Book Repair - Postscript

Al Smith posted the following in November 2005:

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2. Al Smith
Nov 5 2005, 11:23 pm
Newsgroups: rec.collecting.books
From: Al Smith - Find messages by this author
Date: Sun, 06 Nov 2005 04:23:28 GMT
Local: Sat, Nov 5 2005 11:23 pm
Subject: Book Repair


I have an old book which would not be particularly valuable even in good
condition (maybe $50), but my copy has the back cover completely detached and
the front cover partially detached. I want to repair it, but not in any way
that would further decrease its value (assuming that's possible!).

How does one repair detached covers?

If all the pieces are there, you carefully re-attach them with
glue, working from the inside out. The important thing is to have
a secure, durable hinge, so if the webbing (as I call it) that
attaches and holds the cover to the spine is completely separated,
you need to insert a new piece of cloth that will act as a hinge,
before re-gluing the end papers and the actual outer material of
the cover, whether it is cloth or leather.

On older books you don't see a web for a hinge, you see three flat
strips of what appear to be woven linen straps, or even round hemp
cords that are inserted through holes in the board of the cover.
Sometimes the straps and the webbing are both used. Sometimes
these three straps can be rejoined, if you've got anything to work
with. If not, you need to insert a new hinge. I use a strip of
thin synthetic cloth such as a rayon-cotton blend from an old
shirt. I cut it almost the length of the spine, and make it about
an inch wide.

To insert this strip, you have to make room for it, which means
carefully lifting the paper that is attached to the inside of the
cover along the spine-edge of the cover, so you can slide in the
cloth that will act as the new hinge. Use an exacto knife or razor
blade. The cloth has to be completely saturated with glue. The
thinner the cloth, the less it will show when the paper is
reattached over it. The other side of this cloth strip is glued to
the actual spine of the book. You should apply glue liberally to
the spine, as well as saturating the cloth.

To keep this new hinge from sticking to the back of the cover
along the hinge while it dries with the book closed (you always
let the glue dry with the book closed) slide a strip of wax paper
down the back of the book between the cover and the spine before
closing it to allow the glue to dry. In general, you can protect
anything you don't want to get the glue on with wax paper.

If you're lucky, your endpaper will be intact, rather than in two
pieces. This will cover the new hinge you just made. If not, you
have to reposition the two torn sides of the endpaper so that they
are aligned and glue them down to the new hinge, where the cover
and the book pages meet. When done skillfully, this type of repair
is hardly noticeable, and will last quite well under normal use.

The working order is this: after repairing the hinge or inserting
a new hinge, you then repair the inside over the hinge, and when
that is dry, you rejoin the outer cover material. The other cover
material can be joined with glue alone, but it will not last too
long and will need regular maintenance. A better way is to insert
a backing under the cover material, and glue the cover material
down onto the backing. You can hold it into alignment while the
glue dries using pieces of Scotch tape, but be careful -- this
tape may lift the surface from old, dried leather covers. It is
generally safe to use tape on cloth.

Of course, as soon as the glue is dry, you take the tape off.
Never use tape of any kind to make an actual repair. Not even the
so-called safe kind of tape that libraries sometimes use.
Librarians don't know anything about books.
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We recently tried this procedure on two books with severe hinge problems (front
and back) and with the spine covers hanging at most by a thread. It worked
wonderfully. The only comments I might add are these:

1. We used scalpels instead of exacto knives. They are finer.

2. We used Lineco brand linen strips (they have an open weave) for the inner
structural webbing (from spine to between board and endpaper). That worked
well. We used colored fabric for the outer connections (from between cloth and
board to under spine cover. The purpose was to make the connection appear less
like a repair to the eye.

3. We used wax paper to isolate glued areas so that glue would not go where it
was not wanted.

4. We used Lineco's PVA adhesive (pH neutral).

5. Cover boards were firmly clamped with heavy weights while drying. Gluing to
the spine cover was pressed with wooden boards held tight by elastic bands,
while wax paper was under the spine cover itself to prevent it from adhering to
the spine.

Results: The first has firm hinges now. Only the spine cover bends
uncomfortably when the book is opened. The second is near perfect. A 19th C.
Shakespeare, the spine cover floats well when the book is open and the hinges
are now firm.

Thanks, Al, for the procedure - and for the confidence to go forward.


Francis A. Miniter