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Had to pick between PVA and wheat paste for a 200 year old ledger from Boston
The spine was dust, so I needed something strong but flexible. I went with wheat paste because it's easier to reverse, and it held up great. Has anyone else faced that choice on a really old text block?
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grantl942mo ago
Man, the reversibility is a huge point. But what about the paper itself? That old rag stock can be weirdly tough, but also super thirsty. I've seen wheat paste dry out and shrink a bit too fast on something that porous, leaving it brittle. Sometimes a thin PVA mix, almost like water, can sink in without forming a hard skin on the surface. It's a real gamble either way.
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iris39410d ago
Yeah, exactly. The paper's makeup changes everything. I've had old book pages drink up wheat paste so fast it barely spread, and then you're stuck with a stiff, crinkled mess. @tessacarter's buddy probably had to babysit that humidity treatment for days, what a headache. A super thin PVA, like half water half glue, has saved me on some thirsty rag stock before, but you gotta be careful it doesn't soak through and stain the other side.
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tessacarter2mo ago
My buddy tried wheat paste on a 19th century diary. The paper just sucked it up and went stiff as a board. He had to do a whole humidity treatment to fix it.
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