Got a 1970s mystery from a thrift shop in Dayton last month, and the spine had that gooey leftover from old tape that grabbed every dust speck. Tried rubbing alcohol and it smeared worse, but a hair dryer on low for about 90 seconds let me peel the whole mess off with a credit card. Anyone else have a go-to for that sticky film without wrecking the cover print?
Honestly, this old library book was in rough shape when I grabbed it at a yard sale in Peoria last Saturday. The spine was split down the middle and pages were starting to fall out. I didn't want to spend cash on book tape, so I used a paperclip to hold the cover shut and slid some wax paper between the damp pages to keep them from sticking while I pressed it under a stack of heavy folders overnight. Tbh, it worked way better than I expected, the fold is still visible but the book stays together now. Has anyone else tried the wax paper trick on older glued spines, or is that just a lucky one off?
I used to fix ripped pages with washi tape because it was cute and cheap. Last month a librarian at the public library in Des Moines saw me patching a old Dr. Seuss and she said 'that tape will eat the paper in 5 years.' I laughed it off but then she showed me a book from the 90s where some had done the same thing. The tape had turned yellow and brittle, and the acid had actually stained the page worse than the rip. She handed me some plain pH neutral library tape and a bone folder. I switched completely. Now I use that for all my mends at $6 a roll, and I save the washi for scrapbook nonsense. Has anyone else found out the hard way that cute fixes do more harm than good?
I used to grab whatever clear tape was around when a page ripped, usually the big dispenser kind from my desk. Last month at the downtown branch, a librarian saw me patching a mystery novel and said my tape would yellow the paper in about 2 months. She showed me how to use a thin strip of rice paper and a little wheat paste, stuff I already had for other crafts. Now I save the clear tape for envelopes only and keep a tiny jar of paste mixed up for book jobs. It takes 5 extra minutes per tear, but the pages stay flexible and don't stick together. Has anyone else switched to paste after a tape fail, or do you have a quicker trick that doesn't need fancy tools?
Stopped by the used book sale in Denver last week and grabbed a 1940s field guide. Someone had taped the spine with what looks like classic cloth tape, probably from a library repair kit, and that patch is still solid after 40 years. Makes me wonder if my modern glue jobs will last half that long. Anyone else find old fixes that outlast the newer stuff?