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TOOLS, MATERIALS, AND STUDIO BASICS

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

Rounding Hammers and Chisel: The rounding hammers with dome-shaped head and a claw end without a notch are rounded smooth and used to round and shape the spine of a text block. Chisels are used for punching through heavier materials and for creating slits in boards for materials like ribbon. Figure A

Darner and Curved Needles, Waxed Linen and Linen Thread, and Beeswax: These needles are commonly used for sewing the text block together. Darners make good universal sewing needles and curved ones are often used in Coptic binding. Linen thread is strong and archival and comes in many colors. Beeswax helps hold threads in place as you sew. Figure B

Linen Bookbinding Cord and Linen Tapes: Some book structures require support to the spine sewing, which can come from linen tapes or linen cords. Figure C

Awl, Needle Tool, Bone Folder, Teflon Folder, and Micro Spatula: Awls and needle tools are used for punching sewing stations. Awls make larger holes and the needle tool makes smaller ones. A bone folder is the most used tool for folding, scoring, and creasing paper. Its counterpart, the Teflon folder, can be used in place of the bone folder for the same things, but does not mark up the surface of book cloth, paper, or board. A micro spatula is useful for separating pages, pressing flaking glue, and applying adhesive in hard-to-reach areas. Figure D

Snap Blade, Rotary Blade, and Scalpel: A snap blade makes a great universal cutting tool for paper and board. A rotary tool can make quick work of cutting through several layers of papers or cloth. The scalpel blade is ideal for delicate precision cuts. Figure E

Weights and Clamps: Anything can be a weight as long as the surface is clean when it is applied to your projects. Bricks, irons, and old bits of metal work well when wrapped. Clamps can be used to apply pressure with a more controlled force similar to a nipping press when one is not available. Figure F

Sanding Block, Spray Bottle, Ace Bandage, Natural Sponge, and Bowl: Sanding blocks and paper can help refine, soften, or round the edges of boards or paper where knives will not work. A simple spray bottle with water is useful for every project in a studio. Ace bandages are used to help hold a book tightly so it does not move when weights are not advisable. The natural sponge and bowl are used for cleanly wetting projects where moisture is needed, such as making leather pliable. Figure G

Metal Triangle, Spring Dividers, Rulers, and Cutting Mat: Metal triangles are practical for checking that your projects are square and for any construction using boards. Spring dividers offer accurate measurements for spine spacing and transferring measurements to other surfaces. Rulers are invaluable for accurate measuring and making straight cuts with your snap blade or rotary tool. Cutting mats help you achieve the best cuts for your projects without damaging your work surface. Figure H

Board Shears: Board shears are used for straight cuts on large pieces of paper and board. Figure I

Backing Press and Standing Press: The backing press is used to round the spines of text blocks, or to hold books stable while working on them. A standing press is used to help projects stay flat as they dry or rest between stages. (A nipping press is a tabletop version of a standing press.) Figure J

Guillotine Cutter: This motor-operated cutter is used to cut blocks of paper to the same size. Figure K

Hand-Letter Tools: These are used for embossing, decorating, and finishing book covers. Figure L

Sewing Frame and Keys: Sewing frames are used for sewing text blocks to the linen tapes or cords. The keys keep the linen tapes and cords in place while you finish your sewing on the frame, creating neatly held lines so the aesthetics hold up for your book. Figure M

Gold Leaf, Cushion, and Knife: Gold leaf is used for gold tooling. The leaf is light and thin. It can be cut to size by laying it on the gold cushion, which must be grease free, and simply cut using a sawing motion with a gold knife. Figure N

Palette Knives, Paper Knife, Paring Knife, Paper Burnisher, and Tin Sheet: A palette knife is a great utility tool that can be used for mixing small amounts of pigments, paints, or glues for projects. A paper knife is used to open signatures or cut through paper. A paring knife is used for paring leather down to a thickness that will work for binding. A paper burnisher is used to mark material for folds or layout. The tin sheet is used when working with leather to help hold firm and even pressure when pressing it. Figure O

Basic Tool Binding Kit: The basic kit includes scissors, a micro spatula, a snap blade, a Teflon folder, a spring divider, an awl, a bone folder, a needle tool, and a scalpel. Figure P

Punch Tools and Japanese Punch Tools: These are used to punch holes through paper for sewing or for post bindings and for different cuts. Figure Q

Binders board, text block paper, Reemay, wax paper, newsprint, acetate, and blotting paper. Figure R

Decorative and Japanese papers. Figure S

Strainer, PVA, Methylcellulous, Wheat Paste, and Glue Brushes: Glues and pastes have very specific uses in bookbinding. Each entry in this book will detail the type of glue or paste to use. Glue should always be applied with a dedicated glue brush. Figure T

Sewing Frame and Nipping Press: A sewing frame keeps the signatures of a book aligned while you are sewing on tapes or cords. The nipping press, tightened by turning the handle, is particularly useful in keeping cover boards flat while glue is drying. Figure U

Hot Stamp Machine, Hot Stamp Hand Tools, Hot Plate, and Schärffix: Hot stamping is a finishing process in which an image is stamped. It’s often used to title covers and spines. A design made of brass or metal type is placed in the machine, which is heated. It’s then stamped through gold or silver foil to create an embossment. The hot plate can be used to heat tools for hand tooling. A Schärffix is used to pare leather, or thin it down for binding. Figure V

BOOK ANATOMY AND PAPER TERMS

Paper Grain and Signature Structure: The Basics to Know for All Books

All machine-made paper has a grain direction. As paper is manufactured, it only moves in one direction through the machine, which presses it into a flat sheet. The fibers that flow on the running mold will line up in that direction as well. This makes machine direction and grain direction parallel.

Paper is greatly affected by moisture. This includes everything from applied water or glue to the humidity in the air. The fibers absorb moisture and swell more in their width than in the length, which can give a sheet of paper a warble. The stretch happens in the cross-grain direction.

Grain direction is a particularly important factor in bookmaking. Generally, a piece of paper will fold or bend more easily with the grain. The grain in every element of a book should run parallel to the spine of the book. This includes cover papers, end papers, boards, text sheets, wrappers, and accordion pleats.

HOW TO FIND GRAIN DIRECTION

Bend the paper gently. It will bend with less resistance in the direction of the grain.

Moisten a sample piece of the paper you’ll be working with. It will curl in a tunnel shape. The grain direction will be parallel to the length of the tunnel formed.

Run a finger firmly along the edges of adjoining sides of the paper. The edge with the grain direction will hardly change. The other edge will show a slightly wavy line because the fibers were stretched.

ADHESIVES

Different projects and materials require different types of adhesives. The following are the most common and will be used throughout the book in different ways.

PVA (Polyvinyl Acetate): PVA is a water-soluble, polymer-based adhesive. The glue is widely available at art stores and bindery suppliers. The glue maintains a good pH level, ages well, and works beautifully for bookbinding and box making. PVA glue stores well at room temperature, but loses its adhesive properties if ever frozen.

Methylcellulose: A pH-neutral adhesive formulated from plant fibers, this can be used for sizing paper and as a paper adhesive on its own. It can also be used to thin down PVA to slow the drying time. Methylcellulose is available as a powder. Mix about 1 tablespoon (10 g) of powder to 1 cup (235 ml) of warm water and leave it to set overnight so that the adhesive crystals absorb the water and swell to form a clear, sticky solution about the consistency of heavy cream.

Wheat Starch Paste: A fine-grade wheat starch is usually bought from a bindery supplier as a dry powder. This can be mixed with water and cooked on a hot plate, then strained or run through a blender to remove lumps. You can buy a precooked wheat paste that does not need to be heated, just mixed with water. It can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator before it sours. Wheat starch makes a very strong natural adhesive and creates a flexible adhesive layer, making it desirable for many book conservation needs.

Rice Starch: A natural paste similar to wheat starch paste, rice starch is usually packaged as a dry powder. Mixing will vary depending upon where the starch comes from, but it’s similar to the instructions for wheat paste.

Double-Sided Tape: Only some tapes are wholly archival adhesive. Tape is perfect for projects where you are trying not to introduce moisture-based adhesives. This includes putting pages together when the grain is in the wrong direction or working with paper that is delicate and cannot get wet. Double-sided tape also works well for projects where quick adherence is necessary.

Mounting Adhesive: This adhesive is designed for adhering large surface areas where you are trying not to introduce moisture. It works well with cover material or paper to paper. It is similar in use as double-sided tape, but mounting adhesive can be archival and permanent.

Choosing the right adhesive for the right material can make a big difference in the success of your project. The following guidelines will help when thinking about your materials.

Thick paper glued to boards: plain PVA

Lightweight paper glued to boards: 1/2 PVA and 1/2 methylcellulose

Paper to paper: double-sided tape or mounting adhesive

Book cloth to board: 1/2 PVA and 1/2 methylcellulose

Leather to board: wheat or rice paste, or 1/2 PVA and 1/2 methylcellulose

Basic Paste Recipe

1. Mix 1 part starch with 1 part cold water for a creamy paste. Figure A

2. Heat some water in a sauce pan and set it aside for gradual use. (The ultimate mixing ratio will be 5 parts water to 1 part starch.)

3. Blend the creamy paste from step 1 in a sauce pan with a small amount of the hot water. Figure B

4. Blend until there are no lumps and it is a smooth consistency. A whisk works best for this.

5. Add the rest of the heated water slowly, whisking all the time; keep on the hot plate while doing this. Figure C

6. The paste will change from opaque white to translucent.

7. Keep heat low, stirring until small bubbles appear. Turn off the hot plate.

8. Pour into a bowl and let cool before use. Figure D

9. Strain small portions as you need them and dilute to the consistency needed.

The amount of starch you prepare depends on the project it is being used for. Most manufacturers provide specific measurements for their product. Many practitioners rely on their eye, though.

SEWING, KNOTS, AND CLOSURES

In bookbinding, there are a few sewing knots and closures that are used regularly. Though this list does not include all of them, you will see the following ones used throughout the projects in this book.

Securing Thread on the Needle: Used to decrease bulk at the end of the needle and to prevent thread from falling off while sewing.

Guide the thread through the eye of the needle, leaving a tail of 4 to 5 inches (10 to 12.5 cm). Lightly untwist the tail to make the thread ply visible. Take the needle head and pierce it through the loose thread ply, drawing the needle through. Keeping the needle straight in your hand, pull the tail all the way down past the eye of the needle. Continue to hold the needle and pull the long thread until the knot meets the eye of the needle.

Square Knot: Used to join two thread ends together.

Cross the left end over the right end. Bring the ends back and cross the right end over the left end. Pull it tight.

Weaver’s Knot: Used to add a new length of thread to an old one as you sew. Make a slip knot on the end of the new thread and place the end of the old thread through the slip knot’s loop. Pull one tail of the new thread and then the other to tighten the knot and slide it close to the spine of the book. Pull both tails firmly until you hear a small “pop” and the old thread has been pulled into the new knot. You can test the knot by pulling on each thread individually. If the knot slides, try it again.

Splicing Knot: Splicing is another way to add a new length of thread when you are in the middle of a project.

Kettle Stitch: Used during the sewing of signatures, to link the head and tail of each signature to the next.

To create a kettle stitch, exit the needle through the last sewing station before the head or tail of the signature. Pull the thread taut, then point the needle through the stitch directly below it. Push the needle through. Pull until you are left with a small loop, then push the needle up through the loop. Pull up to secure the tension. You’re ready to proceed to the next section. Be sure to avoid creating too much tension, or the paper might tear or weaken.

LEATHER AND CLOTH

Leather has a long history in bookbinding. It appears in some of the oldest known books in the world. Its earliest uses were out of practicality, but over time it has become a material that has invited some of the most extraordinary decorative and design work. It bridges a traditional book material to contemporary works of art.

The process starts with soaking the leather in a tanning solution made with tannins from trees such as sumac, oak, or mimosa. Hundreds of different types of trees could be used. Though simple in description, the process can take up to two months to fully extract the water molecules. These leathers are different from upholstery and fashion leathers, which often use a chrome, or mineral, tanning process. Upholstery and fashion leathers are ill suited for bookbinding because of this. The chrome treatment makes the leather absorb paste poorly and makes it difficult to pare.

Goatskin is appealing for its textured surface and calf for its smoothness. Leather can be purchased by the whole skin and paid for by the square footage. Goatskins are generally between 5 and 7 square feet (1.52 and 2.1 sq. m) and sorted by first, second, and third quality. The differences between each relate to evenness of color and the number of scars or blemishes on the skin. Calfskins are larger than goat and are more expensive. They are best suited for fine bindings with elaborate tooling, and special treatments such as inlays or onlays.

Leather has different qualities depending on which part of the skin is used. The neck area is stiff and the sides or belly of the animal are softer and have more stretch. The best part to use is the butt or lower back portion because it is the most stable and gives you the largest consistent area. The sides and belly are often used for sewing support, as tie enclosures for historical bindings, or are pared thinly for labels.

• It prevents the glue from seeping through the weave of the fabric, ruining the surface of the book or box.

• Backing fabric with paper, or starching, fixes the weave in place so that there is no distortion to the fabric when glued.

• Unfixed fabric will distort and shift across the surface.

• Book cloth lasts longer and wears better over time.

• It is much easier to work with because glue spreads easily on the surface of book cloth and the edges will not fray.

• You can purchase it readymade, or make your own.

MATERIALS

Adhesive: Wheat paste or rice starch

Fabric: Any fabric made with natural fibers, such as cotton, silk, hemp, or rayon, with tight weaves and that are fairly thin. Some polyesters work but it depends on the fabric.

Paper: Japanese papers, or rice papers, are best for backing the fabric. Use papers with kozo fibers, as they make very strong, durable, thin sheets. Papers that work best are Kaji Natural, Sekishu, Mulberry, and Kitakata.

TOOLS

Bowl

Fine-mesh strainer (optional)

Scissors

Spray bottle

Paste brush

Long ruler

Smoothing brush

Towel

Drying board (plywood varnished with polyurethane or any nonabsorbent surface)

Butter knife or palette knife

How to Make Your Own Book Cloth

1. Cook the paste to the consistency of yogurt and transfer it to a bowl. Cover with a thin layer of water so that it does not form a skin. Allow the paste to cool. If it dries thicker than yogurt consistency, thin with more water. If lumpy, strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Figure A

2. Prepare the fabric while the paste is cooling. Cut the fabric larger than the size you need for your project. The grain of the fabric should run parallel to the spine of the book. If it is new fabric, the grain can be determined easily. The grain runs parallel to the finished edge of the fabric. If there is no finished edge, roll it both ways to see if there is an obvious grain. Figure B

3. Cut the backing paper so that the grain of the paper is parallel to the spine as well and so that it is larger than the fabric by about 1 inch (2.5 cm) on all sides.

4. Place the fabric face down on your work surface. Mist the back with water and smooth out the fabric to make sure the pattern and weave are straight and stable. Figure C

5. On the table next to the fabric place your rice paper with the toothier side facing up. Using your paste brush, coat the entire surface with paste, starting at the center and working your way out to the edges. Make sure the paste is even, thin, and covering the entire sheet with no gaps. Also make sure there are no lumps of paste or bristles from the paste brush on the paper. Figure D

6. You are ready to lift the pasted sheet. All the moisture of the paste will be seeping into the sheet, making it wet and a bit stretchy. This is why Japanese paper with kozo is preferred. Its long fibers provide great strength when wet. If handled carefully, it will not tear in the process of being picked up. Place your ruler next to the sheet on the right or left edge of the paper (your preference) and place it under the paper, making sure the paste adheres to it. Pick up the ruler and completely lift the sheet off the table. Figure E

7. Use your other hand to grab the corner of the sheet at the opposite end. This makes the paper bow in a U shape. Starting at one side, gently lay down the paste sheet on the fabric, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border around. This step can be tricky. It is best to hover over the fabric with the sheet, visually lining it up, then slowly roll it onto the fabric. Figure F

8. Use the smoothing brush starting at the center and work out all of the air bubbles. Figure G

9. Using a towel, press and tamp the paper on the fabric beginning at the center and working your way to the edges. Use medium pressure. This helps affix the paper to the fabric. Be sure to use even pressure on the entire surface. You’ll know you have successfully tamped an area when the paper gets moist and looks pressed. Figure H

10. Brush paste onto the border area of the paper on all 4 sides. From another sheet of the Japanese paper, cut a piece about 1 1/2 x 4 inches (4 x 10 cm) long. Press this tab into the middle area of one of the longer sides, leaving most of the tab jutting off the edge. Figure I

11. Carefully lift the fabric and paper by taking it at one of the corners, making sure you are grabbing both the paper and fabric together. Place the fabric face up on the drying board. Figure J

12. Use your smoothing brush to affix it to the board, making sure it is flat and smooth. Figure K

13. Allow the fabric to dry completely before removing it (usually overnight). Do not remove it if it’s not dry. Slip a butter knife or palette knife under the edge with the tab and release the borer by running the knife under the edges. Store flat or rolled with the fabric out until use. Figure L