The day my spine glue gave out on a train in Boston

I was commuting back from a client meeting last fall, had a freshly bound journal in my bag I was real proud of. Somewhere around South Station the train lurched and I heard this awful wet crack. The spine had just... split open, glue all over my notes. Turns out I'd used a cheap PVA that wasn't rated for any temperature changes. Took me three evenings to redo that binding with proper hinge reinforcement. Has anyone else had a binding fail in a weird spot like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_clark8d ago

Train heat warps adhesive faster than cold air ever will.

king.wyatt8d ago

Hinge reinforcement wouldn't have saved it if the glue was that bad. Sounds like you used craft PVA instead of bookbinding PVA, those two are totally different things. Good on you for redoing it right though.

jesse9948d ago

Yeah, you're totally right about the PVA thing. I made the SAME mistake on my first try with a paperback textbook. Used regular Elmer's from the dollar store and the whole spine just split open after a week. Switched to a proper bookbinding PVA and the difference was NIGHT AND DAY. The glue stayed flexible and actually held the pages together even after I accidentally left the book near a sunny window. Now I ALWAYS check the label before buying. Feels like one of those little things that save you a ton of headache later.