c/bookbinders

My first time sewing a text block with linen thread was a total mess

I thought using a curved needle and my usual waxed thread would be fine, but the linen kept fraying and snapping. It took me three whole evenings and about 15 broken needles before I watched a video where the binder said to use a straight needle and beeswax the thread first. Has anyone else found a better way to handle linen thread for sewing?

My first time using paste paper went completely sideways

I was in my garage studio in Austin, trying to make a cover for a poetry collection. The paste was too thin, and it just slid right off the paper in a big, gloopy mess. I had to scrape it all off with a palette knife and start over from scratch, which took about three hours. Has anyone else had paste just refuse to cooperate like that?

My neighbor asked if I could bind a book with duct tape

I was outside my shop in Portland yesterday and my neighbor, who knows I bind books, asked me with a straight face if I could 'just use the good silver duct tape' to fix a family bible. I had to explain that the adhesive would destroy the paper in about five years, which made him go 'oh, it's not forever glue?'. Has anyone else had to give a crash course on why some materials are a total no-go for preservation?

I mixed PVA glue with a bit of water for a repair and the spine bubbled up

I was fixing a cookbook from 1958 and thinned my PVA with maybe 10% water to make it spread easier. The next morning, the spine cloth had these weird, wavy bubbles all along it. Has anyone else had glue do this, and what's a better way to get a smooth, thin layer?

Tried using a 1/8 inch awl for French link stitch and the holes are too big

I was binding a 200 page notebook with French link stitch, and my usual 1/16 inch awl was missing. I grabbed a 1/8 inch one instead, thinking it wouldn't matter much. The holes ended up so large that the thread has noticeable slack and the signatures feel loose. Has anyone else had this happen, and is there a good way to tighten it up now, or is it just a lesson learned?

My entire batch of custom endpapers got ruined when the humidity spiked last Tuesday.

I was finishing a set of six leather journals for a client and the paste just wouldn't set right, leaving everything wrinkled and stuck together, so what's your go-to method for dealing with sudden humidity changes in your workspace?

Remember when you could just walk into a shop and buy good book cloth?

Back in 2010, my local art supply store in Tacoma closed for good. That same week, I needed a specific green cloth for a big job. I spent three days calling every place I could think of, but nobody had it. I finally had to order it online and wait a week, which threw my whole schedule off. Anyone else miss having a real store you could just go to?

I still use animal glue for spine lining and I don't care what anyone says

Honestly, everyone acts like PVA is the only way to go now, but I had to pick between that and traditional hide glue for a big rebind job last month. I went with the hide glue, the kind you have to heat up in a double boiler. It was a pain, sure, and my shop smelled like a barn for a day. But the flexibility it gives the spine as it sets is just different. I did a full leather binding on a 1908 poetry collection, and that spine moves like a dream. A guy at a meetup in St. Louis told me I was wasting my time and that modern stuff is stronger. Ngl, maybe it is, but for a book that's meant to be opened and read, not just sit on a shelf, I think the old way works better. Has anyone else stuck with animal glue for specific jobs, or am I just being stubborn?

Showerthought: My old hair straightener saved a book with a warped cover

I was fixing a 1920s poetry collection from my local library's sale, and the cloth cover had a bad warp from moisture. I tried pressing it under weight for days, but it just wouldn't flatten. On a whim, I used my hair straightener on the lowest heat setting with a piece of parchment paper between it and the cloth. It worked perfectly in about two minutes! Has anyone else used a totally non-bookbinding tool in a pinch like this?

Update: I keep seeing people use regular PVA glue for spine lining and it's going to crack in a year

Honestly, after seeing three customer repairs this month from binders using Elmer's instead of flexible bookbinding glue, I need to ask, what flexible adhesive are you all actually using for your spines?

I just found out I've been folding my signatures wrong for three years

I was at a small workshop in Portland last month and saw the instructor fold a folio with the grain running the opposite way from how I do it. She said it makes the paper sit flatter when you sew it, and sure enough, my test book from that day opens way easier. I always thought the paper direction only mattered for the cover boards. So, is grain direction in the text block a must-do rule, or is it more of a personal choice thing? What's your take?

I thought using a bone folder from the craft store was fine until a project in Boston

I was working on a leather journal for a client in Boston and my cheap plastic folder left faint marks on the cover. A binder there told me to try a real bone or Teflon one, and it made a huge difference with no scratches. Has anyone else had a tool let them down on a nice piece of leather?

I used to think a bone folder was just for creasing paper

At a workshop in Portland, I watched an older binder named Eleanor smooth a leather spine with her bone folder, not just fold. She said, 'The flat edge is for pressing out air pockets under the leather, it's not just a creaser.' I tried it on my next project, a small notebook cover, and it made the leather lay down so much cleaner. Has anyone else found a simple tool can do more than its name suggests?

I used to think edge painting was just for show

My friend in Portland showed me a copy of 'Moby Dick' she painted the edges on, and the pages felt totally different. She said the paint seals the paper fibers, which stops them from absorbing humidity. I tried it on a journal I made, and after six months, the pages still turn smoothly without sticking. Has anyone else found a practical reason for a step they thought was just decoration?

TIL a weird trick for getting old glue off book cloth

Honestly, I was trying to restore this 1950s hymnal from a church sale in Akron and the old spine glue was like concrete. Ngl, I was about to give up after scraping for an hour. On a total whim, I tried a dab of vegetable oil on a cloth and let it sit for 10 minutes. The glue just wiped right off without damaging the fabric underneath. Has anyone else found a weird household item that works for a specific bindery problem?

PSA: My old way of storing ranunculus corms was a total fail

Last month, I kept about fifty ranunculus corms in my garage in a cardboard box, thinking it was dry enough. A week later, I checked and half were soft and moldy from the damp air. I switched to storing them in paper bags with dry peat moss in a cool closet, and the rest are fine now. Has anyone else found a better method to keep them over winter?

Warning: my old way of rounding spines was a real pain

I used to spend an hour just hammering the signatures over a dowel, trying to get a nice curve. Now I use a cheap bone folder from the craft store and a piece of PVC pipe, and it takes maybe 10 minutes. Anyone have a better trick for getting a clean, even round?

Showerthought: I was wrong about using hot glue for headbands

For years I used hot glue to attach headbands in my leather journals, thinking PVA was too slow. Last month, a journal I made in 2020 came back with the headband completely detached and the glue brittle. I switched back to traditional wheat paste and after three projects, the flexibility and hold are clearly better. Am I the only one who learned this the hard way?

I finally picked a backing material for a leather journal project

I was working on a custom journal last week and got stuck on the backing. The client wanted it to open flat, so I had to choose between a traditional mull cloth or a new synthetic mesh I saw online. The mesh claimed to be stronger and more flexible, but I've always trusted the mull. I ended up going with the mull because I had a roll of it on hand and knew exactly how it would react with my paste. It worked out fine, the spine is holding up well after a few test openings. But now I'm curious if I missed out on something better. Has anyone else used that synthetic backing mesh, and does it actually make a difference for lay-flat binding?

I was at the library in Springfield and saw a book from 1892 that was still in great shape

I was looking for some old maps in the local history section last Tuesday and pulled out this huge atlas. The binding was this simple quarter leather with cloth, nothing fancy. But the spine was totally solid and all the pages were tight, even after 130 years. It made me think about how we sometimes overcomplicate things with fancy materials when solid basics last just as long. What's the oldest book you've handled that was still in good working order?

Spent $40 on a bone folder and it changed my scoring game

I always just used the back of a butter knife to score my cover paper. It worked fine, I guess, but my folds were never super crisp. Saw a post here about bone folders and decided to grab one. It was about forty bucks for a decent one. The difference is crazy. The point is perfect for getting into tight corners on small pamphlets, and the flat edge gives a clean, sharp crease every single time. My last batch of notebooks looked way more professional. I feel dumb for waiting so long. What other simple tools made a big difference for you guys?

Rant: A customer said my headbands were 'too tight' and it made me rethink my whole method

I was using a standard 1/4 inch allowance for the cloth, but after that comment I switched to 3/8 inch and the comfort difference is huge. Anyone else adjust their headband measurements after feedback?

A workshop in Chicago made me rethink my whole glue-up process

I was at a two-day workshop at the Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts last fall. The instructor, a binder named Elena, watched me apply PVA for a case binding and just said, 'You're using way too much, and it's too wet.' She showed me how to use a thinner layer, almost dry to the touch, and wait a full 90 seconds before joining the pieces. I tried it on the spot and the bond was stronger with zero warp. Now I'm paranoid I've been making my books weak for years. Has anyone else switched to a 'dryer' glue method and seen a big difference?

Rant: My mentor insisted on using only PVA for spine lining, but I tried wheat paste on a 19th century repair and it's a game changer.

He said it was 'unstable and messy' for modern work, but the flexibility and pH on that fragile text block was perfect. Anyone else have a 'bad' piece of advice that actually worked out?

Just finished a repair on a 1920s hymnal and had to pick between using new leather or trying to match the old patina with a dye. Went with the dye, mixed my own blend of Fiebing's Pro Dye in dark brown and cordovan. It's close, but not perfect. How do you all handle that kind of match?