Switched from white glue to pH-neutral PVA for rebinding and my books stopped falling apart

I used to use Elmer's school glue for all my rebinds since it was cheap and easy to find. Then about six months ago I picked up a bottle of Lineco PVA from a local craft store in Portland and noticed the pages laid flatter and the spine held up way better after 3 months of use. Anyone else seen a big difference switching glue types for rebinding projects?

2 comments

2 Comments

zara_miller4d ago

Wait, you're telling me my tenth grade library book repair job where I used straight up wood glue might have been wrong? I mean, it held together for like two years before the spine finally cracked down the middle, so that's basically a win in my book. But seriously, the difference between regular old white glue and pH-neutral PVA is crazy. I tried Elmer's for my first few rebinds and the pages always felt stiff and weird after a few months. Since switching to Lineco, my books actually open flat instead of fighting me every time I try to read them. Maybe the old glue was secretly plotting against us the whole time.

the_river4d ago

No lie, I was totally on the "Elmer's is fine" train for like a year. Then I did a rebind with some random pH-neutral PVA and the spine actually flexed instead of cracking after a month, which was a real wake-up call. I guess the cheap stuff was just barely working until it wasn't, you know?