c/bookbinders

That old bookbinder who told me to stop using PVA for everything finally made sense

I had this guy at a shop in Portland tell me PVA glue was ruining my repairs because it wouldn't reverse... I laughed it off for like 3 years. Last week I had to redo a 1904 Bible I'd fixed back in 2020 and that old glue was a nightmare to peel off. Now I'm stuck wondering if I need to switch to wheat paste for all my antique work... has anyone else had to redo jobs because of PVA issues?

A retired binder told me my glue was too wet and I couldn't argue

I was over at a shop in Portland last fall helping an old timer with his summer project. He watched me glue up a text block and just said, 'Son, you're drowning the spine.' I had been using way too much PVA for years, thinking more meant stronger. He showed me how a thin, even coat actually holds better and doesn't warp the paper. Has anyone else had a simple tweak like that change their whole workflow?

Shoutout to the grain direction tip I ignored for 2 years

Finally figured out why my book covers kept warping after a week. Turns out the grain on my book board was running the wrong way. Swapped to proper grain direction on my last 3 journals and they came out flat as a pancake. Anyone else have a simple fix they avoided way too long?

A customer's comment about my sewing stations changed my whole setup

I had this one lady in Portland last fall who brought in a bunch of old sheet music she wanted rebound. She pointed at the thread tension on my machine and said it looked like I was choking the life out of the signatures. That one comment made me check my tension discs and I realized they were way too tight after years of use. Now I back them off a quarter turn and my spines lay way flatter. Anyone else get weird feedback that actually fixed something?

Found a cheap way to clamp book spines without spending $100

I was working on a rebind of an old textbook last month, one of those thick 800 page monsters, and my regular clamps just wouldn't hold the spine tight enough. I was about to give up and order some fancy bookbinding press from a woodworking supply place, but then I remembered I had some heavy duty binder clips sitting in my junk drawer. I stuck two of them on each side of the spine, right where the glue goes, and put a couple of those cheap plastic spring clamps from the hardware store along the edges to keep everything flat. It worked way better than I expected, the spine came out straight and the glue bonded even. Has anyone else found a weird household item that saved them from buying gear?

A retired librarian in Winston-Salem showed me how to fix a warped spine with a steam iron and a damp cloth.

I had this old cloth-bound book from 1954 that was bowed out badly, and she said let me show you something right there in her kitchen. Took maybe fifteen minutes and it laid flat after drying overnight. Anyone else got a repair trick that sounds crazy but actually works?

That time I used bookbinding glue on a repair job and regretted it

Last week I tried to fix a torn spine on a 1920s novel using my standard PVA mix, and the whole thing fell apart in 3 days. Everyone in my local group in Portland swears by PVA for everything, but I think it's overrated for old paper. Why do we keep acting like one glue works for all ages of books?

Just found out cheap PVA glue can ruin your bookcloth in under a year

I was looking up why some of my early bindings started getting weird spots on the covers. Dug into a forum post from a book conservator at the University of Iowa. Turns out cheap PVA glue has acids that migrate through the cloth over 8-12 months. The glue I was buying at the craft store for $3 a bottle is basically eating my work from the inside. Has anyone else seen their covers discolor or get brittle after a while?

I finally learned why you NEVER buy cheap bookbinding tape off eBay

Last month I needed some new linen tape for my spines so I grabbed a 3-pack of some off-brand stuff for $12 shipped. First book I used it on, the adhesive started oozing out the sides after about a week and the tape just peeled right off like a sticker. I wasted almost 15 dollars on that garbage and ruined a whole leather cover with sticky residue. Has anyone else fallen for cheap mystery tape from shady online sellers?

I thought people were crazy for spending $80 on a bone folder, then I picked one up at a shop in Nashville

Used my cheap plastic one for years and swore the fancy bone folders were just for show, but after 3 months of using the real deal I actually get how the weight and smoothness helps my spines lay flatter with zero guesswork, anyone else have a tool they ignored until they actually tried it?

Had a week where every signature sheet came back wrong

Last Tuesday I was finishing up a run of 40 journals for a local shop in Spokane. I had 3 sheets in a row where the signature lines were off by like half an inch after folding. Took me an extra 2 hours to redo those sections and realign the thread holes. Then Thursday I caught a bad batch of book cloth that was peeling at the edge before I even glued it down. Whole week felt like I was fighting the materials instead of working with them. Has anyone else hit a stretch where nothing seems to go right with the materials themselves?

Why does nobody talk about the glue failing on a hot day?

Doing a rebind in my garage last August in Phoenix. It was 107 outside, maybe 95 in the garage. I used my usual PVA glue and waited the normal drying time. Next day I go to open the book and the spine just cracked. Pages fell out like a cheap calendar. Turns out heat messes with the glue bond way more than I thought. So now I'm wondering: do you guys adjust your glue mix or drying time based on weather? Or just work in a climate controlled room and forget about it?

Tried a spine rounding hammer vs a bone folder for rounding book spines and there's no contest

Honestly, I spent my first year using a bone folder for rounding spines. I thought it was fine, you know, it got the job done. But then a buddy at a shop in Austin let me borrow his actual rounding hammer. Night and day difference. The hammer gives you way more control and the results are just cleaner. With the bone folder I always felt like I was forcing the spine into shape, but the hammer lets you work the curve in naturally. I got a consistent round on a 400 page text block in under 2 minutes. Took me 5 with the folder and it still looked lumpy. If you're on the fence about upgrading, just do it. Has anyone else made the switch and felt the same?

Is gluing the spine enough or do you still need to sew?

I skipped sewing on a text block last week and just used PVA glue on the spine like I saw in a YouTube video. The book opened flat and seemed fine, but now I'm worried it'll fall apart in a year. Has anyone else tried this and had it last long term?

Chat with a retired binder who glued every joint set me straight on my workflow

Tbh I was helping this guy Ernie pack up his workshop after he sold his place near Asheville, and he told me he never once used a sewing frame in 40 years. He just glued every text block and swore it held up better than thread for most general books. Got me thinking maybe I spend way too much time fidgeting with thread tension on jobs that don't need it. Anyone else ever ditch a traditional step after talking to an old pro?

Rant: People who use cheap PVA glue for book repair

I had a customer bring in a 1920s family Bible last month that someone tried to fix with standard school glue. The spine was a crusty mess, pages were stuck together, and the leather was peeling off in chunks. It took me 3 hours with a hair dryer and a palette knife just to separate the sections without tearing them. Does anyone else run into this kind of shortcut repair work, or is it just me dealing with these messes?

Saw a guy at a bookbinding guild meetup in Portland use a wallpaper seam roller instead of a bone folder

I watched him work through an entire case binding with it and the paper was laying completely flat with no crease marks. Has anyone else tried this or is there a reason we all stick to bone folders?

Debate: Should we trim book cloth edges before or after gluing? My mentor said after, but a guy at the bindery said before - which side is right?

I finally stopped using PVA glue after a book fell apart on me

Last month I bound a novel for a friend using PVA like I always do, but the spine cracked after 3 days of light use. An old timer at the Book Arts Fair in Portland told me I should switch to wheat paste for hand-bound books since it stays flexible. Has anyone else had better luck with wheat paste over PVA for jambs and spines?

Overheard a librarian mention grain direction at a coffee shop

I was grabbing a coffee last Saturday and this librarian was telling her friend about how she ruined a repair by ignoring the grain direction on some book cloth. She said she had to redo a whole binding job because the material curled after a week. It hit me that I do the same thing sometimes with my endpapers, just grabbing whatever board I have without checking. So I went home and checked my last three projects and two of them had the grain wrong on the spine piece. Has anyone else had problems from not paying attention to grain direction?

Just realized I've been marring my endpapers wrong for 10 years

Got coffee with a guy from the local guild last Saturday and he showed me how to use a bone folder on the grain instead of against it. Simple thing, but now my endpapers lay flat instead of bubbling up on the spine. Has anyone else had a basic habit they stuck with way too long without questioning?

Had a customer bring in a 1920s novel her grandmother bound by hand

She came into the shop over in Portland with this little clothbound book her grandma made in the 1920s. The stitching was all done with thread from old flour sacks and the endbands were just wrapped cotton. I spent like 45 minutes just looking at how she'd done the corners - it was so basic but so clever. Has anyone else seen something like that from old home binders?

Best binding week I had in years, then it all fell apart

Back in 2019, I had a whole week where every single book came out perfect. The glue set right, the covers lined up, no air bubbles anywhere. I remember finishing a set of 5 journals on a Thursday and thinking I finally had this trade figured out. Then on Friday, my sewing frame snapped in half right in the middle of a rush order and I spent the whole weekend rebuilding it from scratch. Has anyone else had a week that started perfect and then just crashed?

Picked up a tip at the Library of Congress bindery tour last month

Went on a behind the scenes tour of the bindery at the Library of Congress in DC. One of the old timers there showed me how they use a paring knife to thin leather edges in a smooth curve instead of a straight line. Tried it on my last restoration project and the corners laid down way flatter with no bumps. Has anyone else gotten a random pro tip from an unexpected place like that?

Shoutout to the guy at Renegade Bindery who showed me I was overcomplicating my Japanese stab bindings

I was in Chicago last weekend struggling with a 4-hole binding that kept shifting, and he just said "why not skip the measuring and use your thumb as a guide?" Felt dumb at first but it actually worked way better. Has anyone else ditched their rulers for stuff like this?