Book repair

I've got a couple of not-very-valuable books where the end papers have
separated from the text block. It looks like a simple repair...I'm thinking
that I can scrape off the excess glue left on the text block portion and
just re-glue the free end paper at the joint.

I found this at palimpsest:
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byfor.../msg00059.html

And if I'm reading correctly, I should get some thick PVA glue and some
wheat paste, and mix the wheat paste about 5:1 water to paste, then mix PVA
and wheat paste about 50/50 and then glue, and press the result.

Does that square with the experience of anyone here who's done this kind of
repair? How long would you have to leave the repair pressed?

Thanks.
Alice

--
Book collecting terms illustrated. Occasional books for sale.
http://www.mywingsbooks.com/

(my-wings) wrote:
I've got a couple of not-very-valuable books where the end papers have
separated from the text block. It looks like a simple repair...I'm
thinking that I can scrape off the excess glue left on the text block
portion and just re-glue the free end paper at the joint.
I found this at palimpsest:
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byfor.../msg00059.html
And if I'm reading correctly, I should get some thick PVA glue and some
wheat paste, and mix the wheat paste about 5:1 water to paste, then mix
PVA and wheat paste about 50/50 and then glue, and press the result.
Does that square with the experience of anyone here who's done this kind
of repair? How long would you have to leave the repair pressed?
Thanks.
Alice
--
Book collecting terms illustrated. Occasional books for sale.
http://www.mywingsbooks.com/
...........................................

Alice,

That sounds like a lot of work to repair an inexpensive book. Skip the
wheat paste and all the ratios and percentages. Get yourself some PVA
Bookbinder's Glue. That is all I use, and I haven't had to thin it out
with water yet. I've acquired PVA glue from Hollander's and from Talas,
but any bookinding supplier will stock it.

I recommend you buy a bone folder too, in order to rub the endpaper down
after you glue it; but I'm getting ahead of myself.

For a simple endpaper repair that doesn't require replacement of the
mull, the gauze-like material underneath the endpaper (or replacement of
the entire endpaper for that matter), open the front cover and rest the
board on another book underneath. When you reseal the endpaper, make
sure you seal the endpaper in the groove, by pressing the bone folder
along the groove very carefully so as not to tear the paper. Leave the
book open overnight with the front cover resting on the book
underneath. In the morning, when you close the book, the endpaper will
remain safely in the grooved hinge area.

For other simple bookbinding repairs, I recommend you buy an inexpensive
bookbinding manual. Watson's Hand Bookbinding is a very popular manual
of instruction. I prefer Muir's Binding and Repairing Books by Hand
because that's the one I'm familiar with.

Cheers,
Jerry


Welcome to Moi's Books About Books: http://www.tinyurl.com/hib7
My Sentimental Library http://www.picturetrail.com/mylibrary and
moislibrary.com http://www.tinyurl.com/hisn

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"my-wings" wrote in message
...
I've got a couple of not-very-valuable books where the end papers have
separated from the text block. It looks like a simple repair...I'm
thinking
that I can scrape off the excess glue left on the text block portion and
just re-glue the free end paper at the joint.

I found this at palimpsest:

http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byfor...999/12/msg0005
9.html

And if I'm reading correctly, I should get some thick PVA glue and some
wheat paste, and mix the wheat paste about 5:1 water to paste, then mix
PVA
and wheat paste about 50/50 and then glue, and press the result.

Does that square with the experience of anyone here who's done this kind
of
repair? How long would you have to leave the repair pressed?

Thanks.
Alice

...


If you're talking about modern paperbacks PVA is fine: Goto fin

Reading those posts its not immediately obvious what the advantage
of using PVA is supposed to be. All that's known is that PVA adhesive
is permanent (at least there are no solvents )whereas wheat paste
isn't. But in my experience anyway, for paper to paper gluing, or
even paper to leather, and leather repairs, home made flour paste on
its own works just fine. After all PVA is only a quite recent
introduction whereas books have been surviving for centuries
without it.

Given that in this case its being suggested you make up wheat
paste in addition, it can't simply be for convenience either.
Rather more the reverse.

Providing you make up the flour paste to the correct consistency,
neither should there be any more localised cockling of the paper -
which will subsequently correct itself in any case, than
you could expect with PVA

Given that most late 19th and 20th century books are made from
wood pulp paper which is predicted to self-destruct within the next
100 years in any case, maybe using an irreversible adhesive such
as PVA is no longer an issue. But then regardless of whether the
books are "not very valuable" now, nobody can predict the future
and presumably they must be valuable enough to bother repairing
in the first place. For some people there is also a satisfaction
to be gained from using ordinary everyday materials which actually
perform just as well, but which aren't shouted about from the
rooftops. Or maybe such people are just very, very, sad....dunno.

In a case where the end paper has become detached this usually
means the (free) end paper has split at the inside hinge - as
originally the end paper and paste down were all one sheet of
paper.

Maybe the construction of your books is different, as I don't
quite know what you're proposing here. That you simply
re-attach the split away detached endpaper onto the text
block? This is o.k. except you're still faced with the gaping
gap at the hinge. In my experience, for the sake of appearances I
usually cut out a strip of strong paper about one inch* wide, in
as close a match in colour as I can manage if possible. Forgetting
about the detached end paper for a moment, I lay the book flat on the
table with a suitable size book under the open cover so that the
gap is closed up, and then paste the strip of paper down the joint
half an inch on either side. This is then pressed firmly by hand
and then in situ with whatever weighted objects - other books are
available and left overnight. The next day a quarter inch strip
along the edge of the detached end paper is pasted up, using scrap
paper as masking, and attached to the right hand half of the newly
attached paper hinge. i.e. back in its correct position. The end
paper is first aligned with the three edges of the text block when
replacing it, and only smoothed down when the alignment is spot on.
All done with cold water paste. This is then again all allowed to
dry out thoroughly. Then a fold can be made in the new hinge at
the seam - taking extreme care not to tear through the fold in the
process. As this fold is one of the weakest part of the book.

*The width of the "new" hinge needed will depend on the strength
of the paper used. With really heavy boards (not here obviously)
where the existing cloth hinge is becoming detached at the back
there might be a need to reinforce the strip with open weave cloth
from behind. Still easier than a full blown repair. But this would
also depend on the strength of the stitching of the first gathering
in the book.

Maybe this all sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is.


fin:


michael adams

...



Thanks for the detailed instructions. I'd like to try it.

To answer some things that you said were unclear: The books are hard covers.
I mentioned that they weren't very valuable so people would know why I'm
willing to experiment. Interestingly enough, they both have end papers
intact. (Here is a pictu
http://www.mywingsbooks.com/inventor...al-Adven-2.jpg )
I've never seen a book damaged in this way, and now I have two. I really
don't know much about pastes, but what I gleaned from the palimpsest post is
that PVA has the attribute of drying flexibly, while wheat paste adheres
better to the paper.

At any rate, I like the idea of using more traditional bookbinding
materials. You mention that "Providing you make up the flour paste to the
correct consistency..." Could you describe what consistency I should be
looking for? Do you find that the ratio of 5:1 mentioned in the palimpsest
article works?

Thanks for your help!

Alice

"Jerry Morris" wrote in message
...
(my-wings) wrote:
I've got a couple of not-very-valuable books where the end papers have
separated from the text block. It looks like a simple repair...I'm
thinking that I can scrape off the excess glue left on the text block
portion and just re-glue the free end paper at the joint.
I found this at palimpsest:
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byfor.../msg00059.html
And if I'm reading correctly, I should get some thick PVA glue and some
wheat paste, and mix the wheat paste about 5:1 water to paste, then mix
PVA and wheat paste about 50/50 and then glue, and press the result.
Does that square with the experience of anyone here who's done this kind
of repair? How long would you have to leave the repair pressed?
Thanks.
Alice
--
Book collecting terms illustrated. Occasional books for sale.
http://www.mywingsbooks.com/
..........................................

Alice,

That sounds like a lot of work to repair an inexpensive book. Skip the
wheat paste and all the ratios and percentages. Get yourself some PVA
Bookbinder's Glue. That is all I use, and I haven't had to thin it out
with water yet. I've acquired PVA glue from Hollander's and from Talas,
but any bookinding supplier will stock it.

I recommend you buy a bone folder too, in order to rub the endpaper down
after you glue it; but I'm getting ahead of myself.

For a simple endpaper repair that doesn't require replacement of the
mull, the gauze-like material underneath the endpaper (or replacement of
the entire endpaper for that matter), open the front cover and rest the
board on another book underneath. When you reseal the endpaper, make
sure you seal the endpaper in the groove, by pressing the bone folder
along the groove very carefully so as not to tear the paper. Leave the
book open overnight with the front cover resting on the book
underneath. In the morning, when you close the book, the endpaper will
remain safely in the grooved hinge area.

For other simple bookbinding repairs, I recommend you buy an inexpensive
bookbinding manual. Watson's Hand Bookbinding is a very popular manual
of instruction. I prefer Muir's Binding and Repairing Books by Hand
because that's the one I'm familiar with.


Thanks, Jerry. I've been scouting around the Hollander's site thinking of
investing in some bookbinding books. I'm glad to have your recommendation! I
will let you know how I do on my first repair!

Alice

Thanks for the detailed instructions. I'd like to try it.

To answer some things that you said were unclear: The books are hard covers.
I mentioned that they weren't very valuable so people would know why I'm
willing to experiment. Interestingly enough, they both have end papers
intact. (Here is a pictu
http://www.mywingsbooks.com/inventor...al-Adven-2.jpg )
I've never seen a book damaged in this way, and now I have two. I really
don't know much about pastes, but what I gleaned from the palimpsest post is
that PVA has the attribute of drying flexibly, while wheat paste adheres
better to the paper.

At any rate, I like the idea of using more traditional bookbinding
materials. You mention that "Providing you make up the flour paste to the
correct consistency..." Could you describe what consistency I should be
looking for? Do you find that the ratio of 5:1 mentioned in the palimpsest
article works?


Since the cover is pulling partly away from the bookblock, I'd use full
strength PVA with a bit of wheat paste mixed in. It will insure a
strong bond. Normally for endpaper repairs, I try to stay away from PVA
as it can result in a stiff joint. If you thin too much to avoid this,
you can get a weak bond. Wheat paste, in my experience, is always
better for paper-to-paper or paper-to-board repairs. A hairdryer, set
on low, can speed up the drying process.

msol

Custom gilt book labels: http://www.giltlabels.com

Thanks for your help!

Alice

"michael adams" wrote in message
...


There's a good account of the reasoning behind the use of wheat paste to
thin PVA on this website - this is the HTML version as produced by
Google (quicker loading) -

http://tinyurl.com/9ggop

originally -

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache...AYJ:www.librar
y.state.ak.us/pdf/historical/conman/conman2.pdf+PVA++wheat+p
aste&hl=en

(not really happy about the "conman"in the middle there )

Or the PDF version -

http://tinyurl.com/damev

short for -

http://www.library.state.ak.us/pdf/h...conman/conman2
.pdf

...

But without really stressing on there however, that PVA is irreversible.
And that book so repaired would be more difficult to dismantle
and repair in the future.

For my own part, if a book already uses PVA in its construction
then I feel no qualms about following suit.

Otherwise not, when reversible alternatives are readily
available.



Just wanted to thank everyone for the good advice. I'm going to order some
supplies (including the book Jerry recommended)and have some fun!

Alice