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That week I tried repair binding instead of full rebind...
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clark.alex9d ago
Started with a similar beat up old textbook myself, a 70s engineering manual that was falling apart. Used a flexible PVA glue just like you said, but I also reinforced the spine with a strip of book cloth tape before clamping. Held together for a good 4 or 5 years before the binding finally let go again... worth the effort for a book you can't replace easy.
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Repair binding is a gamble but it paid off for me once on a beat up old textbook from the 60s. The trick is to use a flexible glue like PVA, not something stiff, and clamp it overnight with even pressure. I had to scrape off dried glue from the spine first with a dull knife, took maybe an hour of careful work. Still got maybe 3 more years out of it before the pages finally started separating from the back. Your mileage may vary depending on how brittle the paper is.
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