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Showerthought: A workshop in Portland made me switch from PVA to wheat paste
I was at a bookbinding workshop in Portland last fall, and the instructor insisted we try wheat paste for a week. I'd always used PVA glue for everything, but after seeing how flexible the wheat paste made the spine on a test journal, I gave it a shot. The difference after letting a repair sit for 48 hours was huge, no more cracking. Now I use it for all my older text block repairs. Has anyone else made a permanent switch after a workshop like that?
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blake_owens1mo ago
My impatience is why all my old books are held together with hope and tape now...
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rosepark11d ago
How much of that tape is actually holding the spine together versus just making you feel better about it?
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thomas.eva1mo ago
Wheat paste sounds messy though, and PVA dries way faster. Are you really telling me you wait two full days for every repair to set? That seems like a lot of extra time for something that might not even matter on most projects.
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