How to make a book, part two

For the setup on this project, please see part one.

You need a frame to hold three strings strung tight. I made this frame from an old spice rack and a cutting board. There are hooks or eye bolts at the top, and holes drilled through the board at the bottom. You need three very tight, parallel strings. The signatures get sewn to the strings.

Mark one signature at the strings. This is where to cut some holes for sewing.

Cut five shallow holes in all five signatures, three at the marks and one at each end. I held all five signatures together & sawed like it was a board, but the cut is very shallow, only a millimeter or so.

Sew the signature to the strings.

Pull tight. This is what it looks like from the other side.

Sew another signature. Pull this tight. Don’t pull towards you, pull left or right, parallel to the spine. This puts the pressure on the strings and thread, not on the paper.

Tie a knot with the loose end. The signatures get tied to each other at the top & bottom, and sewn to the strings at the three holes in the middle.

Tie each signature to the last signature. Keep adding signatures, pressing down, pulling tight, tying off.

One last knot.

Cut.

Not bad. Could be more compact, pinched together a little tighter.

Tape. This cloth tape is book repair tape, also called hinge & spine repair tape.

For an excellent tutorial, watch Bookbinding, lesson 1, steps 1 and 2. This video by Abacus Firenze made me want to make a book.

Join me for for the third & final part, when the book gets a cover.

~ by Rick on December 9, 2012.