PVA vs paste, I learned the hard way after 40 bindings

I used wheat paste for everything for about 2 years because my first mentor swore by it. Then I repaired an old family Bible from 1887 and noticed the spine was cracking along every single fold. That's when I realized paste shrinks as it dries, and it was pulling my text blocks apart from the inside. I switched to PVA for all my case bindings last month and the difference is night and day. Has anyone else had a similar wake-up call with a specific adhesive, or am I the only one who stuck with the wrong one that long?

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1 Comment

nelson.finley12d ago

Did you test your PVA on a mock-up first, or did you just trust it because everyone says it's the standard? I only ask because I've seen people jump to PVA and then wonder why their boards warp when they use too much. The real lesson might be that you need to match the adhesive to the job, not just find one that fits everything.