Wheat Starch Paste

Highly refined wheat starch paste, such as Zen Shofu, adheres to and repairs paper, board, and leather. Its bond is strong but reversible with water. The preparation of wheat paste requires cooking. The starch powder must be mixed with deionized water and heated, often in a microwave. The finished product will be translucent and usable for about three days when refrigerated. In these pictures, wheat starch paste spread on Japanese tissue joins book pages so that they may be sewn back into gatherings (sections). It is a process known as guarding signatures.