Had a chat with an old-timer at a bindery expo last week that got under my skin

I was at the Midwest Bookbinding Show in Chicago talking to a guy named Frank who's been binding since the 70s. He told me I was wasting time using PVA glue for everything and said I should switch to a mix of wheat paste and PVA for most projects. At first I brushed him off, but after trying it on a couple of test binds, the spines are way more flexible and lay flat. Has anyone else made that switch and noticed a big difference?

2 comments

2 Comments

margareth484d ago

I've been using plain PVA for years and honestly my spines lay flat just fine, so I'm not convinced the wheat paste mix is necessary for everyone. It might help with flexibility on certain text blocks, but it also dries slower and can go bad if you don't use it fast enough. Stick with good quality PVA and proper application technique and you'll get the same results without the extra hassle.

hayes.jake4d ago

You know what, I used to be totally in the PVA + wheat paste camp, but your points about spoilage and slower drying time are making me reconsider. Might just be extra hassle for minimal gain.