On 30 May 2006 17:23:23 +0200, Chris Bacon
wrote:

MM wrote:
If there is someone out there with a hot glue gun, what do you think
the chances are of it sticking the spine of a paperback book, e.g. 350
pages? I've looked at a number of paperbacks and they are all glued,
like the Argos catalogue, for example. The pages could be roughened at
the binding edge, held in a clamp of some sort (easy to make), and the
hot glue applied.

It'll stick it, but you won't be able to use it. Bookbinders use a
rubbery PVA glue for this sort of job.

But phone books, Argos catalogues etc are not bound with PVA, are
they? The binding looks like it's been done in a thermal binding
machine, i.e. using hot glue. As do most of the recent paperbacks on
my bookshelf. I am hoping to avoid the cost of a thermal binder!

MM