Several books have covers coming off, mostly hardbacks, what glue do folks recommend to fix them back on with?
NT
- posted
9 years ago
Book repair
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9 years ago
A chap I knew, who did fanned fore-edge painting, used a glue called flexi-bind when the book needed repair first.
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9 years ago
IIRC bookbinders use hide glue and another that is flexible and works OK ish is copydex - the one that smells of ammonia.
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9 years ago
s recommend to fix them back on with?
PVA will do; book-binding people use special varieties but for non-archival work I have used bog standard stuff - even the 'builders additive' variet y. I've seen it suggested to add a little glycerine; I have done this succe sfully but can't say whether it made much difference.
However ... 'covers coming off a hardback' encompases a wide range of book repairs, and it is the repair process as much as the glue that I'd be think ing of. Do you need to re-tape? new endpapers? spine repair? etc. etc.
Jon N
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9 years ago
lks recommend to fix them back on with?
al work I have used bog standard stuff - even the 'builders additive' vari ety. I've seen it suggested to add a little glycerine; I have done this suc cesfully but can't say whether it made much difference.
k repairs, and it is the repair process as much as the glue that I'd be thi nking of. Do you need to re-tape? new endpapers? spine repair? etc. etc.
Good question. Where's good to learn this stuff?
NT
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9 years ago
That?s only really necessary when glueing to the spine itself. It makes the glue more flexible. I put a couple of drops of glycerine in PVA wood glue, and I reckon it did work, but that was on a very cheap hardback.
Indeed, and you should really use different adhesives for the different parts (glue for the spine, paste for the back and end papers IIRC, though it?s a long time since I did any), particularly if you think the book will need repairing again in the future.
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9 years ago
It depends on the nature of the binding. Older books use a kind of glued string through the first bit of the double layer spin and into the rest of the bound pages, but this is unlikely to be replaceable, unless the book is rare and worth a lot when it really needs a rebind. Most of the others tend to use hide glue. There are lots of handed down recipes apparently. Myself, when i could see I either used double sided tape and magic tape or copydex.
Brian
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9 years ago
I found this in an antique shop, for a fiver I couldn't resist buying it.
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The cover and frontispiece are completely detached.
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9 years ago
[?]
I?d recommend
The Thames Hudson Manual of Bookbinding Arthur W Johnson ISBN 0-500-68011-6
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9 years ago
IIRC (it was a long time ago that I last looked at a copy), that is pretty comprehensive, but perhaps a bit out of date, and over-comprehensive, for w hat you want. There are quite a few web resources, again it depends what yo u are after. Also nightschool courses might be worth considering.
FWIW Hewits are the UK's best-known source of bookseller materials, tools e tc.
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HTH Jon N
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9 years ago
tty comprehensive, but perhaps a bit out of date, and over-comprehensive, f or what you want. There are quite a few web resources, again it depends wha t you are after. Also nightschool courses might be worth considering.
Thank you, and to everyone. I must learn more.
NT
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9 years ago
/ snipped-for-privacy@care2.com
- show quoted text - Good question. Where's good to learn this stuff?
NT /q
Shurely googling "bookbinding wiki" would bring a plethora of worthy results?......
:-)
Jim K
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9 years ago
Go to your local library and look for the oldest librarian. You might even be able to try the country archives, or a university library.
Andy
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9 years ago
lks recommend to fix them back on with?
al work I have used bog standard stuff - even the 'builders additive' vari ety. I've seen it suggested to add a little glycerine; I have done this suc cesfully but can't say whether it made much difference.
k repairs, and it is the repair process as much as the glue that I'd be thi nking of. Do you need to re-tape? new endpapers? spine repair? etc. etc.
Well, I know more about repairs now. The one in question needs a retape, pa ges tipping in, the spine's missing so new board & cloth. I'll practice on some low value books for now, probably with well diluted pva.
Methyl cellulose = wallpaper paste.
NT
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- posted
9 years ago
I used to spend some time chatting with a friend who is a bookbinder (does work on some seriously impressive books). Was always taken by the pot of paste made of flour, water and, IIRC, alum. Used it for pasting leather, cloth, etc., onto the boards.
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9 years ago
Also used when tipping in odd pages, as I recall. The alum is there to stop the paste going mouldy, and I think different people used various different salts for this. I remember making this - you had to mix the flour and water carefully to avoid lumps, then heat it up until the mixture thickens. If you had ended up with lumps a fine sieve or the g/f's old tights would be called for...