PSA: Stop using bookbinding glue that's not pH-neutral for old books

I was restoring a 1920s novel for a client in Portland last month and noticed the spine was cracking after just two days, which made me check my adhesive. Turns out the cheap PVA I grabbed from the craft store had a pH of 5.0, which is acidic enough to eat through vintage paper over time. Has anyone else found a reliable brand of pH-neutral glue that stays flexible without costing an arm and a leg?

2 comments

2 Comments

stone.jesse20d ago

That exact same thing happened to me with a 1930s poetry book last year, it's so frustrating.

alices1620d ago

For the 1937 edition I had, I took it to a local bookbinder who fixed the spine for about $40. They also showed me how to store it flat instead of upright so the pages don't keep pulling apart. Way cheaper than trying to find a replacement copy online.