Spilled hide glue all over a rare 1890s book in Portland

I was restoring this old Victorian novel at a shop in Portland last month and my hide glue pot tipped over right on the title page. The whole thing fused shut in like 20 seconds flat and I had to spend an hour steaming it apart. Has anyone else had a glue disaster that made you switch to a different type of adhesive?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessica3312d ago

The whole thing fused shut" - ngl that gave me actual anxiety just reading it.

dianawilson2d ago

jessica331 that line about it fusing shut gave me flashbacks. I had a similar thing happen with a mid-century binding, I switched to Titebond after that. It dries slower so you have more time to wipe off spills before they set. Also helps to keep a wet rag right next to your work area to catch drips instantly.

corap612d ago

dianawilson mentioned the wet rag trick, and that's honestly the best advice. I keep a damp cloth right next to my bench too, and it saves so much cleanup time. One thing I figured out the hard way is to not leave the rag sitting on the binding for more than a few seconds, the moisture can soak in and cause warping. I also switched to a slower drying glue, not Titebond specifically but a hide glue that lets me work slower. That fusing shut scare taught me to be real careful with how much pressure I put on the clamp.