It's worth noting that any time you're snipping hardened wire with a pair of cutters, the cutting can easily go flying. I had a friend who seriously damaged his cornea when a bit of wire he was cutting hit his eye. So if you are cutting the legs off staples, put on a pair of goggles to protect your eyes. Alternately, get a large transparent plastic bag and do the actual cut inside the bag. If the bit of wire goes flying the bag will stop it. Glad to see you back after a long interim!
Thanks for the good point. I thought of it a number of times when I heard the legs pinging around the place while editing. But still forgot in the end. I wear glasses and was safe.
There more you spoke on rust the more my heart ached. You have given the most insight out 15+ videos on the topic. The mention of long term affects of aolvents on the paper was a big eye opener. I have a 2 books with rusted staples but I will not give up. Thanks !
I have started rescuing old knitting booklets from the 1940s and 50s from thrift stores. Staples galore and often rust stains and very fragile paper. The staples have to go - now I know the best way. Thank you.
I come to you from Nik the Booksmith. Your video is great because I 1) like science stuff 1a) like to know how things work 2) like to follow rules 3) am persnickety and 4) also do not like staple removers. For decades, I’ve been removing stapes as you do . I can’t stop myself. I don’t have fancy tools, tho I now covet them. The plastic strips seem nice for added value in the process. Thanks for the video. It’s fabulous.
That was extremely helpful, I have heaps of my dads military pamphlets that I am wanting to rebind and pass down, thanks so much. Great to see you back. Looking forward to you video on the label binding (putting together a series of pamphlets) Thanks so much.
So wonderful to see you back in the saddle! I've only had to do this once for a family heirloom, and learned a lot - the mylar and microspatula use was great. I think "embrittlement" is my word of the day!
I openly admit most of the science went straight over my head. Having said that, the demo of your processes for removing the staples was educational and I learned a lot. Previously I would have just shoved a thin blade under the legs and levered them up before knocking them out through the spine. Now I know a lot better! Thanks Darryn👍
Welcome back. I look forward to the next episode on rust. A technique I use with staples is, once the legs have been been bent up, I grab a leg with some pliers perpendicular to the paper and push the leg down a millimeter or two. supporting the spine with a rubber/eraser can help if the staple is firmly indented. I sometimes make a slit in the rubber/eraser for the staple to go in. Once the initial movement is successful and there is enough room to get a spatula under the spine, then I cut the legs off and finally remove it.
This kind of video I did not expect but am greatful for it. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've needed to do this and struggled to protect the paper. Thank you.
Welcome back! I missed your excellent advice and tutorials. I knew staples could be bad, but wow, I think they just got worse after hearing you today! Thank you. I'll be looking forward to your next video!
How do you bind a such thick pamflett, just straight through? Is there any way to bind it in smaller sections to reduce the stress on the "spine"? And how do one protect the cover from further damage? Theese pamfletts seems like a couple of really interesting projects. Will you show more of them further on? Love to see your work. It's so relaxing and informative at the same time.
More to come. I'll replace the staples with linen tackets (fancy name for twisted thread). I might wrap a thin barrier sheet around the text, to reduce acid transfer from the cover. But adding thickness seems a bad idea too. I might even make a portfolio enclosure and I might even have my paper conservator friend de-acidify the cover.
This post hits close! I run a micro press and I’ve started sewing chapbooks of fiction and poetry. I practiced by removing staples from chapbooks I had bought from other small presses and sewing them. Rust was a BIG issue
I was picking items for an exhibit of small books published by a private press in the 60s. They were beautifully printed, but then stapled. There was one that was pamphlet sewn with a nice silk thread. It looked so much nicer. There are wires that don't rust and there is a place for wire stitching in pamphlets, but when aesthetics are important I don't think staples do it. Ciao, DAS
This was really interesting, and I'm looking forward to that combined pamphlet book. For some reason seeing those awful staples coming off the giant last pamphlet was very satisfying.
Thank you so much for this video, it sure opened my eyes as to how remove staples from booklets and pamphlets without damaging the pages....very well thought video..,.I will surely use your method,,, Thanks again,,,greetings from South Florida,,,,,,, Josefina Mccarty
Hmm, I think I need to get the staples out of some academic reprints that are waiting to be bound up into a volume - the binding is a future project, but perhaps the staples need removing now!
Thanks for the guide! I'll admit, a lot of my collection still has staples when it shouldn't. Slight correction- here in the US, Mylar is almost exclusively a tissue-paper-thin aluminized space blanket material that would not work for this purpose.
Interesting…I think i already lost some publications due to rust…but the idea of boo binding is becoming a more feasible solution..thank you so much for sharing your knowledge ❤️❤️❤️
Well that was both a lot more interesting and more useful than I was expecting! I have some old copies of the woodworker which I've been meaning to bind up for a while - this may give me a bit more momentum, thanks!
Hello, Darryn, very glad to see that you are back again. I have been making books for years and for a long time I have established your methods and very satisfied with my work. I owe it to you! There is one point I would like to have your suggestion. The thing is I have been using A4 sheets, printing them up with my old laserje with booklet style, fold, sew and cover with binders board. At the end I have a lot of A5 sized books pretty much looking the same. I wold like to import variable sizes and soft covers into my workflow for a variety. The only way I know of is to go for perfect binding but, then the book does not lay flat. Can you suggest a way I can follow which will bring together the best of both worlds. Thanks.
Love this video!!! I've been removing staples for the last year as I bind all my comics into larger volumes. Hint for a future video... Also since I don't have access to any titling equipment I have been using Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) often used for textiles with moderate success, again something to maybe look at in a future video...
Entertaining and informative video as always! I'm super excited for the teased video about label binding. I'm looking to bind together individual issues of comic books, and wondering how this technique would apply.
I cannot wait for the tutorial on the label binding! That would be useful for my collection of pamphlets from school to archive them neatly away. Would stainless steel staples rust like these overtime? Just like with the staples, is there a safe way to remove rusted paperclips to avoid damaging the paper further?
I'll work on the label binding video this weekend just for you! Yes, you can get non-rusting staples. Not sure I totally trust them. Just pry open the paperclip rather than sliding them off, which obviously spreads rust everywhere. Some of the papers I reference and link to in the description talk about paperclips. All the best, DAS
@@DASBookbinding wow thank you very much, I am looking forward to this weekend. What brought up my question for the stainless steel staples is a response I got from the Library of Congress when I asked for a way to bind pages to be archived. They told me they use those staples along with plastic paperclips. I do not trust them either. They are called stainless, not stain free and just like kitchen knives I thing they will rust but take longer to than normal to do so.
All the staples you show appear to be ones put in by a wire stitcher. Other than the sharp bend where the leg meets the crown, the leg is straight. With staples installed by typical desk staplers, in contrast, the legs are curved somewhat, and the angle where the crown and leg meet are a more open angle. The actual angle may in fact be the original 90 degree angle from the stick of staples, and the bending down of the legs is just a smooth (though varying) curvature of the leg overall. When straightening such staples, it would seem best to lift the legs as show in the video only until the bend between the leg and crown is 90 degrees. As this point the legs will not appear straight overall. The legs can then be cut off, or straightened with pliers so they can slip through the holes in the paper without enlarging them. If you try bending the legs so they overall appear straight up, the root of the legs will actually be spread wider than the distance between the holes in the paper, and so the holes will tear as the staple is removed, whether the legs are cut off or not.
All things in restoration is a response to the materials as you find them. In the thumbnail you can see staples put in with a normal stapler. I think most people will recognise the bent legs and hopefully be careful in their removal and may decide to cut the legs off. I don't think the crown will bend as the bend point at the leg will be much weaker. I guess I was focused on pamphlets which are almost always wire stitched. Not many long reach staplers used in production work. I don't think the crown will bend as the bend point at the leg will be much weaker. Anyway, thanks for your observation. DAS
It's worth noting that any time you're snipping hardened wire with a pair of cutters, the cutting can easily go flying. I had a friend who seriously damaged his cornea when a bit of wire he was cutting hit his eye. So if you are cutting the legs off staples, put on a pair of goggles to protect your eyes. Alternately, get a large transparent plastic bag and do the actual cut inside the bag. If the bit of wire goes flying the bag will stop it.
Glad to see you back after a long interim!
Thanks for the good point. I thought of it a number of times when I heard the legs pinging around the place while editing. But still forgot in the end. I wear glasses and was safe.
So glad to see you posting again! Your words of wisdom have been sorely missed.
YAY! You’re back!!!
Exactly what I thought!
There more you spoke on rust the more my heart ached. You have given the most insight out 15+ videos on the topic. The mention of long term affects of aolvents on the paper was a big eye opener. I have a 2 books with rusted staples but I will not give up. Thanks !
Yay! Terminology!❤😆
I have started rescuing old knitting booklets from the 1940s and 50s from thrift stores. Staples galore and often rust stains and very fragile paper. The staples have to go - now I know the best way. Thank you.
I come to you from Nik the Booksmith. Your video is great because I 1) like science stuff 1a) like to know how things work 2) like to follow rules 3) am persnickety and 4) also do not like staple removers. For decades, I’ve been removing stapes as you do . I can’t stop myself. I don’t have fancy tools, tho I now covet them. The plastic strips seem nice for added value in the process. Thanks for the video. It’s fabulous.
That was extremely helpful, I have heaps of my dads military pamphlets that I am wanting to rebind and pass down, thanks so much.
Great to see you back.
Looking forward to you video on the label binding (putting together a series of pamphlets)
Thanks so much.
So wonderful to see you back in the saddle! I've only had to do this once for a family heirloom, and learned a lot - the mylar and microspatula use was great. I think "embrittlement" is my word of the day!
I openly admit most of the science went straight over my head. Having said that, the demo of your processes for removing the staples was educational and I learned a lot. Previously I would have just shoved a thin blade under the legs and levered them up before knocking them out through the spine. Now I know a lot better! Thanks Darryn👍
Welcome back. I look forward to the next episode on rust.
A technique I use with staples is, once the legs have been been bent up, I grab a leg with some pliers perpendicular to the paper and push the leg down a millimeter or two. supporting the spine with a rubber/eraser can help if the staple is firmly indented. I sometimes make a slit in the rubber/eraser for the staple to go in. Once the initial movement is successful and there is enough room to get a spatula under the spine, then I cut the legs off and finally remove it.
This kind of video I did not expect but am greatful for it. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've needed to do this and struggled to protect the paper. Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear your voice and your very illuminating and thorough explanations again! Can’t wait to see your future videos.
"Could the the news get any worse?
Well it does." 😂
Welcome back! I missed your excellent advice and tutorials. I knew staples could be bad, but wow, I think they just got worse after hearing you today! Thank you. I'll be looking forward to your next video!
Great to have you back Darryn sharing your skills and wisdom AND for saving Brandenburg Concerto No 2 from a rusty stapled fate.
Hurray!!! You’re back! I have learned so much from you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with people all over the world.
To see new videos of yours brightend my whole day! Thank you for your work and keep going spreading wisdom!
How do you bind a such thick pamflett, just straight through? Is there any way to bind it in smaller sections to reduce the stress on the "spine"? And how do one protect the cover from further damage?
Theese pamfletts seems like a couple of really interesting projects. Will you show more of them further on?
Love to see your work. It's so relaxing and informative at the same time.
More to come.
I'll replace the staples with linen tackets (fancy name for twisted thread). I might wrap a thin barrier sheet around the text, to reduce acid transfer from the cover. But adding thickness seems a bad idea too. I might even make a portfolio enclosure and I might even have my paper conservator friend de-acidify the cover.
Thank you for the new post. I feared you had quit and we would only have what you did over a year ago. Welcome back. I missed you.
This post hits close! I run a micro press and I’ve started sewing chapbooks of fiction and poetry. I practiced by removing staples from chapbooks I had bought from other small presses and sewing them. Rust was a BIG issue
I was picking items for an exhibit of small books published by a private press in the 60s. They were beautifully printed, but then stapled. There was one that was pamphlet sewn with a nice silk thread. It looked so much nicer. There are wires that don't rust and there is a place for wire stitching in pamphlets, but when aesthetics are important I don't think staples do it. Ciao, DAS
Great to see you producing content again - many thanks for your highly informative and often wryly amusing ideos.
This was really interesting, and I'm looking forward to that combined pamphlet book. For some reason seeing those awful staples coming off the giant last pamphlet was very satisfying.
Finally ! I've been waiting for you to come back, I hope you're OK and everything is going well, you're welcome
So glad to have you back! Missed the videos. Hopefully everything went well getting the bindery back in order. Look forward to the new videos.
Chemist here. I didn’t cover my ears when you explained the rust problem and I’m glad to say I didn’t have to. You nailed it.
But not a rusty nail:)
Amazing content as always. Looking forward to the binding collating pamphlets.
Thank you. I am really looking forward to your video on how you bind pamphlets.
This was awesome.
I am serious. I never thought about staples in this manner. 😮😊
Thank you so much for this video, it sure opened my eyes as to how remove staples from booklets and pamphlets without damaging the pages....very well thought video..,.I will surely use your method,,,
Thanks again,,,greetings from South Florida,,,,,,,
Josefina Mccarty
Hmm, I think I need to get the staples out of some academic reprints that are waiting to be bound up into a volume - the binding is a future project, but perhaps the staples need removing now!
If they have no sign of rust, and nothing has changed (like moving to a humid climate), you can safely leave them in.
Love to see you back! Thank you for a great video!
Thanks for the guide! I'll admit, a lot of my collection still has staples when it shouldn't.
Slight correction- here in the US, Mylar is almost exclusively a tissue-paper-thin aluminized space blanket material that would not work for this purpose.
I'm glad you said something. I wasn't confused because he showed what he was talking about but i did have a "wait a second" moment lol.
Great video as usual!
I just loved how it end: fine humorous and enlightening
Great video as usual ;) so glad you are back ;)
Interesting…I think i already lost some publications due to rust…but the idea of boo binding is becoming a more feasible solution..thank you so much for sharing your knowledge ❤️❤️❤️
Well that was both a lot more interesting and more useful than I was expecting! I have some old copies of the woodworker which I've been meaning to bind up for a while - this may give me a bit more momentum, thanks!
Hello, Darryn, very glad to see that you are back again. I have been making books for years and for a long time I have established your methods and very satisfied with my work. I owe it to you! There is one point I would like to have your suggestion. The thing is I have been using A4 sheets, printing them up with my old laserje with booklet style, fold, sew and cover with binders board. At the end I have a lot of A5 sized books pretty much looking the same. I wold like to import variable sizes and soft covers into my workflow for a variety. The only way I know of is to go for perfect binding but, then the book does not lay flat. Can you suggest a way I can follow which will bring together the best of both worlds. Thanks.
I love unusual formats too. I think the only one I've done is the fold-back sketch book. I should do more.
Thanks. Simple subject for a serious issue.
Welcome back!!!
Love this video!!! I've been removing staples for the last year as I bind all my comics into larger volumes. Hint for a future video... Also since I don't have access to any titling equipment I have been using Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) often used for textiles with moderate success, again something to maybe look at in a future video...
This is such a great idea! My dad had lots of comics, but i never thought of doing that.
I'm glad to see you back! I think this video will help me in the near future.
Very nice !
Entertaining and informative video as always! I'm super excited for the teased video about label binding. I'm looking to bind together individual issues of comic books, and wondering how this technique would apply.
Me too. Something I absolutely would have a use for.
Something similar for perfect bound pamphlets would be nice too.
what was that light ball at the end? i want for my office now haha. so i can have fun light but also my lbig lights off
I cannot wait for the tutorial on the label binding! That would be useful for my collection of pamphlets from school to archive them neatly away. Would stainless steel staples rust like these overtime? Just like with the staples, is there a safe way to remove rusted paperclips to avoid damaging the paper further?
I'll work on the label binding video this weekend just for you! Yes, you can get non-rusting staples. Not sure I totally trust them. Just pry open the paperclip rather than sliding them off, which obviously spreads rust everywhere. Some of the papers I reference and link to in the description talk about paperclips. All the best, DAS
@@DASBookbinding wow thank you very much, I am looking forward to this weekend. What brought up my question for the stainless steel staples is a response I got from the Library of Congress when I asked for a way to bind pages to be archived. They told me they use those staples along with plastic paperclips. I do not trust them either. They are called stainless, not stain free and just like kitchen knives I thing they will rust but take longer to than normal to do so.
4:30 “Re-enactment for dramatic effect. No important paper was damaged in the making of this video.” 😂😂😂😂
All the staples you show appear to be ones put in by a wire stitcher. Other than the sharp bend where the leg meets the crown, the leg is straight.
With staples installed by typical desk staplers, in contrast, the legs are curved somewhat, and the angle where the crown and leg meet are a more open angle. The actual angle may in fact be the original 90 degree angle from the stick of staples, and the bending down of the legs is just a smooth (though varying) curvature of the leg overall.
When straightening such staples, it would seem best to lift the legs as show in the video only until the bend between the leg and crown is 90 degrees. As this point the legs will not appear straight overall. The legs can then be cut off, or straightened with pliers so they can slip through the holes in the paper without enlarging them.
If you try bending the legs so they overall appear straight up, the root of the legs will actually be spread wider than the distance between the holes in the paper, and so the holes will tear as the staple is removed, whether the legs are cut off or not.
All things in restoration is a response to the materials as you find them. In the thumbnail you can see staples put in with a normal stapler. I think most people will recognise the bent legs and hopefully be careful in their removal and may decide to cut the legs off. I don't think the crown will bend as the bend point at the leg will be much weaker. I guess I was focused on pamphlets which are almost always wire stitched. Not many long reach staplers used in production work. I don't think the crown will bend as the bend point at the leg will be much weaker.
Anyway, thanks for your observation.
DAS
- non-metal staples exist
- you can use a hollow metal tube to bend the staples' legs, like the barrel of your ballpoint