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Bookbinding
How to bind a basic book block
(Hollow Back, curved spine)
Written by Lady Isabell Winter, 2009
1.
Collect your materials together, boards, covering, paste, paint brush, book press, book
plow, laying press, backing boards, backing hammer, scalpel, pencil, straight edge
(both metal and non metal – if using leather), template you used for sewing the book
block, awl, bone folder, butchers paper or newsprint, hard surface, stiff paper,
scissors.
2.
Select your covering material
3.
If you have access to a book plow (or modern guillotine) cut the edges of the book
block straight.
4.
If wanting to make a curved spine book, put your book block in between backing
boards in a laying press.
Laying press
Book block
Backing boards
5.
Using a backing hammer, gently tap over the 1st and last thirds of the spine. The
purpose of this is to create a shoulder that the boards can sit in and helps act as a
hinge. Note if you want a flat spine, you do not need to hammer the spine, but as the
width of the book increased a curved spine will become increasing important.
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End view of the book block after hammering
Overview of the laying press and backing boards.
A close up of book plow that when turned other way up runs along frame in laying
press.
6.
Get your boards, cut to size.
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7.
Measure off approx 1cm from the edge (this will be the entry point of your bands), and
rule a line. Mark the top or put an arrow on for direction, label the boards top and
bottom (this is important if there are slight differences in your book).
8.
Take your template that you used during sewing the book block and mark where the
bands will line up.
9.
Make holes using an awl in your boards on your marked points. Other options if you
don’t have an awl is a leather punch or similar. If using wooden boards then you will
need to drill these holes.
10. Thread your bands thru the holes in the board.
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11. Once the bands are threaded, tease them out, this is to help hide them latter on.
Make sure you have some protection sheets available at this point. Baking paper
works well, or any impervious plastic or similar – to prevent transfer of paste from the
cover to the book block. You can also at this point put a protective covering around
the book block by wrapping it in paper. This is once again very useful if binding a
book with delicate text or pictures that you do not want damaged.
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12. Paste down the teased out threads of the bands.
13. After you have double checked your protection sheet is in place, slowly close the
cover and line up with the book block for its final position. Repeat on both fount and
back boards.
14. Make a template for your covering material, this will help you cut the correct size
without wastage, and will allow you to find the best positioning if a patterned fabric, or
leather with grain.
15. Select the measurement that you want the covering to overturn, ¾ inch is a classic
amount, but this can vary depending on the size of the book. Take your dividers and
measure to your selected measurement.
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16. Use your dividers to mark off in stiff paper the edges in your template. Draw these
lines on (make sure you have added your turn in on all sides).
17. Lay the book down in the bottom corner, mark top mark and add turn over amount.
18. Roll book over on its spine to get other sides edge.
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19. Cut your template to size marked.
20. Lay your template on your covering material to check sizing.
21. If using a patterned fabric or leather a good tip is to cut out the centre of your
template, this allows you to position you covering as you want it to sit on the book.
This way you can avoid blemishes or holes, or put the spine thru the centre of the
book or what ever way you want to cover the book.
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22. Mark on the covering material using pencil and a straight edge (don’t use metal on
leather as it will mark), tailors chalk can work instead of a pencil if using fabric.
23. Cover the spine of your book block with buckram, linen or cotton. This gives a bit
more protection to the spine, particularly if you are doing a hollow back, it gives
strength to the pages to help keep them pasted together.
24. Cut your covering fabric to the size of your template.
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25. Ensure your protection sheets are in the book again and lay down on your template to
double check your template.
26. Paste down the covering and the board. Allow to relax and paste again. Then lay the
board on the covering.
27. Repeat for both sides (but not the spine if wanting a hollow back)
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28. Put in the book press overnight to dry. You don’t need a lot of weight, just needs to be
enough to keep it in place.
29. The next day you will be ready to finish pasting down your covering.
30. Using something to prop up the cover of the book (edge of hard surface), this will help
keep it flat and make it easier to work on the cover.
31. Take your straight edge and scalpel and cut a triangle off the corner of your surface
covering. Be careful to leave 1 ½ times the width of the board over the corner point of
the book however, this will give a better turn in on the corners. Repeat on each of the
four corners.
32. If you want at this point to you do a bit of trimming on your covering material, but you
will tidy up more once pasted down.
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33. Put down butchers paper or newsprint, while pasting to prevent unwanted transfer
onto your covering and to help keep things clean.
34. Paste down one end, smoothing the covering down towards the spine as you go.
35. Then paste down the top and bottom long edges.
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36. This can be a bit tricky so have your bone folder on hand to help push the covering
down along the spine edge. Putting the book on end can help in some cases.
37. Push the covering down along the spine and then work it back ever so slightly if you
are wanting to form a head cap.
38. Your corners now need to be tidied while the paste has contact. Once again using
your bone folder smooth over the corner from the fount surface to the inner board,
don’t worry if you have over lap, this can be sorted using a scalpel to tidy, almost
smoosh down the corner and work the covering into the centre of the inner board.
39. When finished they should look rounded and tidier.
40. Don’t worry about the straightness of the covering on the inner board at this stage as
you will tidy it after it has dried.
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41. Insert your protection paper again and put in the press lightly to dry.
42. When dry remove from the press and now tidy up the edges of your covering on the
inner boards. Use a scalpel and straight edge to cut.
43. This will then leave you with nice straight edges inside the covers, which will make it
easier to make an insert to fill in the difference between the covering and endpaper.
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44. Make an insert. Here you can use the center from your template which you used for
the covering material. Note that depending on the thickness of your covering material,
you may need several inserts. If working with leather and you have a paring knife and
have been able to use this well, it will reduce the need for inserts.
45. Note which way up you insert has been made to fit (as it is custom made, it may fit
better one way than another.
46. Paste up the insert ready to add to your book.
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47. Paste the insert into your cover.
48. Add your protections sheets again and put in press to dry.
49. Once dry you can now paste down your end page
50. Put down the butchers paper again and paste out your end page. Using a board to
raise the level of your cover can be useful.
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51. Once your end page is pasted, do not just pull over to the board. Bring the board over
to the end page. As the end page is pasted the paper will relax and can stretch. If
you were to pull it over, you would stretch the paper and could tear it.
52. Make sure you have your protections sheets handy again to put behind the end page
(to prevent the moisture transferring out that side of the end paper.
53. Repeat on both covers.
54. Put the book into the press now for the final time to dry.
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55. When you remove the book do not open harshly from the first board, put on its spine
and open slowly front and back at the same time working towards the centre. This is
to reduce the risk of breaking the paste on the spine and allows it to work into
shape/use.
56. The basic book is now finished. If you want to embellish the cover by foil or gold leaf
that is another work in itself.
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Showing the curved spine
Note: A gap was left around the book block itself and the cover (around the edge) to allow
air flow on the shelf, this is why the book block itself does not sit on the shelf,
otherwise condensation can build up between the shelf and book and the book will
then wick the moisture and warp.
Tip:
Once completed you can highlight the bands by rubbing beside them with a bone
folder.
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