I finally got my head around rounding spines after a year of messing it up

For the first 12 months, I'd just hammer the text block on my bench and hope for the best, which gave me uneven, lumpy curves. Then I watched a video from a binder in Portland who uses a simple piece of dowel and a rolling pin motion. I tried it on a poetry book last week and the curve came out perfect, no weird flat spots. Anyone have other low-tech ways to get a smooth round?

3 comments

3 Comments

angelamurphy9d ago

SO much better in the hand" is a bit much. It's a book spine, not a car's steering wheel. If it opens, it's fine.

tessap979d ago

Honestly, is a perfectly round spine that important for a book you're just fixing for yourself?

margaretr769d ago

Oh man, that first year struggle is SO real. Totally get the lumpy spine pain. That dowel trick sounds brilliant, honestly might try that next time. To answer tessap97, a smooth round just feels SO much better in the hand, you know? It's not just looks, it's how the book opens. My own low-tech fix was using a thick marker to roll it out on a towel, but it was still hit or miss. Really glad you found a method that works!