Had a chat with a library restoration guy that made me rethink my glue setup

I was at a book fair last weekend and got talking to this older guy who restores old library books for a living. He said he uses plain wheat paste for nearly everything, even leather bindings. I've been using PVA glue for years because it's fast and strong. He told me that fast and strong isn't always what a book needs, especially if it's going to last 50 more years. It hit different because I realized I've been treating all my bindings like they need to survive a car crash. Now I'm thinking about switching to paste for certain projects, even if it takes longer to dry. Has anyone else made the switch from PVA to paste for leather work?

2 comments

2 Comments

terry9141mo ago

Had a buddy who used PVA for everything on his old truck restoration. Thought he was being smart with that strong bond. Then the metal roof panels started warping because the glue didn't give at all when the metal expanded in the heat. Had to redo the whole thing. That library guy might be onto something about letting materials breathe a little. PVA is great for quick fixes but maybe not for stuff that needs to age gracefully. Your mileage may vary but I've seen too many projects where rigid glue caused problems down the road.

rowanbennett1mo ago

My uncle did the exact same thing on a 68 Mustang he was restoring back in 2015. Used PVA to glue a fiberglass hood scoop onto the metal hood, figured it would hold forever. First hot summer day, the metal expanded and the scoop just popped clean off, took a chunk of paint with it. He ended up having to grind all the old glue off and switch to a flexible urethane that could actually move with the metal. PVA is fine for woodworking or crafts but I wouldn't trust it on anything that sees temperature changes.