How to bind your own Hardback Book - My Results!!

Step 5 Finishing cover boards and spine

Here I'm sizing up the cover fabric and gluing the cover and spine boards into place.

Make sure the glue is VERY thin. Notice the first picture of the completed cover? See the glue streaks that seeped through. After seeing that, I made sure I used much less glue on the other side.

Comments

[andym707]

I use a 'gel' type fabric glue for cloth, it's less wet, containing less water and found it doen't create steaks. that's before I switched to permanent spray glue, which turned out to be perfect. No need to spread it as long as you evenly spray it. The version made by 3M worked best.

[sourkats]

 How do you decide how much space to put between the cardboard pieces?  This looks really nice! I look forward to trying it myself!

[AdamVanMeter]

A good rule of thumb is this - make the gaps about twice as wide as the thickness of your boards.

I know it's been a couple years since you asked, but maybe someone will get some help from my answer anyhow.

[kodybrown]

I pretty much guessed!! I held it together and folded it up trying to figure out the best spot.. not too close, not too far apart..

[DAVEDIY]

How do binders get that crease in the front and back covers near the spine where it bends? Is that something that just wears in automatically or is it something that has to be pressed in or seemed - I don't know? In some thick books the crease is apparent when new? Also, can anyone recommend a good sight to build some basic home shop tools to clamp signatures and sew spines etc? I'm pretty handy and want to make them with scrap wood.

[EmmettO]

From what I've read, some use a bonefolder to make the crease others put the book in a vise while the glue is drying and when the pages spring back that makes the crease. Maybe some do both.

There are some instructions here http://www.mothteeth.com/bookmaking/

One of the pictures (in step 8) seems to indicate it has something to do with a piece of fabric and how it is laid in the spine.

[thythy]

why is there white and brown cardboards? are those two different things? or is that just one display board?

[rpjamess1]

My guess would be that the brown is the back side of the white display board. I've never used it, but that would make sense.

[kodybrown]

Yup, that's correct. 8⁾

[thythy]

point...thnx!

[thythy]

difference please....:D