Swapped from PVA to wheat paste and I'm not looking back

I used to swear by PVA glue for all my bookbinding projects. Thought wheat paste was too slow and felt like making soup every time. But last month I tried it on a rebinding job for a 1908 poetry collection that had super fragile paper. The wheat paste let me adjust the hinge placement for a full 90 seconds before it tacked up. That alone sold me. Has anyone else had a specific project that made you switch glues for good?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_mia1d ago

Wait, you mean I didn't need to peel dried PVA glue off my fingers like a lizard shedding skin for the last three years? Tbh the 90 second adjustment window sounds too good to be true. Ngl I'm genuinely upset at how long I've been missing out on this.

dylanh811d ago

Hold on @the_mia, are you talking about regular white PVA or wood glue? Cause PVA actually gets tacky pretty quick, you don't get a full 90 seconds unless the temp is perfect. I've had it skin over in like 30 seconds on a dry day. Pro tip though, if you wipe your fingers with a wet rag while the glue is still wet, it comes right off without all the peeling.