Why I stopped using PVA glue for my book spines

I tried wheat paste on a whim after my last PVA batch dried too stiff and cracked a spine on a journal I'd spent 3 days on. That flexible hold made me realize I'd been forcing the wrong adhesive for years - has anyone else switched and noticed a difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

grayw321d ago

Whoa, that's a good point @jessel35, but another angle is how different papers react - some cheap papers just drink up wheat paste and turn to mush, while PVA at least gives you a fighting chance to reposition before it dries.

benbrown1d ago

PVA's repositioning window is way overrated, just means it never actually bonds right to cheap paper.

jessel351d ago

Yeah I heard someone say PVA is basically plastic and that's why it cracks over time, switched to wheat paste and never looked back lol.