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?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrew85419d ago

Last summer I had a humidifier running in my workshop reading 78% and tried to glue up a batch of bookboards with Titebond. Took almost 4 hours before the stuff finally grabbed. Left fuzzy edges everywhere. I had to scrape half of it off and start over. Moved the whole operation into my basement with a window AC unit running nonstop and it worked fine after that. Humidity is no joke for glue. Anyone who says otherwise has never tried to bond leather in a swamp.

gavin_reed1mo 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_rivera1mo 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.