Why does nobody talk about PVA glue drying out in the bottle?

I've been bookbinding for about 3 years and always left my PVA bottle open a few seconds too long while working, thinking it was fine. Last week I went to glue a spine and found the whole bottle had turned into a rubbery lump inside, ruining a nearly full $12 bottle from the craft store. Has anyone else had this happen or found a trick to keep the glue from thickening up between projects?

3 comments

3 Comments

dianaanderson19d ago

Wait, you mean you left it open for just a few seconds too long and it turned into a rubbery lump? That's crazy to me, I thought you had to leave it open for like an hour or something for that to happen. I've been using PVA for years and I always thought it was pretty forgiving until the cap is fully off for a while. @alexk60 I tried the warm water trick once when mine was just a little thick, and it actually worked but then the glue got runny and watery and didn't hold right after that. Now I just buy those tiny 4oz bottles so even if I mess up and it dries out, I'm only out like $4 instead of $12. It's still annoying though because nobody warns you how fast this stuff can go bad.

tara79319d ago

Oh man, YES. This exact thing happened to me a few months ago and I was so mad! I had this big bottle of PVA that I'd only used maybe three times, and then I left it sitting with the cap slightly loose (I thought it was tight enough, ugh) and when I went back to it, the whole thing was this solid, rubbery blob. It's the worst feeling, especially when you're right in the middle of a project and need that nice smooth glue. I've started using those little glue pots with a screw-on lid for my working sessions so I only pour out what I need at a time, and the big bottle stays sealed between uses. Also, I've heard you can drop in a few drops of distilled water and shake it really well if it's just starting to thicken, but I haven't tried that myself yet. Honestly, it's such a dumb design flaw for a glue that's supposed to be a staple for crafters.

alexk6019d ago

Read somewhere you can actually revive it by adding a bit of warm water and shaking it like crazy, but I haven't tried it yet. Sounded kinda messy tbh.