Old timer told me wheat paste is better than PVA for cloth hinges

I argued with Bob at the bindery for months about this. Said PVA is stronger, why bother mixing paste. Then a restoration I did 2 years ago came back with hinge failure. The PVA had gotten brittle and cracked. Bob's paste joints from that same year still look perfect. Has anyone else had PVA fail on them over time?

2 comments

2 Comments

patking3d ago

PVA is fine if you're using the right kind. Sounds like you grabbed some off the shelf instead of the archival stuff. I've got books from 15 years back with PVA hinges that are still holding strong. Wheat paste attracts bugs and molds in humid climates. One bad season and you're redoing the whole job. Bob was lucky, that's all.

jesse2902d ago

Pat, I think you might be mixing up methyl cellulose with wheat paste there. Methyl cellulose is the one that doesn't attract bugs, while real wheat paste is definitely a risk in humid spots.