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Switched from PVA to wheat paste on my last 3 repair jobs in Tucson and the spines finally lay flat
For years I reached for PVA because it dries fast and holds tight, but a bookbinder named Rosa at the Tucson book fair showed me her 1890s family Bible she rebacked with wheat paste, and the hinge opened all the way with no crackle, so now I am wondering who else made this switch and what ratio you use.
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robinson.holly18d ago
Made the same switch about two years ago after fighting with PVA on some brittle old paperbacks. The trick is getting the ratio right or it either dries too fast or stays tacky for days. I use roughly 3 parts water to 1 part wheat paste flour by volume, cook it on low and stir the whole time so you do not get lumps. For spine work I brush it thin and let it soak into the mull a bit before pressing. It grabs slower than PVA which honestly is the whole point, gives you time to line everything up. Just watch for mold if you live somewhere humid, I add a tiny pinch of cloves to the mix and it has not been a problem since.
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