c/bookbinders

I tried two different methods for rounding spines and one was a total game changer

For years I used the old 'hammer and backing board' method to round my spines, which always felt a bit like guesswork. Last month, I finally built a proper rounding press from some scrap maple and a couple of large bolts, following a plan I found online. The difference is night and day. With the hammer, I'd get inconsistent curves and sometimes even damage the text block if I hit it wrong. The press gives me a smooth, even, controlled curve every single time. It took about three hours to make and maybe $15 in hardware, but it's saved me so much frustration and wasted materials. I can't believe I waited this long to try it. Has anyone else built their own rounding press, and did you have any issues getting the pressure just right?

I used to sew my text blocks with linen thread, but a torn ligament made me switch

About eight months ago, I tore a ligament in my thumb and couldn't pull tight stitches anymore. I was working on a custom poetry book for a client in Portland and had to finish it. I switched to a lighter weight, pre-waxed polyester thread just to get through the project. It actually went through the paper easier and the wax kept the stitches from tangling. Has anyone else had to change a core material because of an injury, and did you stick with the new stuff?

My first leather cover project almost went wrong in the middle of the night

I was working late in my home shop, trying to finish a custom journal for a friend's birthday. I had just glued the leather to the boards and was pressing it under weight when I noticed a big air bubble forming near the spine. It was past midnight and I panicked, thinking I'd have to scrap the whole cover. I remembered an old forum post about using a small syringe with PVA glue to fix this. I carefully lifted the edge with a thin spatula, injected a tiny bit of glue, and pressed it flat again with a bone folder. I left it under a heavy book for two days and the bubble is completely gone now. Has anyone else had to fix a glued leather cover after the fact, and what method did you use?

Vent: A client in Cincinnati brought me a 1920s hymnal with the spine completely gone

Last week they wanted it fixed but also asked if I could add a new section for modern songs. I had to explain that mixing paper types from different eras would cause stress and damage over time. Has anyone else had to talk a customer out of a repair that would hurt the book long term?

Rant: The library in my old town replaced all their leather bindings with cheap plastic covers

I was back in Springfield last month and it just felt wrong, like the whole history of the books was gone. Has anyone else seen a place do this and found a way to talk them into keeping the good stuff?

Shoutout to the binder at the Chicago fair who called my headbands 'sloppy'

She showed me how to pack the cores tighter with a curved needle, and my last three books look way cleaner. Anyone have a favorite thread weight for that technique?

Saw a 19th century ledger at the state archive with a weird binding choice

I was looking at a merchant's ledger from 1883 at the Kansas State Historical Society, and the spine was sewn with what looked like waxed linen, but the boards were attached with modern PVA. It felt like a weird mix of old and new methods. Has anyone seen a historical repair like this, and is it considered a bad practice?

My shop's humidity spiked to 70% last week and ruined a custom leather commission.

The client's family crest tooling swelled and distorted overnight. What's your emergency protocol for sudden environmental shifts?

A chat with my kid's teacher changed how I pick book cloth

I was helping my son's third grade class make simple notebooks, and his teacher said something that stuck with me. She pointed out how the kids always went for the brightest, shiniest cloth first, even if it felt cheap. She said, 'They pick with their eyes, but they remember with their hands.' That hit different because I've been guilty of choosing fancy-looking cloth for my own projects, only to have it wear poorly. Now I let my hands test the drape and strength for at least a minute before I even look at the color. What's your go-to test for a new roll of book cloth before you commit to a project?

Spent $400 on a Kwikprint and it was a total waste for my work

Everyone says you need a hot foil stamping machine for professional finishing, so I bought a used Kwikprint last year. For the small run, custom journals I make, the setup time and material cost just don't make sense compared to quality foil pens and a steady hand. I've used it maybe three times and it mostly collects dust. Does anyone else find these machines are overkill for one-person shops?

Unpopular opinion: I switched from a bone folder to a teflon folder for my leather work and I'm never going back.

I used to think the traditional bone folder was essential for creasing and smoothing, but after my friend in Seattle swore by her teflon one for preventing marks on darker leathers, I tried it on a custom journal project last week and the difference in the finish, especially on navy blue calfskin, was honestly shocking.

I finally figured out my headbands were always too tight after a client in Portland brought back a repaired journal.

Heard a customer at the store say they use regular white glue for book repairs

I was at work yesterday, stocking the adhesive aisle, when a man told his friend he fixes his old paperbacks with Elmer's school glue. He said it works fine and is cheap. My heart sank. I had to bite my tongue, but it made me think about how many people might be doing this without knowing the damage. That glue is acidic and will yellow and become brittle in a few years, ruining the paper. It's not made for long-term preservation. I always use a pH-neutral PVA like Lineco. It costs more, but it's made for this job. Has anyone else had to gently correct someone using the wrong adhesive on a book they care about?

I gave up on that 'quick set' PVA and went back to my old wheat paste

I had a big commission for a set of three family history books last month. The client wanted them done fast, so I tried that new fast drying PVA glue everyone was talking about. It set up in 20 minutes, sure, but after a week, the spines on all three books were stiff as boards. They wouldn't open flat at all, it was a disaster. I had to redo the whole job. I went back to my old wheat paste recipe that needs to cure overnight. The difference is night and day. The spines are flexible, the books open perfectly, and they just feel right in the hand. I lost money on that rush job, but I learned my lesson. Has anyone else had a glue disaster that made you swear off a 'time saving' product for good?

Appreciation post: I spent 6 hours last night trying to get a single kettle stitch to lay flat on a leather journal

I know everyone says to just use more glue and press it longer, but after three attempts with different weights and drying times, the solution was actually to slightly pare down the leather at the spine before sewing.

Hot take: I see a lot of folks using the wrong glue for headbands

I was at a local meetup in Portland last month and watched three people use PVA for hand-sewn headbands. It gets brittle and cracks after a few months, pulling away from the spine. I've always used a flexible animal glue mix for that part, and my oldest rebound copy of 'Moby Dick' from five years ago still looks tight. What's your go-to method for keeping headbands secure without making them stiff?

Hit 500 books bound and it made me look at my old work differently

I finished a small custom order last night and updated my log. The total came to 500 books bound since I started keeping track. I did not expect that number. It made me pull out some of my first projects from a box in the garage. Looking at a simple quarter leather binding I did maybe six years ago, the difference is clear. My corners were bulky, the headbands were messy, and the leather paring was uneven. Back then, I was just happy it held together. Now, I see all the small things I would do better. It is not about being perfect, but seeing the slow change in your own hands. Has hitting a certain number ever made you go back and compare your early work to now?

Just realized something about old library books after a trip to the Boston Public Library

I noticed a lot of their 19th century stuff has these tiny, almost invisible repairs on the spine corners. It got me wondering if that was a common period technique, or just one binder's signature move. Anyone know of other collections where you've spotted that?

The week I had to bind a 500 page book with a broken bone in my hand.

A batch of 'acid-free' paper I bought online in 2020 just started yellowing on a project I finished last month.

I opened a custom poetry book I bound for a client to find the pages already browning at the edges, so maybe double-check your supplier's claims with a pH test strip before you commit to a big job.

Talking to a librarian about repairs made me switch up my paste recipe

I was chatting with the head librarian at the local branch about fixing some old reference books, and she mentioned they use a wheat paste with a pinch of salt added to prevent mold in their humid storage. Ngl, I'd always just used straight methyl cellulose, but I tried her tip on a personal project last month and the results were way better. Anyone else add anything weird to their paste or glue for specific jobs?

PSA: I heard someone call hand stitching a 'waste of time' at the craft fair.

They said a machine can do it faster and just as strong. But my great aunt's 1905 prayer book, stitched with linen thread, is still solid while the glued spine on my newer one split after ten years. Does anyone have a favorite thread type for long term projects?

My neighbor in Austin swore by using PVA glue straight from the bottle for rounding spines

She said it sets up faster and gives a cleaner shape, so I gave it a shot on a small poetry book last month. Ended up with a stiff, uneven back that cracked when I opened it, proving my old teacher right about thinning it with water. Anyone have a good ratio for a 50/50 mix that still holds a curve?

My sister asked me why I don't just buy a book and it stung

Honestly, she saw me spending a whole Saturday re-backing a 1930s poetry book and said, 'Wouldn't it be easier to just get a new one?' Tbh, it wasn't mean, but it made me stop. I told her it's about saving the story in the paper and the old glue. This copy had a handwritten note from 1952 in the front. I spent about $40 on materials and 8 hours, but you can't buy that. Has anyone else had to explain why we do this to someone who just doesn't get it?

PSA: My $200 guillotine cutter was a game changer after I fought it for months

I always thought a good craft knife and a metal ruler was enough for cutting book board and paper. My cuts were never perfect, but I told myself it added charm. Then I took on a big job making 50 notebooks for a local shop. After the third one had a crooked edge, my friend who runs a print shop basically forced me to try his old guillotine. The clean, straight lines it made in seconds changed my mind completely. I found a used one online for about $200 and bit the bullet. It felt like a huge cost for one tool, but it cut my time on that job in half and the quality jump was insane. Has anyone else had a tool they resisted buying that ended up being totally worth it?