Weekly Bookbinding Report: The Bookbinding Babe's Bible
Binding the Bookbinding Babe's Bible
The bindery set a task at the start of my employment with them to craft a notebook to use while working for notes and workings out. It was apart of training to make the notebook, following instructions, evaluating what skills and knowledge I have and what I don't, and what needs practice. It was also an insight into the difference in practice between the binderies I have worked at, all of which have suggested different methods of binding.
The method and process
The short edge of A4 sheets are folded to create A5 pages. Each section is made up of 7 sheets, so 14 pages per section. 8 sections are made up to create 112 pages in total.
2. Sewing the sections
These sections are sewn up onto 2 cords with the Coptic and Kettle stitch to create the book block.
3. Endpapers and glueing
Endpapers are tipped in to both ends of the book block with glue and the spine is glued.
4. Trimming and shaping the book block
The book block trimmed on the guillotine and then shaped with a hammer and press. This is done by rounding, by hammering the spine into a curve, and backing, by creating shoulders for the boards.
5. Adding headbands, ribbon and lining
A ribbon is cut to size and glued onto the top edge of the spine. A decorative headband cut to width of the spine and glued over the top of the ribbon, and another is glued on the bottom edge of the spine. Calico lining is then glued on, finishing the book block.
6. Cover boards, spine card and cloth
Cover boards are cut to size from greyboard. The grain is to be the same direction as the spine. Measurements are 11mm from the shoulder, 3mm to top and bottom and 4mm to long edge of book block.
Spine card is cut to size. The height is measured to the boards, and the width is measured to the spine of the bookblock. The grain should be direction of spine.
Cloth is cut to size. This is done by placing the board and spine card onto cloth where is will be glued, then 2cm is added all around.
7. Forming the cover
Glue is applied to the cloth, then the spine card and cover boards are placed in position. The boards should be either side of the spine card with 11mm gap. Corners are cut, tucked with bone folder, and cloth is the turned in.
8. Foiling type
The hot foil stamping press is set to temperature. The type is set so that it reads correctly when mirrored, andmounted onto the machine. With the with gold foil in front of the type and the cover board place in position, the type is stamped into the foil and onto the cloth.
9. Cleaning up the cover
After foiling, any mistakes are rectified and the cover is cleaned up with cloth cleaner/polish.
10. Casing in
Book block is placed onto the open case centrally. One side is done first, glueing under the calico lining, holding the board up, then glueing on top of the lining and onto the endleaf. The board is brought over, placement checked, then smoothed into place. Same process is then done for the other side. Once cased in, book is pressed until dry.
I'm very pleased with the outcome of the notebook an learnt a lot about my practice, the binderies practice, expectations and quality. I'm excited to fill it with the knowledge I learn and see what becomes of the inners, which I have ideas of creating prints to structure the contents.
The 'Bible' part is a silly reference to the large amount of Bibles we repair in the bindery, as well as the notebook itself likely becoming or used as a kind of bible for me as I learn. I'll likely be referring back to it often and plan to have a good outline of practice written out within it.