As temperatures fall below the freezing point in some regions, it may become risky to order white glue. Or even to buy it at a local store. Like many other water emulsion glues, PVA may lose its gluing properties after freezing/thawing. Especially, if that process is repeated several times (e.g. while glue is in transit).
I’ve used quite a lot of starch paste during the past few months. I’m working on a book repair project and it goes not as fast as I’d like it to. However, I that gave me a chance to experiment with different sorts of paste and to make the following video.
I know that methylcellulose is often used in paper and cloth conservation processes. I also know that a PVA-mix with methylcellulose is in use by bookbinders — that mix allows lengthening of the time of drying of the PVA glue. I’ve even used the mix myself while I was studying at the American Academy of Bookbinding. However, since the time of my study I still haven’t bought any methylcellulose here in Moscow.
