Vent: That time I used PVA glue on a leather binding and it bled through everything

Last saturday I was finishing up a restoration job on an old 1920s poetry book. Thought I'd save time by using PVA for the spine instead of waiting for starch paste to set. Man, what a mistake. The glue seeped through the leather and left these ugly dark stains on the cover. Had to strip it all off and start over with paste. Has anyone else had PVA ruin a leather project like this?

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1 Comment

betty_white391mo ago

PVA and leather is a bad combo for the same reason you don't put superglue on a wedding dress - it soaks in and never lets go. Had a customer try to fix a tear in their car seat with it once, ended up with a stiff patch that cracked like old bacon.