My neighbor asked if I could bind a book with duct tape

I was outside my shop in Portland yesterday and my neighbor, who knows I bind books, asked me with a straight face if I could 'just use the good silver duct tape' to fix a family bible. I had to explain that the adhesive would destroy the paper in about five years, which made him go 'oh, it's not forever glue?'. Has anyone else had to give a crash course on why some materials are a total no-go for preservation?

3 comments

3 Comments

stellachen3d ago

It's the same with food... people don't get how some things just rot from the inside out. I see it with cheap containers that leach into leftovers. They think plastic is plastic, but a year later the whole thing tastes like chemicals. The idea that stuff just... falls apart on its own timeline is a real blind spot.

carr.elliot3d ago

Reminds me of a friend who wanted to frame a concert poster with packing tape to save money. Had to break it to him that the tape would turn yellow and stick to the paper for good. He thought all clear tape was basically the same. People just don't know how these things break down over time.

ivan_mason3d ago

Ever try to explain why scotch tape yellows? My aunt wanted to "laminate" old photos with it. Had the same shock as your neighbor. Totally get what @carr.elliot said about the poster, it's that exact thing. People see tape as this magic fix-all, not something that eats paper.