Finally gave in and bought a proper laying press after years of clamping books between boards

For about 3 years I was using two thick pieces of plywood and some C-clamps to hold books while I worked on the spines. It worked okay but always slipped just enough to mess up my glue lines. Last month I dropped $200 on a used metal laying press from a guy retiring in Portland. The difference in how clean my joints come out now is night and day. Has anyone else found a tool they ignored for too long that ended up saving them tons of frustration?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamiekim19d ago

Dropped by a local print shop closing down and snagged a old cast iron nipping press for fifty bucks. Never knew what I was missing until I used it to flatten signatures before sewing. Has anyone tried using theirs for that instead of just spine work?

hall.nora19d ago

The metal press was a game changer for me too once I finally switched from using those little bookbinding triangle clamps that never held tight enough. It's crazy how much smoother everything goes when your book isn't shifting around on you mid-glue.