How to Make a Normally Hardcover Book
 
First, you need sheets of paper to make the pages, a slightly larger sheet of sturdy paper, to make the outer cover. brown paper is excellent, and can be painted with indian ink or other waterproof pigments, two boards of hard card, to make the inner cover. two tapes of flexible card, to hold the pages to the cover. you will also need some fabric to re-enforce the spine, use a non-flexible weave, old bed sheets or pillowcases are perfect, a craft knife for cutting the paper and boards, and a steel ruler of sturdy piece of wood to cut along, glue. (pva or paste), a needle, and a heavy thread (waxed linen thread is best), a sharp object such as an awl or a nail, to punch holes, sheets of plastic, to insulate moisture from the glue, and stop it from spreading through the book as it dries. overhead projection sheets are good, but any smooth plastic will do (e.g. plastic zip lock bags, old folder covers)
the next step, cut segments of eight to twelve sheets, with the grain running parallel to the intended spine, fold the segments over, along the grain. you can use the back of a spoon to flatten the folds, punch holes for sewing. make a template using the tapes to measure. make holes either side of the tapes, and one more at each end of the fold, thread the needle, and tie a knot at the end of the thread. sew the segments together, seal the spine with a thin layer of glue. work it into the cracks, and coat the thread. this strengthens the sewing, and closes the spaces between the segments. press the book flat under a pile of heavy books. make sure the spine is pressed as flat as possible, as it will set into this form permanently a pile of heavy books. make sure the spine is pressed as flat as possible, as it will set into this form permanently. the final product is called a book block, meanwhile, make your cover. cut two boards, slightly larger than the book block, so that there is a small border on three sides of the book block, cut a large sheet of heavy paper, so that there is room to place the two boards side by side, with a space between them the width of the spine of the book block plus three times the thickness of the boards. There should be a border around the boards of about one inch. on the INSIDE of the paper, mark the positions of the boards, cut the corners off, leaving a small space between the corner of the board and the cut, coat the paper with glue, and place the boards. glue a strip of fabric between the boards. you may also, optionally, include a strip of card, to create a hard spine. the card should be the same width as the spine of the book block. Make sure all are glued down well. fold the paper over, (1,2,3,4) You may now press the cover under some books, using sheets of plastic to cover the exposed wet areas, or simply continue on with the next step, now the book block can be glued into the cover. under the first page of the book block, place a sheet of newspaper, and beneath that a sheet of plastic. cover the page with glue. It is ok for the glue to pass over onto the newspaper. glue down the tapes, and cover their backs with glue. make sure the page is coated right to the edges, especially near the spine. carefully lift the page, and remove the newspaper. make sure the plastic is properly in place and drop the page back onto it. (the plastic stops the moisture from the glue spreading through the pages and causing them to wrinkle.) drop the book block onto one side of the open cover, so that the spine is flush with the inside edge of the board, and there is an even boarder on the other three sides. If it is uneven, the cover may be carefully opened, and the page can be shifted slightly, or even removed for another attempt. make sure the positioning is satisfactory before applying any firm pressure. repeat the process with the other side. the only difference here is that the cover must be lifted up and placed against the top of the book block. line the board with the spine, and lower it down. press the book under as much weight as possible. position it on the edge of a table, so that the spine sticks out a little. (the idea is to line the edge of the table with the boards inside the cover.) If the spine is a soft one, it can be shaped while wet, and will set. allow the book to cure until it is totally dry. If it is removed too early, the cover will curl. a damp book feels cool to the touch, and will still smell like glue. once it is dry, it should have a neutral temperature, and smell only very faintly of glue. When it is dry, remove the plastic sheets, and the Hardcover book is complete.
|
