Found a weird trick for stubborn PVA glue on leather spines

I was working on a 1920s poetry collection and the old leather was just refusing to take the new adhesive cleanly. Out of pure frustration, I tried a tiny bit of glycerin mixed into the PVA, about one drop per ounce, and it leveled out perfectly without weakening the bond. Has anyone else found a safe additive for tricky leather work?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy47520d ago

Glycerin's a solid trick for old leather. It keeps the PVA flexible, which you need on brittle material. I've used a drop of liquid soap in a pinch for the same reason, helps it spread. Just avoid anything with alcohol or water that can stain.

fox.matthew20d ago

Actually glycerin can make things sticky over time, and soap leaves a weird film.

the_parker13d ago

Well, I've made leather sticky before too (sorry fox.matthew), so maybe skip the glycerin.