Was about to recase a 1890s ledger and the cheap hairspray trick saved the spine
The signatures were so brittle that lifting the old mull pulled chunks of paper with it and I was ready to give up on the whole book. On a whim I hit the spine with a light mist of Aqua Net, let it dry for about 10 minutes, and the paper stiffened just enough that the mull peeled off clean with a dull knife. I know some folks swear this stuff will rot the paper down the road, but for a $4 can it bought this thing another century. Has anyone tried this on leather boards, or does it stain?