had a paperback I used heavily when I was writing my thesis for uni, full of all my notes and highlighter marks; very sentimental to me, but it had definitely seen better days! thank you so much for this tutorial, it was so clear and easy to follow. you gave my old book new life!
Dear Brother, I thank you most graciously for freely and excellently sharing your craft with us! As I am unemployed I most unfortunately am unable to be a financial Patron . But you do have my prayers and blessings. May our LORD our GOD bless and and keep you! . Again HIS be with you!
Rewatching this video many times so I can properly bind my hardcover book. You have no idea how much your videos have helped me, I appreciate them and you so much. Thank you!!!
Saludos desde México, admiro mucho su trabajo y he aprendido bastante viendo sus videos. Agradezco que los ponga a disposición para observar el arte que usted hace y para que nos sirva de guía en nuestros proyectos !!!
8:30 "don't ask me why i do that" ahaha that made me laugh!! thank you for this. i've never done anything like it before and am very excited to try! i've had a difficult relationship with books throughout my life as i have reading problems that made me struggle greatly as a child, both academically and emotionally. but recently i've made some emotional/mental breakthroughs and have found myself completely attached to one. i've found solace in taking my time, both in the reading process and in expressing my adoration for the subject matter-- annotating, marking, and loving it to pieces. but i realised i might want to make sure i don't destroy it completely with my affection since it now has significant sentimental value to me. i will definitely be using your tips and tricks to add a few more years onto my beloved book's lifespan, though i doubt anything will fully protect it from my love!
i really like these videos! i love thinking to myself "huh, why is he doing that?" and then like 10 seconds later you answer the question and it make me go OHHH THAT'S COOL! i really enjoy when makers know their craft so well they know all the shortcuts and the ways to make things easier. thanks for the vid !!
Just completed my third book! Struggling most with the gap between the spine and cover boards, can’t seem to get it right!! Thank you for your videos, they are very helpful ❤
Please do paperback to hardcover with book that's coming apart. I have few books that are with me since my teens and after 30+ years they are dying and I am thinking how to preserve them they aren't any way valuable just have sentimental value to me.
can probably use the same method unless pages are falling out from inside. if the textblock is just split but all the pages are still well secured, a cloth reinforcement of the spine + case like this video would suffice. If single loose pages are falling out, the glue has failed, and you will need to be a little more invasive. ive had success knocking the book back into shape then sanding the adhesive off in a standing press like he shows in this video when brushing the edges clean. then i cut little nicks in the spine area with a hack saw and inlaid bits of hemp string across the spine as reinforcement with some acid free PVA, then cloth reinforcement over top of that, followed by case binding as shown in this video. Of course i am just a hobbyist, not a professional by any means. my approach may make a true conservator cringe, but if the book is of no real historical or monetary value, i don't see the harm in the way i did it.
I did the same as fakiirification, but it depends on the book's condition. I usually laminate the covers though, using cold-laminating stickers to avoid cracking
i just turned my first paperback book into a hardcover. it`s not perfect of course, but i`m happy with the result, now i want to learn as much as possible about bookbinding
This is so interesting. I’m hoping to use the information in these two videos to remind my paperback journal into a hardcover with the original covers.
I promised my husband I would do this with a couple of his books from uni days years ago. Now I actually know how to do it! (I have a bad habit of promising to do things I have no idea how to do)
By far, the most informative channel I've found. Thank you. I'd be interested in how you would handle a thicker book, such as The Silmarillion, that has been curled back so badly the spine resembles a C?
Such a simple question, but such a complex answer:) Occasionally you can get these concave spines back close to flat. But often easier to pull the book back to single sheets, double-fan bind back together and move forward from there. To get the heat activated adhesive off the spine I use an hair drier to soften the glue and carefully scrape off while repeating some calming mantra. If the book is otherwise good condition I think you can accept this is what the book wanted to do and is thus the actual natural state of the book and appreciate it. The famous bookbinder Jim Brockman put a lot of effort into convincing us the concave spine is a perfectly natural state for a book. All the best, Darryn
5:10 MY suggestion for beginners (and you can call me out on this if I'm wrong) is that you put the glue on the boards one board at a time and NOT on the cloth because of this little step at 5:50. One trip to the ER and a ruined book cloth later and pretty sure I'm going to be done with this hobby lol. Thanks for the videos anyways, they were very enjoyable to watch!
I think it better to try and apply the adhesive to the cloth. The cloth can change dimensions slightly and cause wrinkles as it absorbed moisture if the adhesive is applied to the board first. It also good to work the adhesive into the grain of the cloth for good adhesion. This doesn't mean you can't do it the other way, but I think the best way is to glue out the cloth and I think it is better to start with using the best method. It's just a case. If it goes wrong, they can easily be made again. Good luck! DAS
Such amazing skill. Thankyou for showing this. I'll be able to apply these techniques to my own journal making. Still very much a novice, though. I'm enjoying this content very much.
Hello from Greece & thanks for your videos! Very helpful 👍 can you please explain more on adding titles on bookcloth? Various techniques and DIY options as I don't have any machinery! Thanks in advance!
thanks again for sharing your skill and knowledge, the book has a new lease of life. You mentioned about setting the covers into the outer case, you said it was fiddly and lots of extra work, Do you have a vlog that shows that process? Thanks again for sharing
Sorry, no. But it's a bit like when I recess the cloth patches in the attached boards Bradel binding (I think it's this video - the book on Antarctica that I bind).
Very cool, though I'm kind of torn on gluing the original covers onto the leather. If I did this project, I might somehow incorporate them into a dust jacket or slipcase instead
I recently received some old western magazines that belonged to my grandfather. I would like to make a leather bound book out of these. The magazine's are stapled together so I was hoping to sew them together like you would do in normal construction. But any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge in your video's.
It's very exciting to get treasures like this. Magazines are hard to bind because they are so thick. Commercial binderies do make them look good bound up, but they usually do a lot of damage to the magazines in the process. If these were from my grandfather I would make a clamshell box like in this video ruclips.net/video/a5sa0KXJf3Y/видео.html This protects them and lets them be stored like a book on the shelf and looks good. And they are kept in the original state that your grandfather would have read them in. And while leather sounds great, unless you have experience with binding in leather it is very tricky. You need to practice and build up skills. But good bookcloth can look fantastic, lasts a long times and is much easier to use when starting out. If you did want to bind them, hopefully all the staple hole spine up (they never do), but if they do, use the original holes for sewing. sew over linen or cotton tape placed where the staples were. Once you have the text block, follow the video I have on a square back Bradel binding. It is difficult to round and back magazines because of the thick sections. A commercial bindery has a machine to do this. Just some thoughts. All the best, Darryn
Hi Darryn! Can you explain the "square" you refer to when measuring boards and other precise measurements? I know this can be a very detailed and lengthy explanation, and would appreciate an article discussing this detail just as much. Thank you, Rachel
A video on the names of the parts of books is on my to-do list. It's the inside part of the cover boards that extends past the text block. It of course is not square shaped, which makes it confusing. A book which has cover boards the exact same size as the text has no square. For small books a 2mm square is nice, and 3mm for standard size and 4mm or more for large and giant books. Hope that makes sense. All the best, Darryn
Are you planning to make a video giving an overview on different binding techniques and comparing them? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Especially when to use which technique and what to pay special attention to.
@@DASBookbinding Great! I am looking forward to seeing that video and I will very much appreciate it since I can imagine how much preparation such a video needs.
Thank you very much for sharing this. I have many manuals that will be getting this done to them. If you don't mind me asking how do you go about recessing the ald cover into the new hard cover?
In this case I would have put a very thin strip of card the same thickness as the original covers around the outside edges of the new board. The space left should be slightly larger than the original covers to allow for a bit of stretch and the thickness of bookcloth. You might need to trim the original covers down to get them to fit. You also need a good press to press the original cover in place as the bookcloth doesn't like to stretch like leather. All the best, DAS
In the video you mention the difference between presented here and english style square back binding. Do you have a video on english style square back binding?
No, I don't. It's a fairly minor difference. English binders don't have the piece of paper that joins the boards and spine stiffener. They just glue everything directly to the spine cloth. I guess I do this in the rounded and backed case binding - not square back, but same principle. Adding that piece of paper I think makes everything so much easier, once I started doing it about 10 years ago I never went back - for square backs anyway. DAS
Love it! Dumb question from a total n00b... On a project like this, is there some kind of clear coat you can apply to the front cover, back cover & spine salvaged from the original book to give it some extra protection & durability? 🤔
I am interested in your knitting needles attached to boards and cannot find the link to this that you mention in the video. Perhaps I just can't see it.
One more dumb question if you'll allow it. Car vinyl wrap is cheapi-sh & has many cool patterns. Is it possible to use it for crafting the hardback instead of the book cloth you typically would use? Any thoughts/ advice on that? Thank you! 🙏
I don't think I would. They are design to not last a long time compared to books. I wouldn't trust the adhesive. If you have to, maybe look for sleeking film. I'm looking into this at the moment. I'm not feeling super good about it though.
@@DASBookbinding Understood. My project is more a novelty gift. It would be displayed more than handled so I'm not worried if it doesn't last 50+ years. I'll research which adhesive I can use to keep the vinyl adhered to the book. Thank you for the feedback!
How could you prevent the paper cover from wear and tear when stored on a bookshelf, since it's simply glued to the outside and possibly open to fraying? Would some sort of lamination or sealant work?
This is something I really want to do with a book series I have here, very special books for me but with low economic value but I'm scared I might give up in the process and leave my books naked... someday I'll make it
If you could do one about repair / restoration that would be lovely. I normally care for things, but a hand me down paperback book is starting to tear and ive never seen it elsewhere. Id like to preserve the original cover since it has some nice (though probably mass produced) art and title.
Funny thing, I can't find the perfect paperback to repair. I've been asking around and apparently everyone has thrown out their old paperbacks with covers fallen off. I'll find one soon enough. DAS
It's a great idea, especially if you have a production environment. You have to leave the roller in the PVA though, because if you clean it every day you waste a lot of glue. But I find if I don't use it for a few days, over a long weekend, the glue starts to set in the roller. So I just stick with a brush. If I was doing an edition of 10 books I have a roller I would use. Darryn
If someone would like a recess for the old cover, would embossing it on the new cloth cover do the trick? Old paper covers are usually quite thin. Or should one go for a layered board with a cut-out in top layer instead?
The other method was specifically to produce a book with a specific look. It's not the best way to convert a paperback to a hardcover. This method is fine for repairing a damaged paperback and converting it to a hardcover at the same time. Neither are really meant to preserve a paperback. Putting hardcovers on a paperback probably shorten its life. It results in harsher forces on the spine and the square will mean the tail edge of the text will be exposed to air more. The best way to preserve a paperback is with environmental control such as a simple 10 minute slip case of a phase case/wrapper. Hope this makes sense.
@@DASBookbinding it does make sense, I was under the impression that converting a paperback to a hardcover was somehow better for conservation in general, but now that I think about it, it makes more sense that leaving the original binding is better than any manipulation one could do.
Only so many colours of book cloth in my stock and I was trying for a contrasting colour that also sort of matched the title. But, yes I often just match the colour to the original cover colour.
The book would open very poorly. A book opens through two main mechanisms - the leaves of paper bending (called drape) and the spine of the book flexing up (called throwing up - yeh, who came up with that description!). This book has a rigid spine piece. If the spine was glued to it, the spine wouldn't be able to "throw up" and would be totally reliant on the drape of the paper.
@@DASBookbinding Thank you for your answer ! You are so kind and generous to give this information. I am about to bind my own thesis of LLM degree. The thing is, I have found some square back case binding books which glue spine together. That's why I have this question. I will try to figure out what you mean. It is nice to learn from you. Thank you again. I wish you get better (from COVID-19).
There are a lot of books which were only published in paperback, and those have a nasty tendency to not get reprinted (James Blish's Star Trek books, for example). Hence, the need to repair them and extend their lifespan, at least for a while.
Just be careful with collectable paperbacks. They might not be as collectable if put in a hardcover. Once the church book sale starts again I'll look for a paperback that is falling to pieces and show how to restore it in a way that I think would be more acceptable to collectors. All the best, DAS
This is a common problem and it is really hard to diagnose without the book in hand. The square back binding is a strange beast and in some ways shouldn't work. The things I look at are the width of the joint - the space between the cover boards and the spine board - which if too small will cause this, the attachment point of the endpaper- which if away from the spine can cause this. Some times people get a bit of glue on the spine and it sticks to the spine board stopping the book throwing up which can cause this. Sorry this isn't much help. Darryn
is there any resource anyone can give me that explains how to make an indent in the new case so that the original covers fit snuggly into it? he mentions this around 8:48
It's a bit different, but I think it's the Bradel in-boards video where I inset cloth patches in the covers. It's the same principle except it is thin frame around the edges instead of a small oval in the middle of the boards. Hope this helps.
Hello. Another exciting video. - I was wondering what you think about putting a layer or two of PVA over the old covers once you have re-attached them. I was thinking this might provide protection from moisture damage. - Also, would it do anything to stop or slow the acid degradation that is in process? Thanks.
I don't think I would. The original covers will a water fast ink. And it will just trap the acidic compounds in the covers. Would be nice if it would help. Ciao, Darryn
Hello (again!)! Thank you for this very interesting video! I have just a little question: How would you do to insert the original covers inside the book? Would it be possible by guarding the original covers with strips of paper pasted on the endpapers (on approximately 3 or 4 mm) ? Thank you very much!
@@DASBookbinding Thank you for your answer! i'm wondering if it is possible to insert the original covers inside the book, just after the endpapers. For exemple, the front original cover would be attached to the white endpapers by guarding it with a strip of paper (part of which would be glued to the back of the cover and the other part to the front of the white endpapers). Then it would be possible to add "coloued" endpapers, glued to the board and to the first white endpaper. Difficult to explain :) Thank you again!
I like big brushes. I normally use a brush that is almost 2 inches round, but in videos I use one about 1 inch, except for fine work which I have the small flat brush for (3/8 wide). The size of the book doesn't come into it unless it is very small and I rarely do small books. Ciao, DAS
Is there a way to save a dissolving paperback and turn it into a hardcover? My university books are notoriously badly bound, but at least they are cheap. Still would like and try to save a few of mine.
If the paper is acid and it is deteriorating, there is not much that can be done. But if the pages are just coming apart, pull it apart completely, cleaning the old glue off the spine edge, and remake using a double-fan (Lumbeck) binding. Good luck!
@@DASBookbinding For these, yes they are acid free paper. Just found your double fan video. Will try it out after I make myself one of those vices. As for books with acid paper, is there any way to save them? Glue them back together or to neitralize the paper so they won't start falling apart?
@@HibikiKano Unfortunately there is no realistic deacidification process suitable for the hand bookbinder. There are some methods featured on the internet, but they are problematic and I would not recommend them.
@@DASBookbinding Thank you for the heads up. Well most of those arent worh much, but a few emotionally importat books. Those are few enough I could try to ask a professional restorer if they could fix them up for me. Also I have one more question. If I may add it here. I have a box of books that we inherited a while back but due to lack of space kept in the box we got them from. Failed to notice that a light white mold has spread over the covers of a few of them. Is there a way to save those books? Can I take the ones that dont look moldy out and somehow preserve those at least? Or are all gone?
I'm not sure what self adhesive foil is. I use heat activated foil for stamping titles on books. The spine is often missing or in very poor shape and I will put the title and author on the spine using hot foil in these cases. All the best, Darryn
Are you sure? Paperbacks have a charm of their own. I love my paperbacks. I only do this if mine are falling apart. Maybe some nice slip cases if you want to protect them. Maybe 10 in each case?
@DASBookbinding I don't know, I've just always preferred hardcover books, in my adult life. I normally won't buy a book unless it's hardcover. I have a set of books (Animorphs) I used to read as a kid/teenager that I think would look great in hardcover.
There are tools listed in the description and I have a video on tools to get started in bookbinding. ruclips.net/video/FBGfRTnBUNk/видео.html Ciao, DAS
had a paperback I used heavily when I was writing my thesis for uni, full of all my notes and highlighter marks; very sentimental to me, but it had definitely seen better days! thank you so much for this tutorial, it was so clear and easy to follow. you gave my old book new life!
A fairly non-descript paperback transformed into a very nice hardback Darryn - you just tripled my number of projects 🤣
I've done about 20 of these now and I'm still nervous about giving them out as gifts.
Dear Brother, I thank you most graciously for freely and excellently sharing your craft with us! As I am unemployed I most unfortunately am unable to be a financial Patron . But you do have my prayers and blessings.
May our LORD our GOD bless and and keep you! .
Again HIS be with you!
Rewatching this video many times so I can properly bind my hardcover book. You have no idea how much your videos have helped me, I appreciate them and you so much. Thank you!!!
Saludos desde México, admiro mucho su trabajo y he aprendido bastante viendo sus videos. Agradezco que los ponga a disposición para observar el arte que usted hace y para que nos sirva de guía en nuestros proyectos !!!
This is exactly what I was looking for. I have a small book that I want to turn into hardcover.
Very cool. I love that it has the original covers included. The final outcome looks so much nicer.
What an amazing skill and great presentation skills you’ve! I’m going to give it a real try!
8:30 "don't ask me why i do that" ahaha that made me laugh!!
thank you for this. i've never done anything like it before and am very excited to try!
i've had a difficult relationship with books throughout my life as i have reading problems that made me struggle greatly as a child, both academically and emotionally. but recently i've made some emotional/mental breakthroughs and have found myself completely attached to one. i've found solace in taking my time, both in the reading process and in expressing my adoration for the subject matter-- annotating, marking, and loving it to pieces. but i realised i might want to make sure i don't destroy it completely with my affection since it now has significant sentimental value to me. i will definitely be using your tips and tricks to add a few more years onto my beloved book's lifespan, though i doubt anything will fully protect it from my love!
i really like these videos! i love thinking to myself "huh, why is he doing that?" and then like 10 seconds later you answer the question and it make me go OHHH THAT'S COOL! i really enjoy when makers know their craft so well they know all the shortcuts and the ways to make things easier. thanks for the vid !!
I love your videos I’ve learned a lot about bookbinding 🙂
Just completed my third book! Struggling most with the gap between the spine and cover boards, can’t seem to get it right!! Thank you for your videos, they are very helpful ❤
Please do paperback to hardcover with book that's coming apart. I have few books that are with me since my teens and after 30+ years they are dying and I am thinking how to preserve them they aren't any way valuable just have sentimental value to me.
can probably use the same method unless pages are falling out from inside. if the textblock is just split but all the pages are still well secured, a cloth reinforcement of the spine + case like this video would suffice. If single loose pages are falling out, the glue has failed, and you will need to be a little more invasive. ive had success knocking the book back into shape then sanding the adhesive off in a standing press like he shows in this video when brushing the edges clean. then i cut little nicks in the spine area with a hack saw and inlaid bits of hemp string across the spine as reinforcement with some acid free PVA, then cloth reinforcement over top of that, followed by case binding as shown in this video.
Of course i am just a hobbyist, not a professional by any means. my approach may make a true conservator cringe, but if the book is of no real historical or monetary value, i don't see the harm in the way i did it.
I did the same as fakiirification, but it depends on the book's condition. I usually laminate the covers though, using cold-laminating stickers to avoid cracking
i just turned my first paperback book into a hardcover. it`s not perfect of course, but i`m happy with the result, now i want to learn as much as possible about bookbinding
Very helpful, thank you🙏
This is so interesting. I’m hoping to use the information in these two videos to remind my paperback journal into a hardcover with the original covers.
Very first time I tried this I figured out the "knitting needles" (I used bamboo skewers). Nice to know my instincts were correct in this instance!
Wow, great video! I learned quite a lot here. Thank you!
I promised my husband I would do this with a couple of his books from uni days years ago. Now I actually know how to do it! (I have a bad habit of promising to do things I have no idea how to do)
By far, the most informative channel I've found. Thank you.
I'd be interested in how you would handle a thicker book, such as The Silmarillion, that has been curled back so badly the spine resembles a C?
Such a simple question, but such a complex answer:) Occasionally you can get these concave spines back close to flat. But often easier to pull the book back to single sheets, double-fan bind back together and move forward from there. To get the heat activated adhesive off the spine I use an hair drier to soften the glue and carefully scrape off while repeating some calming mantra. If the book is otherwise good condition I think you can accept this is what the book wanted to do and is thus the actual natural state of the book and appreciate it. The famous bookbinder Jim Brockman put a lot of effort into convincing us the concave spine is a perfectly natural state for a book. All the best, Darryn
Great idea and fantastic video
Thank you!!! learned so much from your video 👏🏻👏🏻 keep it up!
Always love to see something getting a new life! Thank you for sharing, you are very good at explaining all the steps!
I really enjoy watching you.
Thank you so much for your information. With this i could make my own hardcover from a paperback. Now "Krabat" looks very nice 🖤🤘🏻
So much to learn here... your tips on measurements are really useful, thank you
5:10 MY suggestion for beginners (and you can call me out on this if I'm wrong) is that you put the glue on the boards one board at a time and NOT on the cloth because of this little step at 5:50. One trip to the ER and a ruined book cloth later and pretty sure I'm going to be done with this hobby lol. Thanks for the videos anyways, they were very enjoyable to watch!
I think it better to try and apply the adhesive to the cloth. The cloth can change dimensions slightly and cause wrinkles as it absorbed moisture if the adhesive is applied to the board first. It also good to work the adhesive into the grain of the cloth for good adhesion. This doesn't mean you can't do it the other way, but I think the best way is to glue out the cloth and I think it is better to start with using the best method. It's just a case. If it goes wrong, they can easily be made again. Good luck! DAS
Fantastic! Just what I needed.
Gorgeous!!!
I love your method of spine construction! I will be doing it that way for my next BB project(s). Thanks for sharing.
Your videos are awesome. I’m binge watching them.👌🏻
That reminds me of the hard bound paper back books from my high school library back in the late 80's and early 90's.
What a beautiful book cover you made.
Such amazing skill. Thankyou for showing this. I'll be able to apply these techniques to my own journal making. Still very much a novice, though. I'm enjoying this content very much.
Hello from Greece & thanks for your videos! Very helpful 👍 can you please explain more on adding titles on bookcloth? Various techniques and DIY options as I don't have any machinery! Thanks in advance!
Wonderful to hear from Greece! I am trying to learn what the options are for titling. I use a big machine:) All the best, Darryn
Fantastic project! Well done sir
Beautiful
Very interesting technique.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for this ☺️
Thank you for all the details!
Thank you so much for your explanations !! What a great book well made !
Very cool!!!😉😉😉
Nicely Done Darryn!
Thanks John! DAS
thanks again for sharing your skill and knowledge, the book has a new lease of life. You mentioned about setting the covers into the outer case, you said it was fiddly and lots of extra work, Do you have a vlog that shows that process? Thanks again for sharing
Sorry, no. But it's a bit like when I recess the cloth patches in the attached boards Bradel binding (I think it's this video - the book on Antarctica that I bind).
Very cool, though I'm kind of torn on gluing the original covers onto the leather. If I did this project, I might somehow incorporate them into a dust jacket or slipcase instead
It's just as good a place to preserve them as any I think. This isn't a conservation job for sure. DAS
I recently received some old western magazines that belonged to my grandfather. I would like to make a leather bound book out of these. The magazine's are stapled together so I was hoping to sew them together like you would do in normal construction. But any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge in your video's.
It's very exciting to get treasures like this. Magazines are hard to bind because they are so thick. Commercial binderies do make them look good bound up, but they usually do a lot of damage to the magazines in the process. If these were from my grandfather I would make a clamshell box like in this video
ruclips.net/video/a5sa0KXJf3Y/видео.html
This protects them and lets them be stored like a book on the shelf and looks good. And they are kept in the original state that your grandfather would have read them in.
And while leather sounds great, unless you have experience with binding in leather it is very tricky. You need to practice and build up skills. But good bookcloth can look fantastic, lasts a long times and is much easier to use when starting out.
If you did want to bind them, hopefully all the staple hole spine up (they never do), but if they do, use the original holes for sewing. sew over linen or cotton tape placed where the staples were. Once you have the text block, follow the video I have on a square back Bradel binding. It is difficult to round and back magazines because of the thick sections. A commercial bindery has a machine to do this.
Just some thoughts.
All the best,
Darryn
Hi Darryn!
Can you explain the "square" you refer to when measuring boards and other precise measurements? I know this can be a very detailed and lengthy explanation, and would appreciate an article discussing this detail just as much.
Thank you,
Rachel
A video on the names of the parts of books is on my to-do list. It's the inside part of the cover boards that extends past the text block. It of course is not square shaped, which makes it confusing. A book which has cover boards the exact same size as the text has no square. For small books a 2mm square is nice, and 3mm for standard size and 4mm or more for large and giant books. Hope that makes sense. All the best, Darryn
Are you planning to make a video giving an overview on different binding techniques and comparing them? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Especially when to use which technique and what to pay special attention to.
It is on the list. Overview videos are surprisingly difficult. There are a few more bindings I want to do as projects first. DAS
@@DASBookbinding Great! I am looking forward to seeing that video and I will very much appreciate it since I can imagine how much preparation such a video needs.
Thank you very much for sharing this. I have many manuals that will be getting this done to them.
If you don't mind me asking how do you go about recessing the ald cover into the new hard cover?
In this case I would have put a very thin strip of card the same thickness as the original covers around the outside edges of the new board. The space left should be slightly larger than the original covers to allow for a bit of stretch and the thickness of bookcloth. You might need to trim the original covers down to get them to fit. You also need a good press to press the original cover in place as the bookcloth doesn't like to stretch like leather. All the best, DAS
That turned out very nice. I can imagine the frame under the covering to recess the book cover flush. Wanna make a video for that version? 😉
Not really. But I might, we'll see. I'm sure you can figure it out anyway:) DAS
Great video. How would one protect the original cover and spine pieces from further wear? Thank you!
A clamshell box.
In the video you mention the difference between presented here and english style square back binding. Do you have a video on english style square back binding?
No, I don't. It's a fairly minor difference. English binders don't have the piece of paper that joins the boards and spine stiffener. They just glue everything directly to the spine cloth. I guess I do this in the rounded and backed case binding - not square back, but same principle. Adding that piece of paper I think makes everything so much easier, once I started doing it about 10 years ago I never went back - for square backs anyway. DAS
Love it! Dumb question from a total n00b... On a project like this, is there some kind of clear coat you can apply to the front cover, back cover & spine salvaged from the original book to give it some extra protection & durability? 🤔
I really wouldn't. I talk about this in the recent paper label video. Maybe I'd use the Klucel-G. But it's a specialised product.
I am interested in your knitting needles attached to boards and cannot find the link to this that you mention in the video. Perhaps I just can't see it.
Fantastic
Would modpodge be an okay glue to use when converting a newer paper back to hard cover?
I've never used, and don't know what it is made of. But if it sticks things together and you don't mind using it for other things, then why not.
One more dumb question if you'll allow it. Car vinyl wrap is cheapi-sh & has many cool patterns. Is it possible to use it for crafting the hardback instead of the book cloth you typically would use? Any thoughts/ advice on that? Thank you! 🙏
I don't think I would. They are design to not last a long time compared to books. I wouldn't trust the adhesive. If you have to, maybe look for sleeking film. I'm looking into this at the moment. I'm not feeling super good about it though.
@@DASBookbinding Understood. My project is more a novelty gift. It would be displayed more than handled so I'm not worried if it doesn't last 50+ years. I'll research which adhesive I can use to keep the vinyl adhered to the book. Thank you for the feedback!
How could you prevent the paper cover from wear and tear when stored on a bookshelf, since it's simply glued to the outside and possibly open to fraying? Would some sort of lamination or sealant work?
It normally doesn't. But rather than trying to seal it, maybe a 10 minute slip case (see video).
Magic man
I have a 62 book series I would love to do this to .
Wow! DAS
This is something I really want to do with a book series I have here, very special books for me but with low economic value but I'm scared I might give up in the process and leave my books naked... someday I'll make it
Thank you.
Are the old covers now more protected from shelf wear or is another thing needed to protect them like dust jackets?
They will get the same frictional wear as the original and any other book.
If you could do one about repair / restoration that would be lovely. I normally care for things, but a hand me down paperback book is starting to tear and ive never seen it elsewhere. Id like to preserve the original cover since it has some nice (though probably mass produced) art and title.
Funny thing, I can't find the perfect paperback to repair. I've been asking around and apparently everyone has thrown out their old paperbacks with covers fallen off. I'll find one soon enough. DAS
As a fan of old Sci-fi (think Asimov) this appeals to me as a way to preserve the cheaply made books which are now starting to degrade.
As you point out, it doesn't help with the paper unfortunately. DAS
What is your opinion on using a roller for paste to bookboard to book cloth rather than a brush?
It's a great idea, especially if you have a production environment. You have to leave the roller in the PVA though, because if you clean it every day you waste a lot of glue. But I find if I don't use it for a few days, over a long weekend, the glue starts to set in the roller. So I just stick with a brush. If I was doing an edition of 10 books I have a roller I would use. Darryn
If someone would like a recess for the old cover, would embossing it on the new cloth cover do the trick? Old paper covers are usually quite thin. Or should one go for a layered board with a cut-out in top layer instead?
If you have a steel book press you can usually force it in so well that it is as good as recessing it. DAS
would you say that this is the better method for preservation as compared to the other method where you converted a paperback to hardcover?
The other method was specifically to produce a book with a specific look. It's not the best way to convert a paperback to a hardcover. This method is fine for repairing a damaged paperback and converting it to a hardcover at the same time. Neither are really meant to preserve a paperback. Putting hardcovers on a paperback probably shorten its life. It results in harsher forces on the spine and the square will mean the tail edge of the text will be exposed to air more. The best way to preserve a paperback is with environmental control such as a simple 10 minute slip case of a phase case/wrapper. Hope this makes sense.
@@DASBookbinding it does make sense, I was under the impression that converting a paperback to a hardcover was somehow better for conservation in general, but now that I think about it, it makes more sense that leaving the original binding is better than any manipulation one could do.
I might have chosen a more yellow or blonde leather that matched the original cover color better.
Only so many colours of book cloth in my stock and I was trying for a contrasting colour that also sort of matched the title. But, yes I often just match the colour to the original cover colour.
One question if I may. Why not glue the spine of the book to the spine of the case? Wouldn't it be tougher if we glue them together ?
The book would open very poorly. A book opens through two main mechanisms - the leaves of paper bending (called drape) and the spine of the book flexing up (called throwing up - yeh, who came up with that description!). This book has a rigid spine piece. If the spine was glued to it, the spine wouldn't be able to "throw up" and would be totally reliant on the drape of the paper.
@@DASBookbinding Thank you for your answer ! You are so kind and generous to give this information. I am about to bind my own thesis of LLM degree. The thing is, I have found some square back case binding books which glue spine together. That's why I have this question. I will try to figure out what you mean. It is nice to learn from you. Thank you again. I wish you get better (from COVID-19).
Never would have thought to recover a paper back book
There are a lot of books which were only published in paperback, and those have a nasty tendency to not get reprinted (James Blish's Star Trek books, for example).
Hence, the need to repair them and extend their lifespan, at least for a while.
Just be careful with collectable paperbacks. They might not be as collectable if put in a hardcover. Once the church book sale starts again I'll look for a paperback that is falling to pieces and show how to restore it in a way that I think would be more acceptable to collectors. All the best, DAS
@@DASBookbinding Good point, and I look forward to the video!
Hello, I had a problem and I can't find an answer, after glueing text block to cover I can't open it to more than 90 degrees without ripping it apart.
This is a common problem and it is really hard to diagnose without the book in hand. The square back binding is a strange beast and in some ways shouldn't work. The things I look at are the width of the joint - the space between the cover boards and the spine board - which if too small will cause this, the attachment point of the endpaper- which if away from the spine can cause this. Some times people get a bit of glue on the spine and it sticks to the spine board stopping the book throwing up which can cause this. Sorry this isn't much help. Darryn
I can't find the link for the press board with knitting needles. Can you paste the link here please. Thank you.
pg 7
works.bepress.com/peter_verheyen/1/download/
is there any resource anyone can give me that explains how to make an indent in the new case so that the original covers fit snuggly into it? he mentions this around 8:48
It's a bit different, but I think it's the Bradel in-boards video where I inset cloth patches in the covers. It's the same principle except it is thin frame around the edges instead of a small oval in the middle of the boards. Hope this helps.
Hello. Another exciting video. - I was wondering what you think about putting a layer or two of PVA over the old covers once you have re-attached them. I was thinking this might provide protection from moisture damage. - Also, would it do anything to stop or slow the acid degradation that is in process? Thanks.
I don't think I would. The original covers will a water fast ink. And it will just trap the acidic compounds in the covers. Would be nice if it would help. Ciao, Darryn
@@DASBookbinding Okay. Thanks.
Hello (again!)! Thank you for this very interesting video! I have just a little question: How would you do to insert the original covers inside the book? Would it be possible by guarding the original covers with strips of paper pasted on the endpapers (on approximately 3 or 4 mm) ? Thank you very much!
I'm not sure I understand the question, but your ideas sounds great. You've got this! DAS
@@DASBookbinding Thank you for your answer! i'm wondering if it is possible to insert the original covers inside the book, just after the endpapers. For exemple, the front original cover would be attached to the white endpapers by guarding it with a strip of paper (part of which would be glued to the back of the cover and the other part to the front of the white endpapers). Then it would be possible to add "coloued" endpapers, glued to the board and to the first white endpaper. Difficult to explain :) Thank you again!
What diameter round brush would you recommend for an 8.5 x 11 book with this process?
I like big brushes. I normally use a brush that is almost 2 inches round, but in videos I use one about 1 inch, except for fine work which I have the small flat brush for (3/8 wide). The size of the book doesn't come into it unless it is very small and I rarely do small books. Ciao, DAS
The old paperback is 1000 pages but I'm having to divide it into two separate books. But I only have one cover - what to do?
Only thing I can think of is a photocopy on to a similar paper to the original? Good luck! DAS
Is there a way to save a dissolving paperback and turn it into a hardcover?
My university books are notoriously badly bound, but at least they are cheap. Still would like and try to save a few of mine.
If the paper is acid and it is deteriorating, there is not much that can be done. But if the pages are just coming apart, pull it apart completely, cleaning the old glue off the spine edge, and remake using a double-fan (Lumbeck) binding. Good luck!
@@DASBookbinding For these, yes they are acid free paper. Just found your double fan video. Will try it out after I make myself one of those vices.
As for books with acid paper, is there any way to save them? Glue them back together or to neitralize the paper so they won't start falling apart?
@@HibikiKano Unfortunately there is no realistic deacidification process suitable for the hand bookbinder. There are some methods featured on the internet, but they are problematic and I would not recommend them.
@@DASBookbinding Thank you for the heads up. Well most of those arent worh much, but a few emotionally importat books. Those are few enough I could try to ask a professional restorer if they could fix them up for me.
Also I have one more question. If I may add it here. I have a box of books that we inherited a while back but due to lack of space kept in the box we got them from. Failed to notice that a light white mold has spread over the covers of a few of them.
Is there a way to save those books? Can I take the ones that dont look moldy out and somehow preserve those at least? Or are all gone?
@@HibikiKanoWere you able to salvage those books? Maybe a UV light to kil it followed with some kind of sealant?
Fantastic video as always 😀. What do you think of self adhesive foil? I was thinking of using it in case where the paper cover is in bad condition
I'm not sure what self adhesive foil is. I use heat activated foil for stamping titles on books. The spine is often missing or in very poor shape and I will put the title and author on the spine using hot foil in these cases. All the best, Darryn
What clothing did you use to make a hard cover? , I mean is that a leather? Or something?
Arbelave bookcloth
Well...now I have a series of 60 books to rebind...
Are you sure? Paperbacks have a charm of their own. I love my paperbacks. I only do this if mine are falling apart. Maybe some nice slip cases if you want to protect them. Maybe 10 in each case?
@DASBookbinding I don't know, I've just always preferred hardcover books, in my adult life. I normally won't buy a book unless it's hardcover. I have a set of books (Animorphs) I used to read as a kid/teenager that I think would look great in hardcover.
What is grain direction?
Check out my grain direction video.
💙📚💙📚💙
Hi, plz give me list of all equipment items needed for binding to purchase, I will be thankful
There are tools listed in the description and I have a video on tools to get started in bookbinding.
ruclips.net/video/FBGfRTnBUNk/видео.html
Ciao, DAS
What type of cloth do you use? Sorry english isnt my first language so I couldn't understand the name very well
Any bookcloth that is called buckram will be fine. Actually, any bookcloth is probably fine. The cloth I use is Arbelave. DAS
@@DASBookbinding thank you!
8:24 But why do you mark the front and the back and up on the new case?
JK 😁