Glues at Limetrees Studio 2 Archival glues

These glues are all suitable for paper. To stick paper onto card or to laminate two sheets of card, you need PVA glue which has lots of "grab".  For very heavy paper, you can mix one of these glues with PVA glue.
These glues all penetrate the fibres of the paper and allow it to stretch and dry super flat if the paper is being glued to card. If you use the pastes to glue paper onto paper it will cockle. If you are glueing pictures into a scrap book, look at yesterday's craft glues or Methyl Cellulose (below).

Wheat Starch Glue 

Wheat starch can be purchased at specialist bookbnders but is very expensive there. I buy mine from Oriental Grocery stores. You can see the packaging in the diagram. But note: There are many products in this type of packaging, most of which only have Chinese characters on them. The Wheat Starch is labelled in English as well!


Wheat Starch recipe
3 tablespoons (45g) of wheat starch
1 cup of cold water in an small saucepan.
1 cup of boiling water
Dissolve the wheat starch in cold water in the small saucepan.
Add the boiling water
Stir vigorously while cooking.
When transluscent, remove from heat and whisk to make it light and airy.
Allow to cool, whisking periodically.
If it thickens too much add a little more water.
If it goes lumpy strain through tights.
As it cools it thickens more, so keep watching and whisking.
The final thickness should be like wall paper glue.

It's impossible to write a precise recipe, practise and intuition are needed. (Imagine making a white sauce.. I do mine by "feel"... Also every type of wheat starch I’ve used is different.  Lakeland’s wheat starch has additives for easy ironing and doesn't work! It lasts a few days in a fridge and will go watery when it is past its sell-by date.

Flour Paste Glue

I don''t use this because I was raised on wheat starch glue or corn starch glue
BUT
it is very poular in the English School of Bookbinding.
Flour Paste Recipe
2 Tbs plain Flour (or rice flour for a smoother glue)
250ml boiling water
Whisk the flour with a little cold water in a small saucepan so that it is lump free and watery.
Add the boiling water and simmer for a few minutes whisking continuously.
Decant into a bowl and allow it to cool.
Remove the "skin" and cover with clingfilm.
Keep in the fridge.
It will last a few days.

Advantages: Accessible, inexpensive, archival
It doesn't penetrate the paper and leave marks (PVA does).
Disadvanatges: It cannot be diluted as much as wheat starch glue can and still retain its stickyness for laminating very thin papers. It has a very short shelf life.

It's really difficult to make at a Summer School because of health and safety regulations. (this has happened to me a few times when I have been teaching)

My own thoughts: I wonder why this is not used in Japan and hot countires. Perhaps because it may attract insects? They seem to use Rice Starch and Wheat starch and my book on Japanese bookbinding explains in detail how to remove starch from the flour over a few days to make glue.

Advantages: Accessible, archival
It can be thinned for laminating rice paper.
It doesn't penetrate the paper and leave marks. (PVA does)
Disadvanatges: It's sometimes difficult to find shops that stock it. I get mine in Soho, China Town.
It has a very short shelf life.
It's really difficult to make at a Summer School because of health and safety regulations. (this has happened to me a few times when I have been teaching)

Methyl Cellulose Glue

This is a bit like wall paper paste but has no additives and is archival.
I just love this glue. I hunted for Methyl Cellulose when I first came to the UK and took a few years to find it - not much on the net then!
You can buy at at Charnwoods - www.charnwoodbooks.co.uk and the little packet of 100g will make 2 litres, so it lasts for ages. You make it in 5g batches!
5g Methyl Cellulose powder
50 ml cold water
50 ml boiling water
Sprinkle the powder into the cold water while whisking with a mini whisk, so that it is lump-free.
Add the boiling water and keep whisking.

This will make a thick jelly that is completely transluscent and "set". You can thin it with water for thinner paper e.g. to laminate paper.
It is a fantastic glue for making collages and glueing paper to paer as there is not much cockling.



Advantages: Inexpensive, archival
It can be thinned for laminating rice paper.
It doesn't penetrate the paper and leave marks. (PVA does)
It can travel and has a long a shelf life. On those hot summer schools I was talking about earlier, this is THE ONLY GLUE that is viable. You don't have to get permisison to cook in an industrial kitchen and it doesn't go off because of not having a fridge.
Disadvantages: It has to be ordered specially. I only know of one supplier in the UK - Charnwoods.

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