Visited the old library in Salem and saw something that made me think about our work

I was at the Salem Public Library last weekend looking at their special collection. I noticed they had a display of books from the 1800s that had been rebound maybe 30 years ago. The work was neat, but the spines were all cracking and the covers were starting to pull away. It looked like they used a kind of glue that got brittle over time. It made me wonder about the choices we make now and how they will hold up. What kind of glue or method do you think is best for a repair that needs to last a really long time? I don't want my work to look like that in a few decades.

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarb7111d ago

Honestly, seeing old repairs fail like that is such a gut punch. I had a similar moment with a family bible I fixed years ago, used a standard PVA glue and now the hinge is totally shot. Makes you really stop and think about the long game. For something that needs to last, I've been looking into wheat starch paste or reversible acrylic adhesives, since they stay flexible. Tbh the whole thing is a bit of a wake up call to research materials way more.

grantt1111d ago

Oh man, that's a tough one. I mean, @oscarb71 is right about wheat starch paste being flexible, but it can attract pests if not made right. For real longevity, a lot of pros actually mix paste with a bit of PVA to get the best of both. It's a whole rabbit hole to go down.