Sewn Boards Tutorial (by lowmountain
at Imgur)
A bookbinding tutorial for a sewn board binding. Opens well, pretty good for sketchbooks.
"I've already done a bit of the work here. I've gotten my paper, cut it down to size, folded it in the signatures (9 signatures of 4 folios each), made two endsheet signatures (2 folios each), and made two single folio signatures of 10 point cardstock. I've then punched the holes for the sewing. I'm using a blunt harness needle, 25/3 linen thread, and some beeswax.
I'm going to show you how to make a sewn board binding. The structure was devised in its modern form by the legendary Gary Frost. Here I'm using Karen Hanmer's notes presented at the 2013 Guild of Bookworker's conference in Washington D.C.
I've already done a bit of the work here. I've gotten my paper, cut it down to size, folded it in the signatures (9 signatures of 4 folios each), made two endsheet signatures (2 folios each), and made two single folio signatures of 10 point cardstock. I've then punched the holes for the sewing. I'm using a blunt harness needle, 25/3 linen thread, and some beeswax.
I've threaded my needle with waxed thread and started sewing. Here you can see my sewing weight that I use to help me keep the signatures aligned. The sewing I'm doing is called a bunch of things: Lap-link, french link, and what I call it: invisible tapes. It's very similar to sewing on supports all along, but with a twist you'll see.
First signature done. Looks pretty normal. Enter from the outside, exit next station, enter the one after that, and so on. Here you can also see the pattern for the sewing holes very clearly. Every section is like this.
Okay, here's the twist. After you've gone up to your second signature and gotten to the first spot like this, put your needle down through the sewing on the first signature.
"Pull the needle through and put it back inside the signature. Pull it tight.
Do this on all of those, and it should look like this. Take the two threads on the left here and tie them securely with a square knot.
Add your third signature (the first text block signature), and keep linking down to the signature previous.
Three signatures done. It should look like this. Time for a kettle stitch."
So if you don't know, a kettle stitch is an essential anchoring knot you'll do at the end of every signature. To start, thread your needle through the loop formed by the thread between the two signatures below the one you just exited out of.
"Pull the thread through to form a loop.
Thread your needle through the loop you just formed.
Pull it through and it should look like this.
Pull it tight and keep on sewing like that. Linking down at the three in the center, making kettle stitches when you reach the end of the signatures.
I've run out of thread here. I only take as much thread as fits between my outstretched arms to keep the thread manageable and with fewer tangles.
This is a diagram of a weaver's knot I keep on the wall next to my bench. It shows the knot way better than I can with thread.
Form the old thread into a bend and put the new thread through it (I've already waxed the new thread.)
Put a bend in the new thread and put it under and then over the old thread.
Put the end of the new thread over and under the old again and then pull it tight. nnYou should probably look at that diagram up top again. It's clearer than my stupid words. I've always been bad with knots.
Here's the finished sewing. Pretty links, nice kettles. When I finish, I just double kettle at the last signature.
Time to stiffen up the covers. The single folio signatures of ten point will become the cover of the binding, hence the name sewn board binding. I suppose this is optional, but your covers will be a little floppy if you don't stiffen them. We're doing to tip another piece of 10 point to the inside of the signature.
But first we have to trim the card away so it doesn't hit the sewing. So get your card and make marks at the head and tail of the book where the sewing is.
We're going to cut away the shaded part here.
Use a straight edge and a knife.
Alright, cool. Now to tip the ten point on. I'm going to glue up the shaded part on the piece to the right of the book.
"
Like this. Stipple your glue for better control. Do this on both sides and let dry.
Cut some scrap board the same size as the text block and put them on the front and back. Square up your text block and put under weight.
"
Flatten the spines of your signatures with a bonefolder so the glue doesn't go too far into the spine. Here I've flattened the ones on the right but not on the left. Can you tell? It's super subtle.
Put on some glue. I'm using Jade 403 PVA. This is really how much I'm putting on. This amount covering the entire spine, not just one end. Let it dry completely.
Put on a little bit more PVA and put on a medium weight of japanese tissue on the spine to line it.
Use your bonefolder to press the lining on. You can also use a stiff stencil brush to tamp the lining on.
Onto the spine wrapper. This will cover up your beautiful sewing. First we're going to cut the spine stiffener out of card. I'm using 20 point here, but 10 point will also work.
Cut two pieces to the same size: Same height as the text block, about a millimeter shorter than the width of the spine. We'll use one as the actual spine stiffener and one to help us with layout.
Grab a piece of bookcloth and cut it to two inches taller than the spine and four-ish times the width of the spine. I'm not being exact here. It doesn't really matter how exact you are here, as none of it will show, but how wide you cut the bookcloth will determine how much cloth you have on the boards. If you want more cloth on the boards, cut the bookcloth wider.
Glue up your spine stiffener.
Put it in the center of your bookcloth. Flatten it with your bone folder to get out any air bubbles and ensure adequate adhesion.
Glue up the end of the book cloth and fold it over the end of the spine stiffener.
Like this. Do your best to make sure the fold is in line with the top of the spine stiffener. Do this same thing on the other end."
Put it between some boards. I'm using my plexi boards here so you can see, but wood is actually better as it absorbs moisture.
Put it under weight and let dry.
Once dry, use the other piece of card we cut to aid in layout. Lay it alongside the spine piece and draw a line against it.
Like this. So in this binding the spine stiffener floats loose away from the actual spine of the text block. To accomplish this we're only going to attach part of the cloth to the covers of the book and leave some of it free. Everything below that line is going to get glue.
Do the same thing on the other side.
Glue up one side only like this. See how I have very little glue above the line? You can either eyeball it like that or use a piece of scrap paper as a mask to make sure your glue gets exactly where you want it.
Making sure the spine is properly aligned, glue it to one cover. Press it with your bonefolder. You can also see the mark I make to remember which side it the front and top.
Glue up the other side.
And attach the other side to the other cover.
Here I'm determining the amount of cloth that will show on my boards. I'm using that same extra spine stiffener to determine mine because it's easy and I enjoy the modern look of very little cloth showing.
I've made two little marks, one at the head and one at the tail that will help me align my cover paper.
Here's my paper. Some stuff I marbled myself a few years ago. If you can find a local arts center or workshop that offers paper marbling classes, I highly recommend it. It's super fun and will supply you with some great paper. Also, when people inevitably ask you if you marbled the paper you can say yes.
We're going to adhere just the one side first, like this. The paper is oversize, and it's going to get trimmed.
Glue out just a little bit of the paper. Don't use too much glue or it will squirt out onto your cloth and look gross.
Align the paper and put it down, using a bonefolder to get get out any air bubbles.
Do the other side and let everything dry under weight.
Here I'm trimming the oversize paper. My starrett ruler is exactly one inch, so it makes a nice amount for the turn ins. I'm not measuring anything here, just using it as a straight edge.
Do the foreedge, head, and tail.
Cut your corners. Corners are complicated bit that trips up a lot of people. I do something very specific that is nearly impossible to demonstrate here with boards so thin. I'll make a corner tutorial some other time. For now, just do your best.
I'm propping the book up like this with two weights just to keep it out of the way.Glue it up.
And fold it over. Keep those edges crisp by pulling the paper tight on the boards. Middle schoolers I teach don't seem to be able to grasp this concept.
Do both head and tail, then the foreedge."
Glued up.
"Folded over."
Don't forget to do the other side!"
"
"Moving quickly now, we'll finish this book. We're going to glue our endsheets to the cover so we don't see any naked board.
Glue up just the edge, making sure you've inserted a piece of waste paper between the paper you're gluing and the rest of the text block.
Put it down, remembering to use your bonefolder.
Put in fences to absorb moisture. If you don't, you'll end up with cockling from the moisture in the glue.
Do the other side and put under weight to dry.
Done! The sewn board binding is pretty pleasing. It opens pretty well and has a nice puffy quality that reminds me of limp bindings.