Old timers advice on glue ups finally clicked

Been binding for 2 years now. Used PVA for everything. Old timer named Frank at the shop kept saying use hide glue for the spine. I ignored him for 6 months. Tried it on a 300 page novel last week. The spine flex is way better now. No cracking or popping when you open it flat. Frank definitely knew what he was talking about. Anyone else stick with one glue type too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren6521mo ago

Oh man, Frank sounds like every old timer I've ever met who turned out to be right. I had the exact same thing happen to me with hide glue for the spine. I used PVA on everything for years, thought it was fine. Then I did a repair on a vintage book from the 1940s and the hide glue was still flexible, still holding strong. That got me curious. Now I use hide glue for all my case bindings and PVA only for the endpapers and cloth. The difference in how the book opens and closes is night and day. It's one of those things you just have to feel to believe.

ivanl761mo ago

Yeah, you really do have to feel it to get it.