Book binding

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Emdiesse

Settler
Jan 9, 2005
629
5
Surrey, UK
Cheers for the clarification, I took an educated guess (a) was the option I was looking for as I am presume that eventually I will be passing my linen thread through the fold of each gather (like we see in other books at the centre of each gather) and (b) would mean i'd need to do it twice for each inner bi-fold (which seemed a little daft... however, still worth a check though since if it was that way, and had been for centuries then who could deny many centuries worth of logic :) even if it did seem a little odd!). I have all my sections under the press eagerly awaiting the time when I can add my coloured bifolds. :)
 
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palmnut

Forager
Aug 1, 2006
245
0
N51° W002°
Is there a fabric that I may be able to get from my local dress making shop that I could use as a cover rather than leather? What type of fabric would I be looking for?

Peter
 

sandsnakes

Life Member
May 22, 2006
986
14
69
West London
I will post a picture of a book press later.

Yes you can us material. Bookbinding cloth has a paper base to prevent glue coming to the surface. So you will need a material that does not soak up the PVA.

DO NOT go for bookbinding leather, use soft uphoslstery hide. Binding leather is about £110 a goat skin so about £25 a sq ft. As I said recycled upholstery leather is ideal for this project. Don't waste money, practice on cheap stuff as it takes a while to master the art..about 14-40yrs!
 

sandsnakes

Life Member
May 22, 2006
986
14
69
West London
Cheers for the clarification, I took an educated guess (a) was the option I was looking for as I am presume that eventually I will be passing my linen thread through the fold of each gather (like we see in other books at the centre of each gather) and (b) would mean i'd need to do it twice for each inner bi-fold (which seemed a little daft... however, still worth a check though since if it was that way, and had been for centuries then who could deny many centuries worth of logic :) even if it did seem a little odd!). I have all my sections under the press eagerly awaiting the time when I can add my coloured bifolds. :)


Good educated guess, yes needle runs through all folds...but stranger sewing patterns have be known!
 

sandsnakes

Life Member
May 22, 2006
986
14
69
West London
Superb - I'm in (as if I need another project right now). I even have a ream of Conqueror hidden from the kids somewhere.

1. singteck
2. JohnC
3. Stew (at some point :D )
4. emdiesse
5. Palmnut (after finishing a knife and sheath)

Peter

EDIT: Damnit! Only 45 minutes later and the Conqueror has been found, bifolds have been folded, sections have been assembled. Now off to find the boards and the heavy weights (got a roll of lead somewhere - that's the plan).

EDIT: And within 90 minutes the sections are between two bits of carefully sanded plywood with a huge lump of lead on top. Could an improvised press be made by putting a bolt and nut at each corner of the board like some kid's flower presses I've seen? Or would this impart too much bowing in the wood and hence spoil the effect?


Pressure actually needs to be central to the platern of a press. Side tension causes creases and sometimes the sections just 'spit out'... most irritating!
 
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g4ghb

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 21, 2005
4,320
246
54
Wiltshire
I'm going to have a go, I've wanted to have a try for ages.

1. singteck
2. JohnC
3. Stew (at some point :D )
4. emdiesse
5. Palmnut (after finishing a knife and sheath)
6. g4ghb

thanks for doing this sandsnakes it all seems clear so far bar the order of the folds / coloured folds. could you do a quick diagram similar to Emdiesse to clarify, sometimes a diagram is better than a photo.
 

g4ghb

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 21, 2005
4,320
246
54
Wiltshire
First section in the 'press', seems to be going well so far........ (famous last words!) two days to find some colored sheets now :)
 

palmnut

Forager
Aug 1, 2006
245
0
N51° W002°
DO NOT go for bookbinding leather, use soft uphoslstery hide. Binding leather is about £110 a goat skin so about £25 a sq ft. As I said recycled upholstery leather is ideal for this project. Don't waste money, practice on cheap stuff as it takes a while to master the art..about 14-40yrs!

Understood, but not many leather sofas in skips to be found in darkest rural Dorset :-(

I have some supple 1mm pig leather ... I'll go with that for now (just need to get some leather dye from somewhere).

Waiting with baited wotsit for the next instalment ...

Peter
 

palmnut

Forager
Aug 1, 2006
245
0
N51° W002°
Anyone know how to get MS Word or LibreOffice Writer to print pages in the correct order for compiling into sections like this? Bit of a pain not being able to print and bind one's own book?

Sections with end-papers glued, awaiting the next instructions boss .... ;-)

Peter
 

Swallow

Native
May 27, 2011
1,545
4
London
Anyone know how to get MS Word or LibreOffice Writer to print pages in the correct order for compiling into sections like this? Bit of a pain not being able to print and bind one's own book?

Sections with end-papers glued, awaiting the next instructions boss .... ;-)

Peter

I'll look into it. I assume you are already familiar with gutter margins?
 

Swallow

Native
May 27, 2011
1,545
4
London
Anyone know how to get MS Word or LibreOffice Writer to print pages in the correct order for compiling into sections like this? Bit of a pain not being able to print and bind one's own book?

Sections with end-papers glued, awaiting the next instructions boss .... ;-)

Peter

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word-help/print-a-folded-booklet-HP003072949.aspx

and not quite as comprehensive but gives screen shots

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/32759/how-to-create-booklets-in-word/
 

palmnut

Forager
Aug 1, 2006
245
0
N51° W002°
Perhaps Sandsnakes has been taken out of circulation by the Ultra-Secret Society of Book Binders for giving away trade secrets held sacred by the Inner Circle for thousands of years? Even now he's struggling in his (sorry) bindings, tied to a tree in Dave Budd's woods whilst they try to extract from him the names of those uninitiated to whom he revealed these secrets. Any day now we'll all hear noises below whilst we sleep in our beds - the next thing ... a large fresh stock of top quality book leather and a mysterious disappearance of a whole section of the bushcrafting community.

;-)

Perhaps I've been reading too much Dan Brown recently?

;-)

Peter
 

g4ghb

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 21, 2005
4,320
246
54
Wiltshire
So you don't think it's the Ultra-Secret Society of Book Binders then? that's a relief!!:grouphug:
 

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