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Glue pot vs PVA brush, I switched after 12 years of hot hide glue
I used to do all my case bindings with a glue pot and brush, the whole traditional way. Got perfect joints every time but it took forever to heat up and clean. Last February I tried a PVA applicator bottle with a fine tip for endpapers and spines. Now I only use hot hide glue for restoration work, not new bindings. The speed difference is huge, maybe 15 minutes saved per book. But I worry the PVA won't hold up as well in 50 years. Anyone else made the same switch and regretted it later?
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grant.felix1mo ago
Heard a conservator at a workshop last year say the same thing about PVA. Mentioned that modern pH neutral stuff is actually holding up better than the older batches did. I wouldn't lose sleep over the 50 year mark, the early PVA horror stories are mostly from poor formulas or bad storage.
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