Rant: My friend told me to just use PVA glue for everything

I listened and now my quarter leather binding from last month is already cracking at the hinge. Should have used a flexible paste for the spine like everyone says. Anyone have a good fix for this, or is it a total redo?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_max9d ago

Oh man, that's the classic "one glue fixes all" advice that ruins projects. PVA gets hard and brittle, it's like using concrete for a hinge. You might be able to save it by carefully lifting the spine material and working some flexible glue in there with a thin spatula, but it's a messy fix. Honestly, for a quarter leather binding, a full redo is probably the only way to get it right and not have it fail again in six months. Live and learn, I guess. Never use PVA on a spine that needs to flex.

ray_burns609d ago

Tried what @the_max said, it worked for my split spine.

drews558d ago

My uncle's 1970s encyclopedia set has the same brittle hinge problem from cheap glue. It's that same quick fix mindset, like @ray_burns60 finding a temporary solution. People want one simple answer for complex jobs, whether it's bookbinding or home repair, and it always comes back to bite you. You really do need the right paste for a leather binding to last.