Bookbinding - Attempt One: Turn Ins

After what seemed like a long time, I pulled the book out from between the board and readied to paste down the leather that turns around edge of the book to the inside.  Figuring out the cuts to a little bit as all the examples I found was for modern book board, not oak boards.  Eventually, I had things trimmed and ready for the pasting. I did wrap the paper pages in wax paper so they wouldn't get glued together.

Almost ready for pasting.  Just need to add a protective cover to the paper pages.

Paste down completed, a quick picture before the book gets clamped again.

All clamped up, time to let dry again.

Bookbinding - Attempt One: End bands & Leather Cover

The end bands went really quickly. I expected to start them at home and finish up during a local meeting. Well I finished them before I needed to even start rounding up the family to leave for the meeting.

I didn't get many pictures of covering the outside with leather as I could have used a third hand in doing this part.  I'm sure like with everything a little practice goes a long way.

A finished end band.  The extra will be cut off later.

Leather pasted to the outside of the book.

Slightly different view of the drying pressed book.

Bookbinding - Attempt One: Trimming and Spine

None of the local big box home improvement stores carry a draw knife, so when it came to trimming the paper to the boards, I ended up using a craft knife and then filing it to flush with the boards.

Afterwards I used some wheat paste and bookbinding super cloth to reenforce the spine of the book.  I pasted the cloth over the outside of the boards as per one of the examples in J.A. Szirmai's book, The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding.

The end bands will be done after the spine has dried.

Pages trimmed to the book.

Pasting down the cloth to reenforce the spine.

Bookbinding - Attempt One: Attaching the boards

When it came time to attach the supports to the boards, I used small upholstery nails found at a local sewing shop.

Nailing the supports to the boards.

All done with one side.

Boards attached, time to trim.

Bookbinding - Attempt One: The Boards

I prepared the oak boards using almost all hand tools.  I did use a powered drill to drill the holes for the end bands. So far so good.

Using a rasp and files to shape the edges of the boards.

Areas for the supports ready for chisel work.

Areas chiseled out ready for the supports.

Bookbinding - Attempt One (Cont)

I don't think I started off my stitching tight enough, the first gathering is a bit loose, compared to the others, but the stitching went really quickly once everything was set up.  Next I'll need to cut the boards and do some work with the chisels to make the channels.

All the gatherings stitched to the leather supports.

Another view, before taking the book off the frame.

Ready for the next step.

Bookbinding - Attempt One

I was able to give my new sewing frame a test run. Materials include, paper from a sketch book, linen thread, leather strips, split (Might be to short, guess I'll find out).  Over all the frame was a bit of an issue to get all set up by myself this first attempt.  I might have to make a pair of shorter uprights for the frame at some point.  So far it's been fun putting to use things I have only read about to this point.

Folding the paper.

Punching holes for thread

Setting up the sewing frame.

Starting the stitching.