Plastic glue finally held after 7 tries on a broken spine in my shop

I was sure those bookbinding glues for synthetics were just marketing hype, but a polyurethane glue I tested on a cracked paperback cover last Tuesday actually bonded the polypropylene without melting it. Anyone have a go-to formula for those slick coated pages that won't take standard paste?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_robinson581mo ago

bookbinding glues for synthetics were just marketing hype" - yeah that was literally me up until last month honestly. i had this old mass market paperback with that super slick coating and nothing would stick, tried hot glue and it just peeled right off. finally grabbed some e6000 on a whim and it actually held after letting it cure overnight. still feels kinda wrong using it on paper but hey if it works it works.

parkerh381mo ago

Buddy of mine tried that same route with a vintage sci-fi paperback, the cover was like handling a greasy fish. He ended up using some clear silicone caulk out of desperation. Looked like a crime scene for a day but that book's held together for three years now.

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