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I finally switched from PVA to wheat paste for my spine linings
I used PVA for years because it was easy and dried fast, but every book felt stiff and hard to open. A binder at the Austin guild meetup showed me how wheat paste gives way more flexibility and holds up to shaping. Has anyone else found that certain adhesives work better for different styles of binding?
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angela68714d ago
Took me four batches to nail that 2:1 ratio too and @carter.gavin I get the mold fear but never had an issue in dry Texas.
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the_robert14d ago
The 2:1 ratio of water to wheat paste is what finally clicked for me after a few failed batches. I was using way too much water at first and ended up with a soupy mess that wouldn't hold anything. Took me three tries before I got that right consistency where it flows like heavy cream. You're spot on about the flexibility though, wheat paste lets the spine move in ways PVA just won't allow, especially with leather joints.
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Hold on though, PVA's never let me down and wheat paste sounds like a gamble with mold in anything but bone-dry conditions. That soupy mess you mentioned is exactly why I stick with PVA - it's consistent every time and doesn't threaten to rot your bindings down the road.
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