Chat with a retired binder at the library made me rethink my glue

I was at the downtown library last Tuesday and ended up talking to this older guy who used to bind books for a university press. He said I was relying too much on PVA for everything and that I should try wheat paste more often. It got me thinking about how I just grab the same glue without considering the project. Has anyone else had a moment like that where a random conversation kicked off a whole new approach?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.jamie1mo ago

... my buddy Dave had this happen at a comic book shop of all places. Some old dude behind the counter told him he was using the wrong kind of tape for his zines, and now he's like a whole different guy about it. He even started making his own stickers now, which is weird but cool.

jade_hernandez1mo ago

and it's funny because that wheat paste thing is actually how I started getting into bookbinding in the first place. I took a workshop years ago and the instructor spent like 20 minutes just on why you should cook your own paste instead of buying it. I never really listened until I tried it myself and realized how much better it feels to work with, especially on paper that's kind of delicate. now I mostly use PVA for the spines and wheat paste for everything else. it's wild how one random conversation can change your whole routine like that.