I gave up on that 'quick set' PVA and went back to my old wheat paste

I had a big commission for a set of three family history books last month. The client wanted them done fast, so I tried that new fast drying PVA glue everyone was talking about. It set up in 20 minutes, sure, but after a week, the spines on all three books were stiff as boards. They wouldn't open flat at all, it was a disaster. I had to redo the whole job. I went back to my old wheat paste recipe that needs to cure overnight. The difference is night and day. The spines are flexible, the books open perfectly, and they just feel right in the hand. I lost money on that rush job, but I learned my lesson. Has anyone else had a glue disaster that made you swear off a 'time saving' product for good?

2 comments

2 Comments

schmidt.troy17d ago

That 20 minute set time sounds like a dream for my shop... I run a small bindery out of my garage and time is money on every single job. I switched to a similar fast PVA last year and it changed my whole workflow. I just make sure to break the spines in by hand before the glue fully cures, like right after I close the book. A little extra handling step, but it saves me hours of waiting around. I couldn't go back to an overnight cure now, my whole schedule would fall apart. Maybe the trick is in how you handle the book right after gluing, not the glue itself.

wright.rowan16d agoMost Upvoted

Oh, that's a great point about the handling. You're right, the right glue just gives you the chance to work with it, but the technique is what really saves the time. That extra step of breaking the spine early sounds like the real secret to making the fast cure work.