Found an old trick my mentor used for tight spine hinges

I was struggling with a 1920s novel that had a spine so dry it cracked the moment I opened it. Tried humidifying the leather for 2 days but it barely helped, so I called up my old teacher from back in 2015. He told me to mix a tiny bit of glycerin with my PVA glue before applying it to the hinge, just a few drops per tablespoon. It gave the paper enough flex to fold without breaking, and the book closed flat again. Has anyone else tried mixing additives into their glue for old books?

2 comments

2 Comments

miaa4128d ago

Wait, glycerin doesn't mess with the glue's bond over time?

vera_sanchez28d agoTop Commenter

Oh wait, hold on - are you serious @miaa41? Glycerin doesn't mess with glue? I've been adding a tiny drop to my slime recipes for months now and never had any issues, but now I'm second guessing everything lol. Better safe than sorry I guess, I'll stick to just water and activator for a while and see if my slime holds up better.