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PSA: my spine press split a 400 page text block at the hinge because I rushed the glue and now I'm eating a $60 reprint
Happened Tuesday night in my basement shop when I cranked the press too fast after only 20 minutes of drying on the PVA and the whole first signature tore loose, so now I'm waiting on new paper from Hollander's and swearing off speed runs forever, but I want to know if anyone else has switched to a slower-setting glue just for spine work or if I'm just being paranoid.
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shane_ross10d ago
Slowed down my glue game after pretty much the same thing happened to me last spring, but here's the part people miss: it's not just about switching to a slower PVA, it's about how much glue you're laying down in the first place. The fast-set stuff grabs so quick that a thick bead never gets a chance to soak into the paper before it skins over, so when you crank the press the spine is basically glued to itself and not the block. Going thinner on the application and doubling the dry time between signatures did more for me than any glue swap ever did. If you do try a slower set, test it on a scrap block first because the open time changes with how humid your basement is, and a wet shop will wreck your schedule way worse than a fast press ever could.
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