TIL a library binder changed my mind about using animal glue

I always figured animal glue was outdated and messy compared to PVA. But last month I watched a older binder at the Denver Public Library show me how he uses it for spine repairs on 1800s books. He explained the reversible nature and how it doesn't stress the old paper like modern glues can. Has anyone else switched back to traditional glues for certain jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee8471mo ago

That bit about the reversible nature really hit home for me. I'm the kind of guy who buys the cheap caulk at the hardware store and then wonders why it's cracking a month later, so I can relate to wanting something that won't cause regret down the road. I actually tried animal glue on a old cookbook my grandma gave me that was falling apart, and I felt like a mad scientist boiling up that stuff in a little pot. It smelled like a wet dog that'd been rolling in a barn, but dang if it didn't hold perfectly and stay flexible. I still use PVA for most things because I'm lazy and it's easy, but for anything fragile like 1800s paper I'm now a total convert.

alexbennett1mo ago

Did you have to do anything special to prep the paper in that old cookbook before applying the animal glue, @lee847? I've always worried about moisture causing old paper to wrinkle or stain, so I've stuck with PVA out of fear. That story about the wet dog smell made me laugh, but it sounds like you got a fantastic result.

margareto261mo ago

The wet dog smell is a trade-off for sure, but at least you know it's real. What nobody talks about is how animal glue practically forces you to slow down and think about each step. With PVA you just slop it on and hope for the best. That cookbook sounds like it deserved the extra care. Makes you wonder how much family history gets ruined by people reaching for the easy stuff instead of boiling up some bones.