c/bookbinders

Just finished my 50th full leather binding and the number hit me

I was cleaning up my bench and counted the finished projects on my shelf. Fifty books, all done with hand-sewn headbands and leather covers. It took me over three years to get here, starting with that awful first one where I cut the leather too short. That number feels real in a way my other projects don't. Has anyone else had a count that made them stop and think about how far they've come?

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oscarb71•17h ago

Just visited the main library in Springfield and saw a display of 'repaired' books with packing tape all over the spines.

Has anyone else had to explain to a well-meaning but clueless librarian why that's a conservation nightmare waiting to happen?

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joseph_roberts•1d ago

TIL that a lot of people are using the wrong weight of thread for kettle stitch.

I've been seeing a lot of photos online where the binding looks loose or the spine is already sagging on a new book. For the last year, I've been using 25/3 linen thread for most of my work, and it makes a huge difference. A friend gave me a spool of 18/3 thread to try, saying it was 'stronger', but it was too thick. It didn't pull the signatures tight enough and left ugly holes in the paper. I switched back to my usual 25/3 and the books just feel more solid, you know? The stitch holds everything together without damaging the pages. Has anyone else found that thread weight makes or breaks a project?

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hugo_jones•2d ago

Looking through some old trade journals and found a surprising number

I was reading a 1978 issue of 'The Guild of Book Workers' newsletter and it said a full-time binder could hand-sew about 15 books a week. I mean, that's way slower than I would've guessed. Does anyone know if that was a normal pace back then?

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wesleyc75•2d ago

Shoutout to the guy in my guild who said to use a bone folder for scoring instead of a dull knife

I used a dull knife for scoring on my first 10 projects and the paper always tore, but after switching to a bone folder for my last 3 books, the folds are crisp and perfect every single time.

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hannah_fox•3d ago

Tried using a PVA glue mix on a repair and it went kind of gummy

Honestly, I was fixing a 1920s hymnal for a client and mixed my usual Jade PVA with a bit of water to thin it, about a 4:1 ratio. I let the spine dry overnight in my shop, but it stayed tacky and flexible, not firm at all. Ngl, I think the humidity here in Savannah messed with the cure time. Has anyone else had this happen with a specific glue in damp weather?

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sean_walker45•4d ago

Why does nobody talk about the cheap bone folders from the craft store?

I spent about $8 on a plastic bone folder from a big box craft store last year, thinking it would be fine for light scoring. It snapped clean in half on my third book, right down the middle. I ended up buying a proper Teflon folder from a real supplier for $25, and the difference in feel and strength is huge. Has anyone else had a basic tool fail on them at a bad time?

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hugo_jones•4d ago

PSA: That 'simple' headband repair on a 1902 atlas took me three hours

I thought I could just glue a new piece of linen tape in place and be done in twenty minutes. The old adhesive had turned to dust, but the real problem was the tiny, frayed sewing threads from the original binding that kept getting in the way. I ended up having to carefully unpick about an inch of the old spine lining with a micro spatula before I could even start. Has anyone found a better tool for cleaning out that kind of old thread mess without damaging the text block?

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leo_murphy•6d ago

Why does nobody talk about how much humidity can mess with your glue?

I was working on a leather journal in my garage last summer, and it was a really humid day, maybe 85% humidity. I used my usual PVA glue for the spine, but it just would not set right. The pages kept sliding and the whole thing felt tacky for hours. I ended up moving the project inside next to a dehumidifier for a full night, and that finally did the trick. Now I always check the weather before I start a big glue-up. Has anyone else found a good way to deal with glue in damp spaces?

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cameron426•6d ago

Vent: My old shop teacher's paste recipe versus the one from the Chicago workshop

Honestly, I used his wheat paste for years, but it always felt a bit weak on heavier book cloth. Tried the cooked methyl cellulose method from that Chicago workshop last month, and the difference in tack and clarity is huge. It just holds everything down so much cleaner without any lumps. Anyone else have a go-to adhesive they swear by for full cloth bindings?

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hugo_jones•6d ago

I was sure a Coptic stitch would fall apart on a big book, but I was wrong

For a 400-page art book project, I was stuck between a standard case binding and trying a Coptic stitch for the first time. I picked the Coptic stitch because the client wanted it to lay flat, and after using 4-ply Irish linen thread, the thing is solid as a rock. Has anyone else used a Coptic stitch on a book over an inch thick and had it hold up okay?

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robert_smith36•9d ago

Heard a guy at the library say 'a book is just a stack of paper' and it got me thinking

I was picking up a repair job at the downtown branch yesterday and overheard a patron tell his friend that. It made me realize how much of our work is about turning that stack into something that feels solid and important in your hands. What's a simple thing you've heard that made you appreciate the craft more?

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adam_nguyen7•9d ago

Watch out for that new 'archival' glue they sell at the craft chain

I had a project where I needed to reback a 1900s poetry book... the label said it dried clear and flexible. It took a full 48 hours to set, not the 4 hours it said on the tube. I had to keep the book in a press for over a week before I could even think about trimming. Has anyone else had glue dry times go totally wrong on them?

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nguyen.elizabeth•10d ago

Finally decided to use goat skin instead of calf for my first full-leather rebind of 'Moby-Dick' and the grain is just perfect.

It took me three tries to get the dye color right, but the final result has this amazing texture that feels like it's been at sea for years, so has anyone else had a good experience with goat for classic lit projects?

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kevinr23•11d ago

My glue-up method changed after a hot summer in my garage workshop

For years, I brushed on PVA glue straight from the bottle for my text blocks, which worked fine in the winter. Last July, during a heatwave, my glue started setting way too fast and my joints were weak. Now, I always thin my glue with a bit of water in a separate dish and apply it with a small roller, which gives me more working time and a smoother spread. Has anyone else had to switch up their basic glue technique because of the weather where they work?

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victor_carr25•13d ago

Visited the old library in Salem and saw something that made me think about our work

I was at the Salem Public Library last weekend looking at their special collection. I noticed they had a display of books from the 1800s that had been rebound maybe 30 years ago. The work was neat, but the spines were all cracking and the covers were starting to pull away. It looked like they used a kind of glue that got brittle over time. It made me wonder about the choices we make now and how they will hold up. What kind of glue or method do you think is best for a repair that needs to last a really long time? I don't want my work to look like that in a few decades.

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verafoster•13d ago

Why does nobody talk about how much glue a basic case binding really needs?

I was reading a 1980s library repair manual from Chicago and it said to use a full ounce of PVA for a single hardcover. I always thought that was way too much, maybe a tablespoon at most. Tried it on a practice text block last week and the spine was way too stiff, it wouldn't open flat at all. Has anyone else found older guides give you bad glue amounts?

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lily_dixon27•14d ago

My first attempt at rounding a spine was a total mess

I mean, I used to just press down on the text block with my hands and hope for the best, which gave me these lumpy, uneven curves every single time. Then last month I watched a video from a binder in Portland who used a simple wooden dowel and a mallet, rolling it gently across the spine. I tried it with a 1-inch dowel I had in my garage, and the difference was honestly wild. Has anyone else found a weirdly simple tool that fixed a basic step for them?

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the_sean•14d ago

Found my old notes from a repair job three years back

I was cleaning out my bench drawer last week and found the paper I scribbled on when I fixed a 1908 poetry book for the local library. My notes were just a mess of pencil marks and glue spots. Last month, I redid my whole record system with a proper project log, but seeing that old sheet made me miss how simple things felt back then. What's your method for keeping track of repairs and materials now?

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wyatt_shah85•16d ago

My entire batch of headbands came out crooked because my bone folder snapped halfway through.

Had to finish 50 books with a butter knife from my kitchen. Anyone know a brand that can handle daily use without breaking?

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clairer79•16d ago

I was using way too much paste for my endpapers for years

I was binding a custom journal for a friend last week and the endpaper just would not lie flat after drying, it kept bubbling up. My mentor from my apprenticeship, Frank, happened to stop by the shop. He took one look, poked at the paper, and said, 'Kid, you're drowning it. You only need a whisper-thin layer, like you're barely touching the brush to the glue.' I'd been applying it like I was buttering toast. I tried his method on a fresh sheet, using maybe a quarter of the paste I normally would, and it adhered perfectly with no wrinkles. Has anyone else had a specific tool or technique tip that completely fixed a stubborn problem like that?

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troyh55•19d ago

I finally gave in and tried that 'wrong' glue for my leather spine repairs

A binder at the Seattle guild meetup last month said she'd been using PVA for minor leather rebacks for years, and after my hide glue failed on a 1920s poetry collection, I tried it and the flexibility is just better, so what's your go-to adhesive for old leather that needs to move?

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theaward•20d ago

Just compared wheat paste to PVA for a small repair job

I had to fix a hinge on a 1900s poetry book. The wheat paste was a bit slower to dry, but it felt way more flexible and gentle on the old paper. Has anyone else found that for older books, the slower option is actually better?

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marknelson•20d ago

TIL the average 19th century bookbinder used over 200 different hand tools

I was reading a history of the trade and saw that number in a museum catalog from Boston. Has anyone here tried making a period-accurate set, or is that just for specialists?

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adams.vera•21d ago

The paper grain check went from a quick bend to a full soak test in my shop

About two years back, I would just bend a sheet to check the grain direction, and maybe one in ten projects had a slight warp after gluing. Last month, I started doing a full water soak test on a corner of every new paper batch. I cut a one inch square, drop it in water for five seconds, and watch which way it curls. Since I switched, I have not had a single warped text block in the last fifteen books. The extra minute per batch saves me hours fixing problems later. Has anyone else moved to a more sure fire test like this, or do you stick with the bend?

3 comments