Shoutout to the weird glue tip I thought was a joke

Thomas Lewis · 2026-03-16T02:35:11.947592+00:00

For years I heard people at the local book arts center in Austin talk about using a thin layer of wheat paste under PVA to help with flexibility on thick leather bindings. I always thought it sounded like extra work for no real gain, like mixing ketchup and mustard. Last month I was working on a big family bible repair, the leather was super stiff and old. I was worried the new spine would crack. Out of ideas, I tried the wheat paste trick. I mixed a small batch, brushed it on, let it get tacky, then put my regular PVA over it. Let me tell you, when it dried, the difference was crazy. The leather moved so much better and the joint felt stronger. I guess those old heads knew what they were doing after all. Has anyone else tried this on a really stubborn project?

the_anthony6mo ago

My uncle tried restoring an old ledger from his shop, just used regular book glue. Held up fine for ten years until he gave it away. I get what lewis.diana is saying about a base layer, but sometimes I wonder if we overcomplicate simple fixes. That bible was probably gonna be fine with a good flexible PVA, the wheat paste just made you feel better about it. Not every old thing needs a museum treatment.

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the_ryan5mo ago

My buddy in Seattle had a 1920s ledger fall apart after just PVA. He redid it with that wheat paste base like lewis.diana said and it's been solid for years now.

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lewis.diana6mo ago

That "extra work for no real gain" is the whole point, it's a foundational layer. I've seen PVA alone fail on those old, thirsty leathers.

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