Switched from PVA to wheat paste for spine linings and wish I did it sooner

I used to use PVA glue for my spine linings for about 4 years. Thought it was the standard. Then I took a workshop last month with a book restorer in Portland who showed me how wheat paste gives you more working time and doesn't dry as stiff. I tried it on a repair for a 1920s novel and the difference was night and day. Has anyone else made this switch and noticed a change in how the books open?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_spencer1mo ago

Has anyone experimented with mixing a little paste into their PVA to get the best of both worlds, or is it strictly one or the other for you?

ray_campbell461mo ago

Wait, you can actually DO that? @the_spencer, I've been using PVA for YEARS and never once thought to mix anything INTO it. That seems like it would completely change how it dries or something.