Why does nobody talk about how much humidity can mess with your glue?

I was working on a leather journal in my garage last summer, and it was a really humid day, maybe 85% humidity. I used my usual PVA glue for the spine, but it just would not set right. The pages kept sliding and the whole thing felt tacky for hours. I ended up moving the project inside next to a dehumidifier for a full night, and that finally did the trick. Now I always check the weather before I start a big glue-up. Has anyone else found a good way to deal with glue in damp spaces?

2 comments

2 Comments

gavin_reed6d ago

Honestly, humidity is just a handy excuse for bad prep work. That glue was probably old or applied too thick to begin with. A proper workspace fixes the issue, not obsessing over the weather.

hayden_rivera6d ago

People make too big a deal about humidity. Most glues are made to handle normal conditions, so it's probably user error. Just follow the directions on the bottle.