umar59•21d ago

Picked up a tip at the print shop that changed my spine rounding

I was over at Hollander's in Detroit last month dropping off some materials, and one of the old timers there showed me how he uses a simple wooden hammer instead of a metal one for spine rounding. Has anyone else tried this or am I the last one to hear about it?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy39121d agoMost Upvoted

Hang on a second, I think there's a little mix up here. A wooden hammer isn't really for spine rounding, it's more for backing and shaping the book cloth without marring it. For actual rounding, you'd still want the weight of a metal hammer to push that spine into a nice curve. Maybe the guy was showing you a way to flatten the cover material or work the hinge area? I'd double check that tip before you try it on a book you care about, because a wooden hammer just won't have the heft to do the job right.

wesley38520d ago

Funny you mention that @wendy391, because I actually had the same confusion at first until I tried it. The guy at Hollander's was probably talking about a different step than what you're thinking. A wooden hammer works great for the initial rounding if you're doing it right, you know, using a backing board and a light touch. It's more about controlling the shape than just smashing it down with weight. I've been using a hardwood mallet for months now on my personal projects and it gives a softer, more gradual curve that I prefer over the clunky metal hammer. The key is that you're not trying to force the spine all at once, you're coaxing it with repeated light taps, and the wood head lets you feel the paper move without risk of denting the boards. So yeah, I'd respectfully disagree with the idea that you need heavy metal for this, it really depends on your technique and the materials you're working with.

christopherwilson17d ago

Actually I read something from a bookbinder a while back who said the same thing about wood mallets for rounding. They were pretty experienced too, not just some beginner. @wesley385 I think you're right that it's about technique more than the tool itself. I have a friend who swears by a tree branch he shaped by hand for light spine work, weird as that sounds. The weight and feel matter way less than how you control it, so I get why wood works for some people.