Overheard a guy at the bindery supply shop say he uses Gorilla Glue on his spines

I was picking up some PVA last Tuesday and this older binder was telling the clerk how he switched to Gorilla Glue because it dries faster, and the clerk didn't even blink, so now I'm wondering how many people are out there wrecking their books with the wrong adhesive and nobody warns them.

2 comments

2 Comments

kim_hart721d agoMost Upvoted

Ugh, Gorilla Glue on book spines is a bad idea. The stuff expands as it dries and can warp the spine or push the pages apart over time. PVA is the standard for a reason-it stays flexible and won't ruin the book's structure if you ever need to rebind it.

jamie79421d ago

42 year old bookbinder here, and yeah, the expansion thing is the real issue with Gorilla Glue. PVA stays flexible and won't swell up and mess with the spine alignment over time like polyurethane glues can. Honestly, the older guy probably just got used to it because it saves him a few minutes of drying time, but that's not worth the risk for a proper bind.