubborn project?