The Monastic Endband

I am working on another book. This one is a collection of Yeats’ poems and stories combined with my photographs as center spreads. It is a small intimate book. I have finished the edge decoration on the top and bottom book edges and have moved on to the end bands.

The Monastic end band is sewn over a primary end band using 2 needles. The first photo shows a simple primary end band of linen thread sewn around a folded alum-tawed leather core that is wrapped in mulberry paper.

Primary end band of linen

Then begins the sewing of the Monastic end band covering – Step 1.

Monastic Endband Step 1

Then Step 2.

Monastic Endband Step 2

Then Step 3

Monastic Endband Step 3

Then Step 4.

Monastic Endband Step 4

Here is the finished end band. It creates a wonderful braided top.

Monastic End band finished

 

 

 

 

The Thread That Binds Binding

Pamela Leutz, a fine binder, wrote the book The Thread That Binds: Interviews with Private Practice Binders. It is book that examines book binders who have chosen bookbinding as a vocation. In 2010, the Lone Star Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers planned an exhibition around the individual design binding of this book. Oak Knoll Press printed a limited number of unbound book sets as well as bound edition. Fifty-one binders, bought the unbound sets and crafted their own binding designs to express both binding knowledge and creativity.

The exhibition will begin in Dallas, Tx. from June 3, 2011 to August 12, 2011 at SMU’s Degolyer Library. It will then travel to the Museum of Printing History in Houston Tx. to be on exhibit from September 29, 2011 – January 14, 2012.

I elected to keep the binding simple and explore techniques I have not tried before, such as an exposed spine hybrid with leather endcaps and an Islamic headband. I started by covering and sealing tyvek with variegated metal leaf  to use as guards around each signature. The binding is sewn with linen thread on twisted flax cord. A link stitch is used at the ends of the spine to create a stable spine.

On Cord Binding of The Thread That Binds Signatures

The ends are consolidated with thin but strong mulberry paper. This prevents the book structure from being flimsy without a lot of bulk so that the leather endcaps will have a smooth appearance.

Consolidated Ends of Spine with Mulberry Tissue

The edges of the binding are sanded smooth and decorated with a sprinkle technique of brown, gold and turquoise acrylic paint. This is done before any headbands are constructed. In this next photo you can see how the guards are adheded to the signatures at the spine. The front and back guards are trimmed later to accommodate the endsheets.

Sprinkled Edges of Binding

The Islamic headband is a beautiful hand-sewn band. Headbands are both decorative and functional. From the functional side they protect and support the head and tail portions of the spine from the constant use of people pulling the book from the shelf by hooking their fingers over the top of the spine. This headband is flatter than the more traditional European headbands. Neutral linen thread is sewn over the top of a flat core strip of leather. In this case, I used alum-tawed leather as my flat core. The linen thread is sewn through each signature. This creates a “warp” as a base to interweave the rust and peach silks on top of the leather core.

Islamic Headband Sewn Over Flat Leather Core

The binding covers are covered with paper lined Chinese silk noil with rust colored leather edges. The turn-ins are mitered to prevent corners from becoming bulky which can cause the book to gap open and is very unsightly. The covers should appear slightly tapered at the fore-edges and ends. The spine is shaved to fit the curvature of the text block. This binding has a slight natural rounding at the spine.

Outside and Inside Covers with Mitered Turn-ins on Silk and Leather

The leather is applied first on the fore-edges, followed by silk covering. The leather edging is pared very thin to prevent a hard drop off when the silk covering is laid over it. The face of the covers is built up with chip board that is cut in quarter circle at the spine edges to accommodate the leather endcaps that will come later.

Fore-edge and Spine Corner Build Up

Holes are punched, to allow for the double cords to be laced through to the inside of the covers along the spine. The cord ends are frayed to thin the bulk of the lacings and trimmed to fit into triangular grooves. This will prevent the cord fibers from creating thick bumps when covered with the marbled endsheet.

Cover Details Showing Punched Holes for Cord Lacings

The endcaps are worked over the spine ends on both the head and tail. Secondary silk stitching, matching the headbands, are applied to the cords.

Leather Endcaps and Cord Decorative Stitching

The first set of endsheets applied are watercolor drawings of the frayed cords on translucent mulberry paper. The title page of the book is seen through the paper.

First Set of Endsheets with Watercolor

The second set of endsheets marbled by Catherine Levine, are the basis for my color scheme for the binding.

Second Set of Endsheets Adhered to the Guards

The whole binding is finally finished.

Final Cover Binding

Water book binding

This is the result of the Water binding sketches. The Starfish shape is built up on the davyboard covers using paper clay, a white moldable, clay like substance made from paper that dries quickly. The pared dark blue leather is laid over the whole book and the very thin leather onlays applied. The white and sand color onlays are “wetted and pasted out” with wheat paste and then puckered in the application. This gives the impression of ripples in the sea foam.

The shagreen leather onlay applied to the starfish is interesting stuff to work with. It is very tough and the “pearl” scales have been commercially sanded flat – a perfect texture for the starfish form.

Leather hinges are used with marbelized endsheets and the head of the book is painted with shell gold. The headbands are hand-sewn with silk thread.

Front Cover and Protective Case

Front and Back covers

Interior Endsheets

Close-up of Starfish

Water bookbinding cover concept

In 2009, I purchased a set book to create a full leather fine art binding for the International Designer Bookbinder’s Competition. To think through the concept for this binding cover, I used Photoshop to sketch possible ideas. I finally settled on the starfish version for the final book creation. I took stock of the leather material I had on hand and decided to purchase shagreen (stingray) for the starfish body. The leather was scanned in to get the feel of the way leather would appear on the covers.

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The Nested Accordion Pop-up Fold Book

On the last posting, you found out a bit about Donna and Peter. I hope you had a chance to visit their web site and see their work. This posting is about Peter Thomas’ book arts workshop conducted at the Degolyer Conference.

By the end of the workshop we had created a new book structure Peter calls the Nested Accordion Pop-up Fold Book. This structure combines a basic Accordion book structure with a pop-up structure.

This combination of book techniques, as well as other creative book structures they have developed, are in their new book – More Making Books By Hand. The drawings and step-by-step instructions are very easy to follow.

To make the Nested Accordion Pop-up Fold Book you will need:

• One outer accordion that is 2.75″x14″
• One inner accordion that is 2″x14″
• Two davy boards – 2 7/8″x 1 7/8″
• Cover paper for each of the davy boards – 3 7/8″x 2 7/8″
• PVA glue
• Flat 1/4″ bristle brush
• Bonefolder

Step 1: Accordion panel construct
Cut the outer and inner accordion strips and fold them into shape. In this case the outer accordion is the gold color paper and the inner accordion to be nested is the cream color paper. Look at yesterday’s posting to view the easy way of getting a perfect accordion fold. I like using contrasting paper for it’s visual appeal. Notice how the accordion structure has high folds and low folds? The low fold is called a valley while the high fold is called the peak.

Step 2: The measuring and cutting
Only three interior panels should be cut. The front and back panels should be uncut. The accordion book is in a folded position except for the edge panels. Be sure they are out of the way before you start any measuring or cutting.

First measure down 5/16″ from the top edge of the folded book. Second measure up 5/16″ from the bottom edge of the folded book. Third measure in 1 7/8″ from the fore-edge of the folded book. This should be half measure of the folded panel. If you need to draw a line to get the cuts straight, use a pencil so that it can be erased when you are finished.

Now cut from the center point of the panel along the 5/16″ mark at the top and the bottom. Cut through all the fold layers carefully. Keep the xacto knife perpendicular to the ruler as all times.

It isn’t necessary to cut through all the layers the first time. It will take several passes to go through each panel. Don’t lift the ruler until you are sure that all layers have been cut. Often you can tell by the sound and feel of the cuts. Also the edges will lift as they are cut free.

When you have finished cutting you should have what looks like loose flaps on either end of the folded book that go only halfway into the folded panel.

Step 3: Fold the pop-ups
When you have finished cutting, align you ruler on the vertical center of the folded panels. Use a bonefolder to score between the top and bottom cuts. Keeping the ruler in place, you can gently lift each panel at the foredge to deepen the crease that the score has made.

Open the folded paper strip. You should see three panels that have been cut at the top and bottom of the panels. The score will faintly show on each side of the slices. Invert the fold of each of the three cuts. Carefully crease each the scored folds – there should be six of them. When you are finished there should be three panels that show a reversed pop-up structure. It sort of looks like a suspension bridge.

Step 4: Cut boards for hard covers
Davyboard is typically used for hard covers. Always cut the board so that the direction of the grain is parallel to the back and fore-edge of the book. If you don’t the boards will warp when the paper covering and endsheets are glued to them. This can create a poorly constructed book at least and can in some cases pull the book apart at worst. For this book, cut two hard covers that measure 2 7/8″ x 1 7/8″.

Step 5: Cut the paper covering
To cover the Davyboard, cut your selected paper to extend at least 1/2″ to 3/4″ beyond the Davyboard size on all sides.

When covering the davyboard, the bookbinder looks to eliminate the bulk of paper on the corners.

That is why the corners are cut at a 45 degree angle tangent to each corner. Be sure to leave at least a board and half width at the very corner edge. This will give the proper coverage of the board without any gaps. I fold the paper over the corner of the board that is is squared. The creased folds will give a visual line to cut along. Be sure to cut out about 1/8″ from the crease to allow for the corner tip coverage.

Apply PVA glue, to the paper.  Lay the davyboard face down on the backside of the paper. Align inside the cut corners, giving space for the overlap of the corner tips. Press and hold until set. You can use a weight to keep the cover in place.

Once the glue has set, start with either the head (top) or the tail (bottom) of the board and use a small scissors or xacto knife to slit the corner. This will give you a sliver of paper to wrap around the corner when gluing. Apply glue to the paper at the top of the board and fold over the board edge.

Tuck the cut sliver with the bonefolder over each side edge. Do the same procedure with the bottom side of the board.

After the top and bottom is glued and tucked, move to the sides and glue them into place. Use the bonefolder to smooth the board edges and flatten the paper into the board. The front side of the board is the paper covered side.

The back side of the board will have the edges covered with paper – the center is the gray davyboard.

Lay the covers back side down on wax paper. Fold the wax paper over the top of the covers.

Wax paper prevents any excess glue from sticking to any porous surface. Place light weights on both cover boards for about 20-30 minutes.

The weighting process is to keep the book cover from bowing as the glue dries.

Typically, when one side of a board is glued it will bow in that direction.

However, once you glue the end panels to the back of the board cover, the bowing will equalize because the glue is pulling on both sides as it dries.

Step 6: Applying the endsheets
Once the cover paper on the boards are set (they don’t have to be completely dry), it is time to glue the end panels of the outside accordion strip.

Orient the gold accordion strip so the board cover will be attached to the “back side” of the accordion. The front side will hold the nested cream paper accordion strip. Glue the front end panel with the PVA glue and after a couple of seconds wait time, lay the end panel on the back side of the covered davyboard. Be sure the corners are squared.

Now do the same to the back end panel. Use the bonefolder to flatten and smooth the end panel into place over the davyboard covers. Place the light weights on the ends for a few minutes to set the glue.

Step 7: Shorten the inside panel
The inside accordion strip needs to be shortened to nest in the outside pop-up structure. Cut off two of the panel sections. this will leave an inside accordion strip with six panels.

Step 8: Attach the inner accordion to the outer accordion
The inner accordion nests inside the outer accordion’s pop ups. Match the valley of the inner accordion to the valleys of the outer accordion.

There are two ways to attach the inner accordion to the outer.
One is by gluing the valley sections to each other. I apply the glue to the outer accordion pop-up valleys and then lay the inner accordion on top. This allows for the mountain folds of the inner accordion to stand up and be free.

The other way is to sew the valley folds together using a thin strong linen or cotton thread. In a pinch, you can use a nylon sewing thread. The choice of attachments depends on the look and feel you want with the final book. This tutorial sample shows the glued version.

Step 9: Content
Of course each book begs for content. These miniature books are great for image collages, poems or quotes. Have some fun and check out Peter and Donna’s other structures in the More Making Books by Hand.