Tried a 50/50 PVA mix for a repair and it went all wrong

I was fixing a 1902 poetry book from a local library here in Portland and used a half water, half PVA mix on the spine. The paper soaked it up way more than I thought and now the pages are wavy and stiff, almost like cardboard. Has anyone else had this happen with old paper, and what glue mix do you use instead?

2 comments

2 Comments

sam5308d ago

Oh wow, a 1902 book... that paper is basically a sponge! A 50/50 mix is way too wet for something that old. I use a much thicker mix, like 70% PVA to 30% water, and even then I brush it on super thin.

cameron7247d ago

Man, that reminds me of when I tried to fix the binding on my grandma's old cookbook. I used a mix that was way too thin and ended up with wavy, wrinkled pages that looked worse than before. I learned the hard way that old paper just drinks up moisture. What did you end up using for the spine on that one?