I finally found a glue that doesn't warp thin paper

I was having a real problem with thin text blocks pulling apart after I glued the spines. Tried three different PVA glues and they all curled the edges bad. Then a guy at my shop suggested mixing in a little methylcellulose, about 10% of the total volume. Worked perfect on that fragile poetry book I was rebinding. Has anyone else used this mix for delicate paper?

3 comments

3 Comments

finley_wells6612d ago

The methylcellulose hack is just part of a bigger thing I've noticed in life where almost any problem has a simple fix if you just mix two things together instead of throwing the whole project out. Like how a tiny bit of water in old paint or a splash of vinegar in soapy water for windows makes everything go way better than the expensive store bought stuff. It's always the small adjustments that save the day, whether it's glue or fixing a squeaky door with some candle wax on the hinge.

alicec8624d ago

Ive been using methylcellulose in my PVA for about a year now ever since I had to rebind a stack of those old pulp paperbacks from the 50s. The paper was super brittle and regular glue was just destroying the edges. That 10 percent mix is pretty spot on but I actually go a little higher around 15 percent when Im working with anything that feels like newsprint. The methylcellulose adds a bit of slip too so you can reposition stuff if the book block shifts. Just dont go overboard or the tackiness disappears completely and youll be waiting forever for things to dry.

noah91424d ago

Going up to 15 percent methylcellulose always makes my PVA lose too much grab, I stick with 10.