Re: [BKARTS] non-flattness in leather covers

[William Minter <wminter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sep 26, 2005, at 12:25 PM, james tapley wrote:

> One normally chooses a very dense and rigid board for full leather 
> binding; one of the reasons is to minimize warping. Also the boards 
> are lined both sides with a good quality paper and allowed to cure for 
> several months, minimally, before use. This also contributes to a more 
> rigid and stable board.
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Following are a few thoughts:
First, I am always interested in reading the comments from colleagues 
with different training or background. There is always something to 
learn from these exchanges.

At the same time, I think it is vitally important that we understand 
the materials that we are working with because the environment (dry or 
wet) will eventually do its thing to our binding. In other words, as a 
bookbinder, we must work with nature; we cannot fight it.

As to this thread, a few have written about the importance of lining 
the boards properly and allowing them to dry for whatever length of 
time one feels is needed.
From my Irish/English training, I was taught to line the boards with 
one sheet of paper on the inside (the side opposite the leather) and 
also adhere an additional layer that is wrapped around the spine edge 
of the board. Therefore, there is one layer of paper under the leather, 
and two layers of paper on the inside to counteract the pull of the 
leather.

As to dense rigid boards for full leather bindings, I'd like to share 
this observation:  When I started my apprenticeship, we had a project 
where we had a Formica covered plywood board as a work surface. 
Granted, the Formica board was not the book cover, and the Formica was 
only on one side of the 3/4" plywood, but I think this illustrates a 
point of knowing and understanding all of the materials that we use.
In this case, the plywood board had bowed (arched) about 1/2 inch 
across the 24 inch dimension -- the board was 24 x 40. Knowing that a 
pasted sheet of paper has a good amount of pull, I took a sheet of 
kraft paper, wetted it and applied wheat paste, and then adhered that 
paper to the plywood, opposite the Formica. To my amazement, the 
Formica covered plywood board was flat when the paper had dried, and 
remains flat to this day, some 30 years later. So, the paper flattened 
the board -- pulled it flat -- about 1/2 inch.
Therefore, I don't think that a dense, rigid board will do any better 
than a soft museum board when used as a book cover -- in either case, 
the board must be properly lined before covering with leather.
Moral of the story, know your materials and use that knowledge wisely 
to your advantage.

Bill Minter


William Minter Bookbinding & Conservation, Inc.
4364 Woodbury Pike
Woodbury, PA  16695
814-793-4020
Fax:   814-793-4045
Email:    wminter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx



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William Minter Bookbinding & Conservation, Inc.
4364 Woodbury Pike
Woodbury, PA  16695
814-793-4020
Fax:   814-793-4045
Email:    wminter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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