Thought wheat paste was for walls only, then I rebound a 1912 atlas and saw the difference | Bookbinders - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Thought wheat paste was for walls only, then I rebound a 1912 atlas and saw the difference
I always used PVA for every project because it was fast and I never had a reason to question it. Last spring I picked up a water damaged 1912 atlas at an estate sale in Sacramento for $15 and decided to try wheat paste on the spine. After 3 weeks of drying I compared it to a PVA rebind I did on a similar book and the difference was clear. The wheat paste spine stayed flexible and opened flat, while the PVA one cracked along the hinge after just 10 openings. PVA dries stiff and fights the paper when the book flexes, and I finally get why the old timers keep a pot of paste going. Now I'm wondering how many of my past rebinds I messed up by rushing with PVA. Does anyone here use a paste and PVA mix for spine work, and what ratio works for you?