PVA glue seized up on me mid bind, panicked and used honey from the kitchen

So last Thursday I was binding a 300 page text block, had the spine all set, and my PVA just turned into jelly right in the pot. I don't know if it was the cold snap here in Boise or what, but it was 8pm and I had already folded and sewed everything for this book. I panicked and grabbed the raw honey from the cabinet because I remembered some old bookbinder on YouTube saying sugars work in a pinch. It actually held the mull down fine, but now I'm worried ants are gonna find this thing on my shelf in a week. I let it dry overnight and the spine feels solid but sort of tacky in one spot. Has anyone else used a food based adhesive when their regular stuff failed, and did it hold up long term or am I gonna regret this?

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sarah_harris25d ago

Wait, you used raw honey? Not even the processed squeeze bottle stuff? Raw honey still has all the pollen and enzymes and moisture in it, that's the whole point of it. That tacky spot you're feeling is probably where it never fully cured, because honey pulls moisture out of the air instead of drying hard like glue does. I'd bet money that spine gets soft again once your place gets humid, and yeah the ants will absolutely find it. You basically glued your book with sugar bait.

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