PSA: A batch of PVA glue from a new supplier just ruined three days of work for me.

I was finishing a set of six leather journals for a client in Tacoma, and the new glue I tried from a local art store caused the leather to bubble and warp after it dried. I had to strip everything back to the boards and start over, losing about $200 in materials and time. Has anyone else had a bad batch of adhesive from a specific brand recently?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_webb17d ago

My buddy had that happen with some bookbinding glue last month. It was a brand new bottle of that popular pH-neutral stuff. He glued up a whole sketchbook and the paper just peeled right off the spine like it was never stuck. He said it felt weirdly greasy straight out of the bottle. He lost a whole weekend's work and had to explain the delay to his customer.

the_eric17d ago

Ugh, that exact thing happened to me with a bottle of PVA. Opened it up and the texture was just wrong, like thin pancake batter. Ruined two hardcover notebooks before I figured out it was the glue and not my technique. Had to toss the whole bottle.