PVA glue let go on a restoration job last Saturday

Was working on a 1920s history book for a client in Austin. Used my usual PVA glue on the spine and thought it was set after 2 hours. Came back the next day and the whole thing had popped open at the hinge. Had to peel everything off and redo it with wheat paste instead. Has anyone else had PVA fail on older paper like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnson.paul13d ago

Gotta agree with @carr.elliot on this one... that 1920s paper is a different beast. PVA just sits on top of that old coating instead of soaking in, so it looks dry but never really bonds. Wheat paste was the smart move, its got that slow tack that actually grabs the fibers. I've learned the hard way too many times that PVA and bad old paper just don't mix.

johnson.faith13d ago

Wait, did you let it sit for only 2 hours before checking it? In my experience, PVA can be tricky like that. The glue might have looked dry on top but the deeper layers were still wet. I've had that exact same thing happen with old book paper. The paper is usually pretty brittle and doesn't bond well with PVA unless you give it a full 24 hours to cure, sometimes even longer. Wheat paste is definitely the safer bet for vintage stuff, it's way more forgiving with moisture and aging paper. Your mileage may vary, but I'd give PVA at least overnight to really set up before testing the hinge.

carr.elliot13d ago

Huh, @johnson.faith, are you really sure 24 hours would've made that much of a difference? I've used PVA on plenty of older books and never had it just let go like that. In my experience it's more about the paper type than the curing time. That 1920s stock is usually pretty acidic and coated with something that repels water-based glues. I've had PVA hold up fine on 1900s cloth bindings but fail completely on slick magazine paper from the 30s. Wheat paste was the right call here, PVA just doesn't sink into that old brittle fiber the same way.