That library repair job in Salem changed my hinge fix routine

Got called in to fix a bunch of old reference books at the Salem public library, and one had a hinge that was cracked in a way I'd never seen, like the thread was pulling straight through the boards. I ended up using a linen tape with extra thin adhesive instead of my usual heavy PVA, and the movement felt way more natural after. Has anyone else run into weird hinge failures on institutional books that made you swap your go-to method?

1 comments

1 Comment

ryan_flores14d ago

honestly I think that thin tape is gonna fail on you in a year or two. those old boards move too much and the lighter adhesive just won't hold up. heavy PVA is heavy for a reason, it bites into the paper fibers. you might get a smoother open now but you're trading long term strength for it.