PSA: My PVA glue failed on a wedding album job last week

I was binding a leather album for a couple in Austin, 40 pages of thick cardstock. I used a fresh bottle of PVA like always, but the glue just didn't grab right. By day two, the spine was already pulling away from the text block. Anyone else run into a bad batch of PVA lately or know a reliable brand to switch to?

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2 Comments

ellis.felix5mo ago

Oh man, I've been there and it's the worst feeling when you think you've got a solid bond and it just lets go. I'd bet money it's not you, it's the batch. PVA can be weird sometimes especially if it sat on a shelf too long or got frozen in transit. I switched to Lineco neutral pH adhesive a while back and haven't had that problem since. Also, are you letting your PVA tack up for a minute before you actually close the joint? That extra step saved me on a few tricky covers.

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rileyl675mo ago

letting your PVA tack up for a minute" - yeah that's the real trick. I started doing that and it solved so many weak joints for me.

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