On Friday, May 18, 2018 at 12:11:03 PM UTC+1, Dan S. MacAbre wrote:
Here's a no doubt silly question :-) I find that I can hardly open some
of my older books now without the spine cracking, and a few pages
falling out. I was just wondering if there's anything that can be done
to prevent this, without boxing them up in the loft, or something. I
was considering rubbing some kind of oil on the back, in the hope that
it might soak in over time, and make the glue a bit more flexible again.
But if course, it also might just make it all gooey, and the pages
might be even more likely to fall out.

Has anyone else found anything that makes their paperbacks last a bit
longer?

Extending the discussion slightly ...

I bind up large-ish 'books', made from sheets of A4 paper (printed manuals etc)
with a 'double fan binding press'. This is basically a jig used to hold the
paper 'block' which you bend it first one way (and brush the glue on), and then
the other way (again, brushing the glue on). In this way a small part of the
edge of each sheet (a small fraction of a mm) is coated with the glue, as well
as the very edge.

When combined with a strip of 'super' (thin muslin), I have used ordinary PVA
perfectly successfully for long-lasting, well-used tomes. It's a bit like the
binding style O'Reilly use for their computer books, if you know them.

I also occasionally re-bind paperbacks like this, although it is best to cut
back to fresh paper at the spine. Of course to then lose the spine part of the
cover, or have to cut it off and re-attach it. You really also need a 'plough
press' to do this neatly.

You can buy special bookbinding PVA, but I have never found the need. In fact
the cheap tubs of PVA sealant seem to work fine as well.

There is at least one plan for a double fan binding press on the web, but I
can't find it at the moment. If you look at a few pictures I am sure you can work it out.

Another idea, for 'at risk' paperbacks, is to make a few saw cuts across the
spine, about the depth of a piece of cotton string (1.5mm)? you then soak some
short lengths of said cotton in slightly thinned, PVA, and bed them into the
cuts. When the glue has dried you cut back the edges.

HTH
J^n